Stryker Brigade News

The brigade hasn't received its orders and so far does not know what its mission or exact destination will be, said Col. Mike Shields, who has commanded the 172nd since July. Until orders arrive, the brigade will continue its aggressive timeline of training as it transforms into the third Stryker brigade in the Army and becomes ready to deploy, he said.

The Stryker brigades were designed to not only bridge the gap between the heavier military of the Cold War and the Army's 30-year goal of producing a faster, more lethal force, but to have more sustainability during a deployment than light infantry and more mobility than heavy forces.

The Stryker brigades possess digital capability to not only fight battles, but to communicate at all levels from the individual soldier to brigade command and above.

The 172nd's two predecessors, the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division and 1st Battalion, 25th Infantry, both out of Fort Lewis, Wash., have seen combat time already. The 3-2nd was replaced by the 1-25th in October to conduct operations out of Mosul, the third-largest city in Iraq. The 3-2nd lost 20 soldiers during its year-long deployment.

Shields has had regular contact with the two units and is gleaning tactics and procedures to implement into training, as well as when making the move from Alaska to Iraq.

"We're leaning toward (Operation Iraqi Freedom)," Shields said. "Our training prepares us for combat operations at any theater of war."

That includes teaching soldiers a new way of fighting that incorporates new weapons such as the eight-wheeled Stryker vehicle. It also attempts to win battles by negotiation and cultural awareness, Shields said.

"We've been focusing on offensive operations as well as stability and support operations," he said.