The 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT) was reorganized from the 29th Infantry Brigade on September 1, 2007, which in turn was reorganized from the 297th Supply and Service Battalion on October 1, 1995. But its origins go back nearly 70 years to the creation of a single company in the 298th Infantry Regiment. Throughout those seven decades, the brigade has always, as it motto makes clear, placed "Mission First"—or, to be more precise,
"Ka Oihana Mamua" in Hawaiian.
In 2012, nearly 200 of the brigade's soldiers were divided into 16 teams and deployed to Afghanistan on a mission in which they would assimilate with the members of the Afghan security force. The teams were stationed at seven locations throughout the Zabul and Kandarhar provinces, where they trained soldiers and policemen working to protect the fledgling democratic government that was elected due in no small part to the goals that were achieved during Operation Enduring Freedom.
The design of the 29th's Unit Patch reflects its location in Hawaii, which has long been considered to be the “Crossroads of the Pacific.” The barbed ends of the cross are symbols of the brigade's mission to protect both its home state and nation, while the connected red and blue bars—in combination with the white beneath them—recall the state flag of Hawaii. The bars are bent into a wave as a reference to the unit's location across the ocean from the mainland of the United States.
Related Items
29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Unit Crest (DUI)
29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Combat Service ID Badge (CSIB)