The 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (39th IBCT), also officially known as The Arkansas Brigade, is an infantry brigade combat team of the Army National Guard composed of personnel from the U.S. states of Arkansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. The unit is the largest Army National Guard command in Arkansas and is headquartered at the Camp Robinson Maneuver Training Center. It was ordered into federal service in 2003 to fight in the Iraq War. The 39th was attached to the 1st Cavalry Division and served in and around Baghdad for a year, as part of the OIF II rotation, returning to the United States in March 2005.

In late August 2005, after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast of the United States, elements of the 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team were among the first military units to provide recovery and relief efforts to citizens of New Orleans, Louisiana. The brigade combat team led the effort to evacuate an estimated 16,000 people from the New Orleans Convention Center. The 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team completed its second deployment to Iraq in 2008, after spending a year on active federal duty. Unlike the first deployment, the brigade combat team did not have command and control of all its subordinate units.

History 20th century World War I The unit was organized for service in World War I on 25 August 1917 at Camp Beauregard, Louisiana as the 39th Division (Delta Division) from National Guard troops of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas. It arrived in France during August and September 1918. Upon arrival the division was sent to the St. Florent area south-west of Bourges where it was designated as a replacement division. On 2 November it moved to St. Aignan and the personnel of most of the units was withdrawn and sent to other organizations leaving the 39th Division skeletonized. With one exception the units of the division did not participate in combat operations, although a large number of the personnel was transferred to combat divisions, and took part in operations. The 114th Engineers participated as a unit in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive from 3 October – 11 November 1918. The 39th Division permanent cadre returned to the United States in December 1918. It demobilized the following month at Camp Beauregard.The National Guard Education Foundation, National Guard Division Histories (by John Listman, unless otherwise noted), 39th Infantry Division. Retrieved 13 January 2010 In 1923, when the 39th Division was redesignated the 31st Division (Dixie Division), its Arkansas units were transferred from the division and continued to operate as non-divisional units. For a history of those units, see articles on the 153rd Infantry and the 206th Coast Artillery.

Cold War On 26 August 1947, the unit was reorganized and federally recognized in part at Little Rock as the 39th Infantry Division. During this period the division included the 153d Infantry Regiment, the 156th Infantry Regiment, and the 206th Field Artillery Regiment. On 2 November 1967, the division was reorganized again and subsequently redesignated the 39th Infantry Brigade. This change resulted in a massive restationing within the state as follows:

New unit Former unit Station Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 39th Infantry Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 39th Infantry Division Little Rock Troop E, 151st Cavalry Regiment Company C, 2d Battalion, 153d Infantry Regiment Conway 239th Engineer Company Company A, 217th Engineer Battalion Clarksville Detachment 1, 239th Engineer Company Company E, 217th Engineer Battalion Russellville 39th Aviation Company Company A, 39th Aviation Battalion, and Headquarters and Company A, 739th Maintenance Battalion North Little Rock Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 39th Support Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2d Battalion, 206th Field Artillery Regiment Hazen Company A, 39th Support Battalion 39th Admin Company and Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 39th Infantry Division Support Command Little Rock Company C, 39th Support Battalion Company B, 125th Medical Batatlion Lonoke Detachment 1, Company B, 39th Support Battalion Company C, 125th Medical Battalion DeWitt Company C, 39th Support Battalion 222d Engineer Company Stuttgart Detachment 1, Company C, 39th Support Battalion New unit Hazen Company D, 39th Support Battalion 176th Ordnance Company Little Rock Detachment 1, Company D, 39th Support Battalion Detachment 1, Headquarters and Company A, 739th Ordnance Battalion Perryville Headquarters and Headquarters Service Battery, 5th Battalion, 206th Field Artillery Regiment Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 5th Battalion, 142d Artillery and Service Battery, 5th Battalion, 142d Artillery West Memphis Detachment 1, Headquarters and Headquarters Service Battery, 5th Battalion, 206th Field Artillery Regiment Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 3d Battalion, 206th Field Artillery Regiment Marianna Battery A, 5th Battalion, 206th Field Artillery Regiment Battery A, 5th Battalion, 142d Artillery Wynne Battery B, 5th Battalion, 206th Field Artillery Regiment Battery B, 5th Battalion, 142d Artillery Forrest City Battery C, 5th Battalion, 206th Field Artillery Regiment Battery C, 5th Battalion, 142d Artillery Harrisburg Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 153d Infantry Regiment Malvern Detachment 1, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 153d Infantry Regiment Detachment 1, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2d Battalion, 206th Armor Sheridan Detachment 2, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 153d Infantry Regiment Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2d Battalion, 206th Armor Pine Bluff Company A, 1st Battalion, 153d Infantry Regiment Company C, 1st Battalion, 153d Infantry Regiment Prescot Detachment 1, Company A, 1st Battalion, 153d Infantry Regiment Company A, 1st Battalion, 153d Infantry Regiment Arkadelphia Company B, 1st Battalion, 153d Infantry Regiment Company B, 1st Battalion, 153d Infantry Regiment Texarkana Detachment 1, Company B, 1st Battalion, 153d Infantry Regiment Detachment 1, Company B, 1st Battalion, 153d Infantry Regiment Hope Company C, 1st Battalion, 153rd Infantry Detachment 1, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 153d Infantry Regiment Mena Detachment 1, Company C, 1st Battalion, 153d Infantry Regiment 1121st Transportation Company Dequeen Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2d Battalion, 153d Infantry Regiment Searcy Detachment 1, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2d Battalion, 153d Infantry Regiment Newport Detachment 2, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2d Battalion, 153d Infantry Regiment Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3d Brigade, 39th Infantry Division Beebe Company A, 2d Battalion, 153d Infantry Regiment Walnut Ridge Detachment 1, Company A, 2d Battalion, 153d Infantry Regiment Battery C, 4th Battalion, 142d Artillery Piggott Company B, 2d Battalion, 153d Infantry Regiment Batesville Detachment 1, Company B, 2d Battalion, 153d Infantry Regiment Battery A, 2d Battalion, 206th Field Artillery Regiment Augusta Company C, 2d Battalion, 153d Infantry Regiment Battery B, 2d Battalion, 206th Field Artillery Regiment Brinkley Detachment 1, Company C, 2d Battalion, 153d Infantry Regiment Battery A, 3d Battalion, 206th Field Artillery Regiment Helena Detachment 2, Company C, 2d Battalion, 153d Infantry Regiment Battery C, 2d Battalion, 206th Field Artillery Regiment West Helena Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3d Battalion, 153d Infantry Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 206th Armor Warren Detachment 1, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3d Battalion, 153d Infantry Detachment 1, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 206th Armor Magnolia Detachment 2, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3d Battalion, 153d Infantry 295th Medical Company Dermontt Company A, 3d Battalion, 153d Infantry Company A, 1st Battalion, 206th Armor El Dorado Detachment 1, Company A, 3d Battalion, 153d Infantry Company C, 1st Battalion, 206th Armor Crossett Company B, 3d Battalion, 153d Infantry Company C, 2d Battalion, 206th Armor Fordyce Detachment 1, Company B, 3d Battalion, 153d Infantry Company B, 1st Battalion, 206th Armor Camden Company C, 3d Battalion, 153d Infantry Company A, 2d Battalion, 206th Armor McGehee Detachment 1, Company C, 3d Battalion, 153d Infantry Company B, 2d Battalion, 206th Armor Dumas

