The 1st Signal Brigade ("First to Communicate")Special Unit Designations is a military communications brigade of the United States Army operationally controlled to the Eighth United States Army and administratively controlled to the 311th Signal Command in Fort Shafter, Hawaii, and located at Camp Humphreys in South Korea.
History Vietnam War The 1st Signal Brigade was activated on 1 April 1966 in South Vietnam.Raines, p 371 The brigade's mission was to originate, install, operate, and maintain a complex communication system that fused tactical and strategic communications in Southeast Asia under a single, unified command. The formation of the brigade brought together three signal groups that were already in South Vietnam.
At the peak of the Vietnam War the brigade consisted of more than 23,000 soldiers, in six Signal groups (including the 160th Signal Group), 22 signal battalions and several communications agencies, making the 1st Signal Brigade the largest signal unit in the U.S. Army at the time.1st Signal BrigadeRaines, p 380
South Korea to present On 7 November 1972 the brigade was relocated to the Republic of Korea under the United States Army Strategic Communications Command.Raines, p 383 On 29 January 1973 the 1st Signal Brigade was reestablished by General Order 56 from HQ, USASTRATCOM. The brigade's mission in South Korea is to provide communications support to the Eighth United States Army, United States Forces Korea and the United Nations Command. The brigade was also given the mission of installing, maintaining and operating the Defense Communications System in South Korea.
Organization
1st Signal Brigade, at Camp Humphreys Headquarters and Headquarters Company 41st Signal Battalion, at Camp Humphreys Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment USANEC-Casey, at Camp Casey USANEC-Humphreys, at Camp Humphreys USANEC-Seoul Air Base, K-16 USANEC-Walker, at Camp Walker USASA-Carroll, at Camp Carroll 304th Expeditionary Signal Battalion - Enhanced (304th ESB-E), at Camp Humphreys Headquarters and Headquarters Company A Company B Company C Company U.S. Army Communications Information Systems Activity, Pacific, at Camp Humphreys
Lineage Constituted 26 March 1966 in the Regular Army as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Signal Brigade Activated 1 April 1966 in Vietnam
Campaign participation credit Vietnam Counteroffensive Counteroffensive, Phase II Counteroffensive, Phase III Tet Counteroffensive Counteroffensive, Phase IV Counteroffensive, Phase V Counteroffensive, Phase VI Tet 69/Counteroffensive Summer-Fall 1969 Winter-Spring 1970 Sanctuary Counteroffensive Counteroffensive, Phase VII Consolidation I Consolidation II Cease-Fire
Decorations Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1966-1967 Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1967-1969 Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1970-1972 Army Superior Unit Award, Streamer embroidered 2007
Citations
References
External links Official homepage: 1st Signal Brigade