149th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade

149th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade
149th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade shoulder sleeve insignia
CountryUnited States of America
AllegianceState of Kentucky
BranchNational Guard
TypeBrigade
RoleManeuver Enhancement
Nickname(s)Louisville Legion[1]
EngagementsMexican War
Civil War
Spanish–American War
World War I
World War II
War on Terrorism
DecorationsPhilippine Presidential Unit Citation
Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army)
Insignia
Distinctive Unit Insignia

The 149th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade is a maneuver enhancement brigade of the Kentucky Army National Guard, headquartered at Richmond.

Constituted Jan. 21, 1839 in the Kentucky Militia as the Louisville Legion and organized at Louisville. The unit mustered into federal service May 17, 1846 as the first Kentucky Volunteer Infantry Regiment and mustered out of federal service May 17, 1847 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Four years after coming out of the federal service, the unit reorganized June 30, 1851 in the Kentucky Volunteer Militia in Louisville as the Louisville Legion. The Kentucky State Guard re-designated as the Kentucky National Guard in 1912, and the unit mustered into federal service once again at Fort Thomas in February 1917.

The 149th Armored Brigade traces its recent history to the activation of Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, XXIII Corps Artillery from Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 138th Field Artillery Group on 1 October 1959. The corps artillery headquarters for the Kentucky Army National Guard had been formed in 1953 due to the quantity of field artillery battalions in the state and given the designation of XXIII Corps Artillery, although the corresponding corps headquarters did not exist.[2] In this reorganization, the Louisville unit swapped designations with the Lexington unit, which ultimately became the 138th Field Artillery Brigade headquarters.[3]

The Louisville unit was then converted and redesignated HHC 149th Armored Brigade on 1 November 1980.[4][5] The '149' number came from the former 149th Infantry Regiment.[6] When activated, the 149th included the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 123rd Armor,[7] 1st Battalion, 149th Infantry,[8] 2nd Battalion, 138th Field Artillery,[9] Troop A of the 240th Cavalry,[10] the 103rd Support Battalion,[11] and the 207th Engineer Company.[12]

On 1 November 1985 the 149th joined the newly reactivated 35th Infantry Division (Mechanized) and became the 149th Brigade, 35th Infantry Division.[4] The 35th had been reformed after the Department of Defense decided to add another National Guard mechanized division and also included the 67th Brigade from Nebraska and the 69th Brigade from Kansas.[13] As a result of losing its status as a separate brigade, the brigade armored cavalry reconnaissance troop (Troop A, 240th Cavalry) was eliminated.[14] The 149th MEB also contains a Military Police Battalion known as the 198th MP BN.[15] This battalion has several combat support units, and one law and order detachment.

The unit's headquarters changed 1 October 2013 to Richmond, Kentucky.[4]

  1. ^ Special Designations, Army National Guard Archived 2010-06-09 at the Wayback Machine, US Army Center of Military History (CMH), 7 May 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  2. ^ Miltonberger, Butler B. (May–June 1947). "The New National Guard" (PDF). The Field Artillery Journal. 37 (3): 167.
  3. ^ "Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 138th Field Artillery Brigade Lineage and Honors". U.S. Army Center of Military History. 25 June 2013. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  4. ^ a b c 149th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade Lineage and Honors Information, US Army Center of Military History (CMH), 12 December 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  5. ^ Kentucky National Guard Major Commands. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  6. ^ McGrath, 'The Brigade,' 237.
  7. ^ Pope & Kondratiuk 1995, p. 35.
  8. ^ "149th Infantry Regiment Lineage and Honors". U.S. Army Center of Military History. 23 July 2012. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  9. ^ McKenney 2010, p. 1148.
  10. ^ Sawicki 1985, pp. 332–333.
  11. ^ "103d Support Battalion Lineage and Honors". Kentucky National Guard eMuseum. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  12. ^ Kentucky Adjutant General Report, FY ending 30 June 1982 (PDF). pp. 21–22.
  13. ^ Wilson 1998, p. 395.
  14. ^ "Guard units get new names". Messenger-Inquirer. 23 November 1985. p. 1C – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "KY National Guard History 198th Military Police Battalion". kynghistory.ky.gov. Retrieved 2020-09-16.