The history and lineage of the 189th Infantry Brigade is eerily similar to that of several other several other Infantry brigades constituted in 1921. It was constituted under its current designation in June 1921 and assigned to a specific Division, in this case the 95th. It was subsequently redesignated several times before finally becoming a Mechanized Reconnaissance Troop in 1943 and subsequently taking part in four campaigns in the European theater as an element of the 95th Infantry Division.
The unit would not receive its current designation until 1963, but it was not activated until 1997 at Fort Bragg (renamed Fort Liberty in June 2023). It would be inactivated from 1999 until 2006, when it was reactivated and assigned to the First Army as a subordinate unit. Because of its subordinate status, the unit’s personnel wear the First Amy Shoulder Sleeve Insignia, however this design has been approved and might be employed at a future date if the brigade is reassigned or redesignated.
The design of the 189th Infantry Brigade Shoulder Sleeve Insignia, which was approved on 25 May 2007, is a straightforward tribute to its history as an Infantry unit or serving with an Infantry division. Red, white, and blue are the national colors, with flag blue being associated with Infantry troops from the earliest days of the Army. An upright knife/bayonet indicates the unit’s core mission of close combat, and the white stars stand for the four campaigns it fought as an element of the 95th Infantry Division in World War II.
"Swift And Lethal," the Brigade motto, is found on the
189th Infantry Brigade Distinctive Unit Insignia, or unit crest.