45th Brigade Special Troops Battalion

Overview
The 45th Brigade Special Troops Battalion (BSTB) is headquartered in Norman, Oklahoma. It is a part of the 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard and the newest battalion in the brigade.

A special troops battalion, in the modular Army organization, is a collection of units company size and smaller, that contain specialties other than that of the primary function of the Brigade or Division it is assigned to. An infantry BSTB is composed of an Engineer Company, a Military Intelligence Company, and a Signal Company, with a Headquarters Company that contains Support, Security, Military Police and Medical platoons and sections.

The 45th BSTB has recently returned from Afghanistan as part of the 45th Infantry Brigade.

Commanders and command sergeants major
Commanders
 * LTC Van Kinchen 2007-2008
 * LTC John Landreth 2008-2009
 * LTC Michael Kinnison 2009-2011
 * LTC Thomas Mancino 2011–2013
 * LTC Douglas Merritt 2013-Present

Command sergeants major
 * CSM Joe Stover 2007-2011
 * CSM Gordon Carlin 2011–2012
 * CSM Bryon Fry 2012-Present

Subordinate units
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 45th Brigade Special Troops Battalion at Norman, OK

A Company, 45th Brigade Special Troops Battalion (Combat Engineers) at Broken Arrow, OK

B Company, 45th Brigade Special Troops Battalion (Military Intelligence) at Norman, OK

C Company, 45th Brigade Special Troops Battalion (Signal) at Norman, OK

Deployments
Global War on Terror
 * Operation Noble Eagle
 * Pine Bluff Arsenal (245 ENG)
 * Operation Iraqi Freedom
 * Iraq Surge (245 ENG, 245 MI)
 * Operation Enduring Freedom
 * Afghanistan Consolidation III
 * Afghanistan Transition I

History and lineage
The 45th Brigade Special Troops Battalion was formed from new and existing units of the 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and received federal recognition on 25 December 2010. Existing units were the 245th Engineer Company, re-designated A Company, and the 245th Military Intelligence Company, re-designated B Company. New elements would be the Headquarters Company, itself composed largely of platoon and smaller elements of the Brigade Headquarters Company, such as the Military Police and CBRN platoons, and C Company, the new Network Support Company (Signal).

The battalion motto, "All In," is emblematic of the wide variety of expertise, missions, and capabilities brought together under the battalion's aegis.

The BSTB deployed with the brigade under the command of LTC Tommy Mancino, to Afghanistan in 2011 and in an unprecedented move was made a battlespace owner in Laghman Province in Eastern Afghanistan. By leveraging its troops' unique skill sets, a few attachments, and the use of combat multipliers available in the theater, the BSTB conducted combat operations to a high degree of lethality and suffered no fatalities, and still providied the usual support functions it was designed for. A Company (Engineers) conducted thousands of miles of route clearance operations, B Company (MI) collected and analyzed intelligence for the brigade and flew UAV surveillance missions, and C Company (Signal) was present all across the brigade's area of operations, providing critical connectivity and communications, all while also meeting other needs of the brigade, such as force protection on a myriad of small bases and outposts.

== Distinctive unit insignia ==

Description A Gold color metal and enamel device 1 3/16 inches (3.02 cm) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned as follows: Per chevron Gules and Azure (Teal Blue), a chevron embattled Or, in chief a musket, barrel up and key, ward up turned to base saltirewise, in base a stylized Thunderbird displayed with wings inverted all of the last with an eye of the field, charged with a lightning bolt of the first. Attached across the bottom of the shield is a Gold wavy scroll inscribed “ALL IN” in Black letters.

Symbolism The Thunderbird, powerful, vigilant and swift, and the colors red and yellow (gold) are adapted from the Brigade’s shoulder sleeve insignia. Red and yellow reflect the Spanish heritage and the Thunderbird signifies the warrior spirit of the Battalion. The musket represents the Infantry branch which the Battalion supports. The key is for the Military Intelligence Company. The castle of the Engineer Corps is symbolized by the embattled chevron and the lightning bolt is for the Signal Company. The shield and its elements emphasize the defense, combat readiness and teamwork of the unit.

Background The distinctive unit insignia was approved on 21 April 2010.

Campaign participation credit
Global War on Terror

Operation Enduring Freedom


 * Afghanistan, Consolidation III
 * Afghanistan, Transition I

Battlefield or campaign honors, citations and decorations
A Co., previously the 245th Engineer Company, entitled to the Meritorious Unit Citation. DAGO 233-24 (2009)