525th Military Intelligence Brigade Unveiled on Fort Bragg
Fort Bragg
Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer | Oct 30, 2014 | by Drew Brooks
An Army adapting to a shrinking force and new, uncertain threats has unveiled a new type of unit on Fort Bragg.
The 525th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade has been redesignated as an expeditionary military intelligence brigade -- the first of its kind.
The newly named 525th Military Intelligence Brigade was presented to Fort Bragg and Army intelligence on Tuesday, outside the 525th's headquarters on Armistead Street.
With the entire brigade standing on Lightning Field, leaders recognized the unit's past and unveiled a sign bearing the changed name.
The 525th Military Intelligence Brigade is smaller than its previous iteration, officials said. The new unit has a little more than 1,000 soldiers, down from about 1,400.
The loss comes from units that have been inactivated in recent months, including the 1st Squadron, 38th Cavalry Regiment and the brigade special troops battalion.
Col. David J. Woods, commander of the 525th, said the unit was now focused on providing intelligence to commanders at the corps or lower levels. The unit would be adaptable, he said, able to deploy as part of the Global Response Force, or in support of any number of operations across the globe.
Maj. Gen. Robert P. Ashley, commanding general of the Army's Intelligence Center of Excellence and Fort Huachuca, Arizona, said the transformation of the 525th marked the latest step toward the future for Army intelligence, which is adapting to the challenge of a complex world.
He challenged the soldiers, saying they could never rest from their mission to provide important information to Army leaders.
The Army eventually will have three expeditionary military intelligence brigades, Ashley said. They are being created based on lessons learned from the past several years, Ashley said, and at the behest of Army leaders.
Those brigades will help provide information commanders can use to prevent wars and, if needed, to fight and win.
"When it comes time to fight and win, this brigade will be integral to that effort," Ashley said.
Ashley, a former commander of the 525th, said the unit was a natural choice to set the stage for other intelligence units.
In 2006, the 525th -- known as the Lightning Brigade -- was the first military intelligence brigade to become a battlefield surveillance brigade, at the time adding cavalry and long range surveillance units to the fold to create a force that could better support operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Woods said the unit was proud to lead the latest transformation, too.
"It's an honor anytime you're chosen to be first," he said.
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2014/10/30/525th-military-intelligence-brigade-unveiled-on-fort-bragg.html?comp=7000023468004&rank=3
