FORT STEWART, Ga. (Army News Service, May 28, 2004) -- The 3rd Infantry Division Engineer Brigade was deactivated and became the foundation of the newly-formed 4th Unit of Action in a ceremony May 26 at Fort Stewart’s Cottrell Field.

"Today, we have inactivated the best Engineer Brigade in our Army and activated a new combat brigade to meet the new challenges that face our military," said Col. Edward C. Cardon, 4th Unit of Action commander.

The reorganization of the Engineer Brigade is part of the Army-wide reorganization planned by Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Schoomaker to improve the combat effectiveness and versatility for the challenges that the Army faces on the modern battlefield, officials said.

Cardon said that the change-over will help the Army by providing self-sufficient combat brigades that are able to respond more rapidly to a crisis.

"Our chief had said we need to grow from 33 combat brigades to somewhere between 43 and 48 combat brigades to face both today's threats and the threats of the future," Cardon said.

With maneuver and support units reorganized from existing brigades within the 3rd Infantry Division, the 4th UA supports the Army's Task Force Modularity Plan, officials said.

"The 4th Unit of Action will be a more independent unit, not reliant on other units for support," Cardon said. "I'm confident that we'll be able to handle it with the large numbers of combat veterans and physically fit and well trained Soldiers we have.

"This new brigade has an improved organization, enhanced equipment and capabilities and a changed way that it will train," Cardon said. "We have streamlined our units to permanently task-organize the way we plan to fight. And because dividing three brigades into four brigades does not work equally, we have created new units.

"This UA has engineers, infantry, armor, and logistics Soldiers that belong to the unit, which doesn't require any tasking of any other unit's Soldiers."
"This team now lives, trains and fights together," Cardon said. "It's a bigger job for the leaders with the wide range of fields assigned to their commands, but it will provide the UA to be more capable to do their assignment."

The 4th Unit of Action, "Vanguard," is composed of Headquarters and Headquarters Command, 4th Brigade Engineers; 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment; 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment; 6th Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment; 1st Battalion, 76th Field Artillery Regiment, 703rd Main Support Battalion and 4th Special Troops Battalion.

Maj. Gen. William G. Webster, 3rd Infantry Division commanding general and reviewing officer of the troops at the ceremony, said “the reorganization puts a great deal of work on the young leaders of the division, but they are responding well, taking it in stride, because it's a very important job.

"Bringing in combat units to the UAs will allow for a 25 percent increase in combat readiness," Webster said. "The increase in readiness will allow for Soldiers to spend more time at home."

(Editor’s note: Pfc. Ricardo Branch is a staff writer for the Frontline newspaper at Fort Stewart.)