Although a 76th Infantry Brigade was deployed to Europe as part of the 38th Division during World War I, it did not see combat before the signing of the Armistice and was subsequently inactivated in 1919, and no unit designated the 76th Infantry Brigade saw action in World War II.
This means it is far more likely that today’s 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Teams lineage actually goes back to the 113th Supply Train, which also deployed to Europe during World War I with the 38th Division and, following a couple of redesignations, was broken up and its elements assigned to various Regular Army units during World War II. This is almost a certainty because today’s 76th Infantry BCT has official credit for participation in nine World War II campaigns, which is possible only if the units from which the current brigade was directly formed fought in the war.
What is beyond dispute is that the 76th has had a long relationship with 38th Infantry Division. In 1963, the 38th Quartermaster Company, 38th Division was redesignated as HHC, 1st Brigade, 38th Infantry Division; two years later (1965) it became the 76th Brigade, 38th Infantry Division and was chosen for the Selected Reserve Force.
It would remain assigned to the 38th until the drawdown in Army strength following the First Gulf War forced the Army to make several changes to maximize its shrinking manpower. In order to maintain heavy units in the National Guard, the Army reorganized the 28th and 42nd Infantry Divisions as heavy division, reorganizing the 37th Infantry Brigade in the Ohio National Guard as part of the 28th—but then transferred the 37th Infantry Brigade to the 38th Infantry Division, longtime “home” of the 76th Brigade. The decision was made to withdraw the 76th Brigade from the 38th ID and make it a separate brigade designated the 76th Infantry Brigade in 1994. The unit was chosen in 1996 as one of 15 National Guard Brigades to become “Enhanced Brigades” that could be fully mobilized and deployed on short notice (90 to 120 days).
Related Items
76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Unit Crest (DUI)
76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Combat Service ID Badge (CSIB)