177th Armored Brigade (United States)

The 177th Armored Brigade is an AC/RC unit based at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. The unit is responsible for training selected United States Army Reserve and National Guard units. The unit was formerly designated as 3rd Brigade, 87th Division. The brigade is a subordinate unit of First Army.
The brigade has been re-designated and re-missioned several times:

During the World War I, the Brigade was infantry and fought as part of the 89th Infantry Division.
In 1986, the Brigade assumed the mission as the Opposing Force at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California. The Brigade consisted of 2 battalions: 6th Battalion, 31st [Infantry Regiment (United States)|31st Infantry] and 1st Battalion, 73rd Armor. On the NTC battlefield, the 177th portrayed the fictitious, Guards 60th Motorized Rifle Division, which was based upon Soviet Army structure and doctrine.
In 1988 the Brigade re-designated several units and activated others. 6–31 IN became 1–52 IN, 1–73 AR became 1–63 AR. Activated were the 177th Support Battalion, 177th Military Intelligence Company, 164th Chemical Company and the 87th Engineer Company.
On 26 October 1994, as part of the post-Cold War draw down, the Brigade was inactivated and re-flagged as the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment.
Reactivated 24 October 1997 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi as an Army Reserve training unit and inactivated on 16 October 1999 and reflagged as 3rd Brigade, 87th Division
On 1 December 2006 the 177th was reactivated at Camp Shelby, Mississippi under 1st Army-East.

Organization

As of 2007, the unit is composed of:

The 177th Armored Brigade is a Combined Arms Training Brigade assigned to the 85th Support Command. Like all formations of the 85th Support Command, the brigade is not a combat formation, but instead trains Army Reserve and Army National Guard units preparing for deployment. As of January 2026, the brigade consists of a Headquarters and Headquarters Company, five active duty battalions, and four reserve battalions.177th Armored Brigade, at Camp Shelby

The brigade's three training support battalions and logistical support battalion are Army Reserve formations. In 2018, the brigade's 2nd Battalion, 348th Regiment at Fort Buchanan in Puerto Rico was transferred to the 1st Mission Support Command's Caribbean Readiness Group.

For further information see The Brigade, A History by John J. McGrath from the Combat Studies Institute Press, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.