1st Armored Brigade Combat Team of the
34th Infantry Division |
Soldiers from the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 34th Red Bull Infantry Division stand at attention with the brigade colors as 1/34th BCT Caiman vehicles cross the Iraqi border into Kuwait for the last time. (U.S. Army photo by Maj. Paul Rickert)
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Unit Information
The 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 34th Infantry Division (1/34th ABCT) is an Army National Guard brigade headquartered in Bloomington, Minnesota. The 1/34th ABCT is capable of supporting the U.S. Army with a trained and ready combat force; additionally, the 1/34th ABCT is prepared to support the State of Minnesota with troops capable of assisting civil authorities in a disaster.
There are seven major units in the 1/34th ABCT: 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 136th Infantry (2-136 CAB) headquartered in Moorhead; 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 194th Armor (1-194 CAB) headquartered in Brainerd; 2nd Squadron 194th Armored Reconnaissance (2-194 ARS) headquartered in Duluth; 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery (1-125 FA) headquartered in New Ulm; 134th Brigade Support Battalion (134th BSB) headquartered at Camp Ripley; the 1/34th Brigade Special Troops Battalion (1/34th BSTB) headquartered in Stillwater; and Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) in Minneapolis.
2012 Accomplishments
In 2012, the 1st Brigade finished a yearlong tour to Kuwait in the largest deployment of the Minnesota Guard since World War II. While overseas, the brigade conducted convoy security missions throughout Iraq during the drawdown phase of Operation New Dawn; escorting 359,000 personnel and 27,000 trucks out of Iraq and traveling more than 2.8 million miles. The brigade was responsible for base management at five locations, processing and caring for more than 180,000 Servicemembers as they departed Kuwait for home.
During the second half of 2012, the brigade began the process of reintegration, placing emphasis on providing employment resources to Soldiers returning from combat. With the assistance of key partners (Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development; Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System; Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs; St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce; and Minnesota-based corporate partners: Best Buy, Target and U.S. Bank) the brigade was able to improve the unit's unemployment rate from more than 19 percent -- down to less than two percent, a number well below the state average.
2013 Objectives
In 2013, the brigade will complete its reintegration of Soldiers and families and then commence a year of reset operations and reintegration. The brigade will establish training goals with a focus on individual, leader and staff skills that build resilient teams. The brigade will use 2013 to reset a solid foundation focused on Unified Land Operations through decisive action. The brigade is scheduled to begin a two-year cycle of fielding new M2A2, M3A2 and M7 Bradley Fighting Vehicle Platforms, which will include field maintenance training, operator training and gunnery skills.
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Community Connections
Unit Address: 3300 W. 98th St. Bloomington, MN 55431
Unit Telephone: 651-268-8775
Recruiter Telephone: 1-800-GO-GUARD
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