The 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT) was originally organized on 17 June 1878 in the Vermont Volunteer Militia as Company H, 1st Infantry Regiment and mustered in and out of Federal service several times before the U.S. entry into World War I. When it was drafted into Federal service following the U.S declaration of war against Germany, the unit was expanded to comprise two companies: Company H, 57th Pioneer Infantry and Company F, 101st Ammunition Train in the 26th Division. Before being demobilized at Camp Devens, Massachusetts in May 1919, the two Companies had earned official credit for participation in six named campaigns: Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne, Ile de France 1918, and Lorraine 1918.
The units were consolidated a month later and redesignated as Service Company (less Band) 1st Infantry; it retained the Service Company designation when it was made a part of the 172nd Infantry, an element of the 43rd Division. It was units serving with the 172nd in the 43rd Infantry Division that today’s earned credit for participation in the New Guinea, Northern Solomons, and Luzon campaigns (the latter two with arrowheads indicating they took part in assault landings).
A stag’s head, taken from the unit crest of the Vermont Army National Guard, is displayed prominently on the 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team patch, officially known as a Shoulder Sleeve Insignia, which is also used as the Brigade’s Combat Service ID Badge (CSIB). “Ready To Go,” the Brigade’s motto, is found on its Distinctive Unit Insignia, frequently referred to as a unit crest.
With the introduction of the Associated Units pilot program in 2016, members of the 86th IBCT no longer wear this unit patch. Instead, they wear the patch of the 10th Mountain Division, the Regular Army unit with which they were paired to improve readiness and efficiency.
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86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Unit Crest (DUI)
86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Combat Service ID Badge (CSIB)