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The 77th Armored Regiment moved from Ft. Carson to Germany in 1984 and the 3rd and 5th Battalions became part of the 8th Infantry Division at Manheim. Later they were assigned to the 1st Armored Division when the 8th ID was deactivated after the Persian Gulf War. In June 1994 the two battalions (and all the soldiers and equipment) of the regiment moved to Ft. Lewis, WA and became part of the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. In 1995 both battalions were deactivated and the 1st Battalion, 77th Armor was reactivated in Schweinfurt, Germany as part of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division where it remains today. In 1997 the Steel Tigers deployed to Bosnia for six months as part of the follow-on rotations of SFOR. After a year back in Germany the battalion had just begun a deployment to Kuwait (the Army keeps a battalion task force in Kuwait all year long) when it was abruptly cancelled on April 1st of 1999 and the advance party was called back from the Middle East. In May the Steel Tigers began training for the possible invasion of Kosovo. When an armistice between NATO and Yugoslavia was signed in the first week of June 1999 the battalion deployed via C-17, train and sealift to Greece and Macedonia enroute to Kosovo as part of the initial entry forces where it served until December 1999. It distinguished itself in restoring law and order to that war-torn region. While in Kosovo we were visited by the Supreme Commander of NATO, General Wesley Clark, who had commanded the battalion at Ft. Carson in the early 1980s. |
In Kosovo
the Steel Tigers lost one soldier, SGT Joe Henson of the S-2 shop, who
died of disease during the deployment. Some Vietnam War veterans who wanted to form a 77th Armor Association contacted us upon our return to Germany; we eagerly joined in. We invited Mr. Bruce Goldsmith to our formal All Ranks Ball in April 2000. He presided over the dedication of our M48A3 tank (permanently "parked" in front of the BN HQ) in memory of the Steel Tigers who were KIA in Vietnam. Bruce spent the day with the soldiers and NCOs of the battalion, especially the men of the Scout Platoon for which he had been the platoon leader in Vietnam. Bruce also delivered a memorable speech to the soldiers, NCOs and officers of the battalion at our ball. His visit had a lasting impact on the soldiers of the battalion. They had just written a page in the regiment's long and distinguished history and to connect with those who had done so in previous operations was a rare treat and an honor. The Steel Tigers are still at home in Schweinfurt, Germany training as hard as ever. Currently the battalion is slated to return to Kosovo in May 2002 for another tour of duty. As our last deployment showed, however, anything can happen without any warning! The Steel Tigers continue to add to the regiment's distinguished history. Steel Tigers - Blood
on the Axe!"
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