4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division (United States)

The 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division was activated in January 2006. It was one of three new types of brigades being formed by the US Army. The 4th Brigade is a light infantry brigade combat team. The 4th Brigade Combat is self-sustaining, unlike previous brigades, because of its support battalion and because it has its own reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition unit. Brigades had previously been supported in the latter role from separate cavalry troops or from reconnaissance elements in their maneuver battalions. Support elements had previously been held in division support commands, attached to brigades during combat operations.

Activation
On 12 January 2006, the 4th Brigade Combat Team held its activation ceremony. The activation was part of the transformation of the US Army to a new modular force structure. Under the new force structure, all divisions would activate a fourth maneuver brigade and otherwise reorganize their other assets. Formations representing the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry; 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry; 2nd Squadron, 4th Cavalry; 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery; 4th Brigade Special Troops Battalion; and 610th Brigade Support Battalion, participated in the ceremony, which signified the transfer of the brigade from inactive to active status. The brigade was expected to be combat ready in 12 months after its activation. When the brigade was fully functioning, 3,500 soldiers and 1,700 family members were expected to call Fort Riley, Kansas home.

Operation Iraqi Freedom
In 2007, 2nd Squadron, 4th Cavalry and the 610th Brigade Support Battalion were reflagged as the 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry and the 701st Brigade Support Battalion respectively. The 4th Brigade Combat Team deployed from Fort Riley to the Middle East in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in February 2007.

In August 2009, The 4th Brigade deployed again to the Salah ad Din Province, Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Announcement of Inactivation
On 25 June 2013, Army Chief of Staff, General Raymond Odierno, said that the 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Infantry Division will be inactivated by 2017. The move is part of the Army's plans to reduce its overall strength by 80,000 soldiers to 490,000. The cuts were already planned by the military before federal budget reductions were put in place in March 2013.