25 April 2008

The 26^th Infantry Regiment has a proud history of over a century of service in the United States Army.  The regimental colors bear witness to numerous battles and campaigns, including the Philippines, France, North Africa, Central Europe, The Balkans, Vietnam, and Iraq.  Very soon, the unit will add another nation to the unit history- .

The 1^st Battalion, 26^th Infantry Regiment has received orders to deploy to in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and the Global War on Terror.  The Blue Spaders are scheduled to relieve elements of the 173^rd Airborne Brigade already on the ground in the Kunar Province of Afghanistan early this summer and will remain deployed for a period of not less than fifteen months.

As a light infantry battalion with a diverse mission essential task list (METL), the Soldiers of 1-26 Infantry have trained intensively during the past year, culminating in a mission rehearsal exercise at the National Training Center , Fort Irwin, California , in January.  Special emphasis was placed on the ability of Soldiers to shoot, move, and communicate with limited support in remote mountain terrain.  Soldiers down to the lowest level have also trained to call for and adjust artillery fire and coordinate with aviation assets among other specialized skills.

The 1^st Battalion, 26^th Infantry recently reflagged from 2^nd Battalion, 26^th Infantry.  The Battalion is part of one of the newest Infantry Brigade Combat Teams in the Army, the 3^rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1^st Infantry Division. Both were reactivated just over a year ago as the Army expands while transitioning to a more agile, lethal and deployable force.     

The Blue Spaders will continue the humanitarian and counter-insurgency mission in by building on the momentum generated by other units that have preceded the Battalion.  The past several years have witnessed significant infrastructure development in eastern , facilitated by elements of the NATO International Security and Assistance Force, of which the Battalion will be a part.  The Battalion is no stranger to low-intensity conflict.  The Blue Spaders’ first mission after standing up in 1901 took the Battalion to the to suppress the insurrection that followed the Spanish-American War.  More recently, the elements of the 26^th Infantry Regiment enforced the peace in and fought militants in . 
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The Soldiers of 1-26 Infantry will soon join a fraternity whose membership has served faithfully and with distinction in nearly every major operation conducted by the United States Army in the past one hundred years.  With this deployment, the Regiment will come full circle, returning to Asia for the first time in over a century to once again suppress insurgency in the name of peace and liberty.  While the weapons and tactics may have changed, the American Soldier remains the same competent, confident professional that deployed to the so many years ago.