UNITED STATES ARMY

157th INFANTRY BRIGADE (SEPARATE) (MECHANIZED) Cold War Organization  •  1988

The 157th Infantry Brigade was a US Army Reserve (USAR) formation, home based in the state of Pennsylvania. It was organized as a separate mechanized infantry brigade with three mechanized infantry battalions, one armor battalion, a self-propelled field artillery battalion, a separate armored cavalry reconnaissance troop and a separate combat engineer company. (The standard organization was two infantry battalions and one armor battalion but the 157th, like other some reserve component separate brigades, had an extra maneuver battalion as well as a separate aviation company.) Infantry and armor battalions of the USAR were mostly organized under the Army of Excellence (AoE) scheme with a headquarters company, three lettered rifle or armor companies and a combat support (CS) company. Organizational flags for separate brigades were vertically divided with the stripes in the prescribed branch colors—in this case national flag blue and scarlet for Infantry. Centered on the flag in proper colors was the brigade's shoulder sleeve insignia (SSI). Dimensions were 3 feet at the hoist by 4 feet on the fly with 2 1/2-inch yellow fringe. Organizational flags were made of heavyweight rayon banner cloth with the insignia applied to appear properly on both sides of the flag. Campaign and unit decoration streamers awarded to brigades were always displayed with these flags. The organizational flag was always carried or displayed with the National Color. Guidons for headquarters elements of separate brigades were of the same design as the corresponding organizational flags. Dimensions were 20 inches at the hoist by 27 inches on the fly with a 10-inch fork. Older guidons made of cotton or wool bunting were still used if serviceable, but new ones were made of heavyweight rayon banner cloth.