45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (United States)

45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
Shoulder sleeve insignia
Active	1968–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army
Type	Infantry brigade combat team
Role	Light Infantry
Size	Brigade
Part of	Oklahoma Army National Guard
Garrison/HQ	Norman, Oklahoma
Nickname(s)	Thunderbird (special designation)[1]
Motto(s)	Semper Anticus Latin: "Always Forward"[2]
Engagements	Sheygal Alingar Sangar Valley Route Iowa
Insignia
Distinctive unit insignia

The 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team ("Thunderbird"^[1]) is a modular infantry brigade combat team of the United States Army headquartered in Norman, Oklahoma. It is a part of the Oklahoma Army National Guard.

The 45th Infantry Brigade was formed from existing elements of the disbanded 45th Infantry Division which had seen extensive action during World War II and the Korean War. The 45th Infantry Brigade was activated in 1968 and assigned to training duties for active duty army units until 1994 when the 45th was selected as one of 15 Separate Enhanced Infantry Brigades. In 1999, the brigade deployed two companies (A/1-179 and C/1-179) as part of the UN peacekeeping force in the wake of the Bosnian War. In 2003, A/1-179th Infantry deployed to Saudi Arabia while B/1-179th deployed to Kuwait to provide security for Patriot missile sites. During the invasion of Iraq, B/Company 1–179th pushed North of Baghdad establishing a foothold in Taji, Iraq. Later that year, the 45th Infantry Brigade deployed to Afghanistan to train soldiers of the Afghan National Army which was followed by another brigade deployment to Iraq, in 2007, to assist in turning over of American military bases to Iraqi forces. A third brigade deployment to Afghanistan in 2011, saw the brigade assigned full-spectrum operations for the first time since the 1950s.

The brigade received all heraldry, lineage and honors from the 45th Infantry Division, including its shoulder sleeve insignia and campaign streamers for combat in World War II and Korea. It is the last brigade in the Army inventory that has a diamond-shaped shoulder sleeve insignia. Since 1999, the 45th Infantry Brigade has since received several of its own decorations for participation in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.