UNITED STATES ARMY
2nd INFANTRY BRIGADE (SEPARATE)
Cold War Era • Pentomic Organization • 1960
When the US Army adopted the Pentomic organization for infantry and airborne divisions, it also reorganized its separate infantry regimental combat teams using a scaled-down Pentomic template. An RCT had consisted of an infantry regiment of three battalions, a field artillery battalion with three firing batteries, a combat engineer company. and the regimental trains with transportation, quartermaster, ordnance and medical companies The Pentomic infantry brigade had two infantry battle groups, two field artillery battalions with two firing batteries each, an armored cavalry reconnaissance troop, two armor companies, and two combat engineer companies. Initially the battle groups had four rifle companies and a 4.2in mortar platoon. Later they received a fifth rifle company, and the mortar platoon was enlarged into a combat support company with mortars and antitank weapons. The brigade trains were cut down in size: The transportation company remained but the other units were reduced to detachments, of which only the medical detachment was authorized a guidon.
The 4th RCT, stationed at Fort Devens, Massachusetts, was reorganized and redesignated as the 2nd Infantry Brigade (Separate) in 1957. The later modifications described above were implemented in 1959-60. Two years later the Army abandoned the Pentomic scheme, and the 2nd Infantry Brigade was reorganized and redesignated as the 2nd Brigade, 5th Infantry Division.
