26th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade

The 26th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade ("Yankee"^[1]) is a combat support brigade of the United States Army. Its headquarters is maintained by the Massachusetts Army National Guard. It draws its lineage from the Headquarters Company 26th Infantry Division.

26th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade
Shoulder sleeve insignia
Active	1 September 2008 –
Country	United States of America
Branch	Army National Guard
Type	Maneuver enhancement
Size	Brigade
Garrison/HQ	Natick, Massachusetts
Nickname(s)	Yankee (Special Designation)[1]
Motto(s)	First to Fight
Colors	Blue and White
Engagements	Operation Enduring Freedom
Commanders
Current commander	Colonel Shawn C. Cody
Command Sergeant Major	Command Sergeant Major CSM Sean Ready
Insignia
Distinctive unit insignia

However, most of the history of the current 26th MEB stems from the 26th Infantry Division. The 26th Division served in World Wars I and II and was recreated in the Massachusetts Army National Guard after being released from active duty on 13 November 1946.

History

• Constituted 18 July 1917 in the National Guard as Headquarters, 26th Division (to be organized with troops from Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont)
• 1 March 1963: Redesignated as 1st Brigade, 26th Infantry Division, Headquartered at Waltham, Massachusetts.
• 1 September 1993: Reorganized as 26th Infantry Brigade, 29th Infantry Division^[2]
• 2005: Reorganized into the 26th Brigade Combat Team, 42nd Infantry Division
• 2008: Reorganized as 26th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade (MEB), a combat support brigade, Camp Curtis Guild, MA
• 2016: Relocated to Private First Class Michael J. Perkins Readiness Center, Natick, MA

Units

The Brigade consists of:^[3]

• Headquarters and Headquarters Company
• 101st Engineer Battalion
• 126th Brigade Support Battalion
  • Company A
  • Company B
• 211th Military Police Battalion
  • 747th Military Police Company
  • 772nd Military Police Company
  • 972nd Military Police Company
• 26th Signal Company
• 79th Troop Command
  • 101st Financial Management Support Detachment
  • 215th Army Band

Campaign participation credit

• World War I
• Champagne-Marne
• Aisne-Marne
• St. Mihiel
• Meuse-Argonne
• Ile de France 1918
• Lorraine 1918
• World War II
• Northern France
• Rhineland
• Ardennes-Alsace
• Central Europe
• War on Terrorism (Campaigns to be determined)

^[4]

Decorations

• Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action in the Ardennes
• Headquarters Company (Natick) additionally entitled to:
• French Croix de Guerre with Gilt Star, World War I, Streamer embroidered LORRAINE
• French Croix de Guerre with Palm, World War II, Streamer embroidered LORRAINE
• French Croix de Guerre, World War II, Fourragere

^[4]

See also

• Reorganization plan of United States Army

References

1. "Special Unit Designations". United States Army Center of Military History. 21 April 2010. Archived from the original on 9 July 2010. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
2. McGrath, The Brigade
3. "FY13 Force Structure of all Army National Guard Units". nationalguard.mil. United States Army National Guard. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
4. "U.S. Army Center for Military History". 30 April 2015. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015.

External links

• The unit's official lineage and honors can be found here