In 1967 the division was redesignated as the 39th Infantry Brigade (Separate) and in 1973 was paired with the US 101st Airborne Division as a training partner and became an air-assault brigade. The following Regiments were represented in the 39th Infantry Brigade (Separate): 153d Infantry Regiment, 151st Cavalry Regiment and the 206th Field Artillery Regiment. 39th Brigade units conducted numerous overseas training rotations throughout the 1980s and early 1990s.1967–2002, 39th Infantry Brigade (Separate), The Arkansas Brigade, 35 Years of Excellence, A Brief History of the 39th Infantry Brigade (Separate)

1990s In 1994 the brigade was again reorganized and gained its designation as an "enhanced" brigade. In 1999, the 39th became part of the 7th Infantry Division under the Army Integrated Division concept which paired National Guard and Reserve brigades with active duty headquarters and support units.Global Security.org, 39th Infantry Brigade (Light) (Separate/Enhanced). Retrieved 21 January 2010, http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/39in-bde.htm

Company B, 2d Battalion, 153d Infantry Regiment, and Company B, 3d Battalion, 153d Infantry Regiment of the 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team were activated for Operation Southern Watch, May through September 1999.Global Security. Org, 3–153rd Infantry Battalion. Retrieved 22 January 2010, http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/3-153in.htm Company B, 2d Battalion, 153d Infantry Regiment deployed to Kuwait while Company B, 3d Battalion, 153d Infantry Regiment deployed to Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia. Soldiers provided security at Patriot missile batteries during these deployments. The mission lasted a total of seven months, and was the first "pure" National Guard effort in the region. Company C, 1st Battalion, 153d Infantry carried on the 39th's role in Operation Southern Watch when they replaced Company B, 2d Battalion, 153d Infantry Regiment in September 1999.1967–2002, 39th Infantry Brigade (Separate), The Arkansas Brigade, 35 Years of Excellence, Memorandum from BG Ronald S. Chastain

Company B, 3d Battalion, 153d Infantry Regiment was the first National Guard unit since the Vietnam War to be involuntarily mobilized by presidential order (President Bill Clinton). The unit was mobilized to support operations in Operation Southern Watch. The battalion commander was Lieutenant Colonel Ewing, company commander was Captain Rozenberg and the company first sergeant was First Sergeant Nutt. B Company consisted of over 120 soldiers from the Camden and Fordyce units and volunteers from other areas of south and central Arkansas. The unit primarily provided security for two active duty Army Patriot missile batteries in Saudi Arabia. The units conducted initial training for the deployment in Camp Joseph T. Robinson, Arkansas and Fort Carson, Colorado. The success of the mission laid the ground work for additional deployments of National Guard units.

21st century