美國陸軍第4步兵師（機械化）4旅緣何在1996年1月組建，3月便遭到撤銷？

01-14

根據一系列官方信息源，如上圖來源的《Armies, Corps, Divisions and Seperated Brigades》，指出第4步兵師4旅於1996年1月16日在科羅拉多州卡爾森堡組建（轉入現役），但同年3月15日，也就是短短的兩個月後又在同地遭到撤銷（退出現役）。
為什麼會有這樣一支奇葩的部隊？在這兩個月前後發生了什麼？

已知1996年1月美國陸軍發生了一次大的結構調整。從目前已知的狀況來看，是位於德克薩斯州胡德堡的第2裝甲師的番號被撤銷，第2裝甲師被易幟為第4步兵師，其建制內：
第2裝甲師第1旅易幟為第4步兵師（機械化）第1旅（1996.1.16）
第2裝甲師第2旅易幟為第4步兵師（機械化）第2旅
第2裝甲師航空旅易幟為第4步兵師（機械化）航空旅
第2裝甲師支援司令部易幟為第4步兵師（機械化）支援司令部
第2裝甲師炮兵群易幟為第4步兵師（機械化）炮兵群
與此同時，第4步兵師3旅被遭到保留，仍為第4步兵師3旅。而第4步兵師第1、2旅分別於此前的1995年10月15日和1989年12月15日遭到撤銷。
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那麼問題在於：
卡爾森堡是第4步兵師的專屬駐地，第4步兵師在冷戰結束時有3個旅，而在這個第4步兵師4旅出現之前，其中兩個旅已經被裁掉，第3旅則遭到保留，番號不變（至今），美軍在1996年沒有裁掉戰鬥旅，而美軍又極少改換駐地，那麼這個只存在了兩個月的第4旅是由誰改編而來的，此後又去向如何？

問題：

卡爾森堡是第4步兵師的專屬駐地，第4步兵師在冷戰結束時有3個旅，而在這個第4步兵師4旅出現之前，其中兩個旅已經被裁掉，第3旅則遭到保留，番號不變（至今），美軍在1996年沒有裁掉戰鬥旅，而美軍又極少改換駐地，那麼這個只存在了兩個月的第4旅是由誰改編而來的，此後又去向如何？

答：

4th Brigade 是由在卡爾森堡的第4師的基礎上新批准成立的單位，實際上是個空殼單位。具體原因如下。

因為第三軍指揮官將第二裝甲師的改編時間從3月提前到1月15日。但是在卡爾森堡的第4師時間截止為3月15日。這樣在1月15日至3月15日之間，就很有可能同時出現兩個第4師。所以，軍史中心必須簽署命令，在卡爾森堡組建新的單位（實際上reflag了卡爾森堡的第4師）。此行動保證了在1月15日，第四師的單位轉到原第2裝甲師的總部胡德堡。

Reflagging the 2d Armored Division at Fort Hood presented a major documentation problem. The III Corps commander changed General Sullivan"s directed date of official reflagging from March to 15 January 1996. Because the 4th Infantry Division was active at Fort Carson until 15 March, it was impossible to have it also active at Fort Hood between 15 January and 15 March. Therefore, the Center of Military History had to issue orders activating new units at Fort Carson (in effect reflagging the 4th Infantry Division) to maintain them and their personnel until 15 March. That action allowed the 4th Infantry Division and its elements to transfer to Fort Hood on 15 January.

另

其前身可追溯至1975年前新成立的4th Brigade，1975年12月成立76th Brigade派往德國，1974年通過了Nunn修正案，目的是加強美軍在歐洲的兵力部署。

76th旅於1976年3月至6月被作為輪換部隊派往歐洲，駐紮地點在德國威斯巴登附近。後來預期的輪換部隊節省費用沒能實現，這個旅自1976年11月開始成為PCS單元，一直駐紮在歐洲。

Brigade有大約3600人，由以下單位組成：

旅部和直屬連
2nd機械化營，22nd步兵團
3rd 機械化營, 28th 步兵團
1st 營, 70th 裝甲團
2nd 營, 20th 野戰炮兵團
F連, 4th 工程營
其他附屬單位（略）

之後歷史如下：

1984年11月15日撤銷，撤銷開始於當年4月，德國威斯巴登，大部分人員和裝備融入部署在歐洲的4個師
1996年1月16日恢復，卡爾森堡，科羅拉多州
1996年3月15日撤銷，卡爾森堡，科羅拉多州
2004年11月16日作為模塊化的4th BCT恢復，1次被派往伊拉克，3次被派往伊拉克
2015年，撤銷。

2004年後信息較多，截取GLOBAL SECURITY 網站上信息，供延伸閱讀。

The mission of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, "Warrior," is to maintains balanced readiness and, on order deploy, fights to shape division battle space, and set the conditions for decisive victory. It would then facilitate rapid transition into the next operation.
The 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division was established on 16 December 2004, when the 4th Infantry Division became the Army"s newest modular division. The Division reconfigured its 3 maneuver brigades and stood up the 4th Brigade Combat Team. In the modular design, combat support and combat service support functions, normally found at division level, were pushed down to the 4 brigades to create independently deployable formations.
Initially, the 4th Brigade Combat Team was organized as a heavy brigade combat team. The combat power of the brigade came primarily from M1 Abrams tanks, M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles, and 155mm M109A6 Paladin Howitzers. The subordinate units organized within the 4th Brigade Combat Team included: 3-67th Armor, 1-12th Infantry, 8-10th Cavalry, 2-77th Field Artillery, the 704th Brigade Support Battalion, and a Special Troops Battalion.
When it was activated, the 4th Brigade Combat Team was the newest modular brigade in the Army, created as the service increased its active brigades from 33 to 43. As part of the new life-cycle management concept, soldiers assigned to 4th Brigade Combat Team, one of 2 life-cycled brigades in the 4th Infantry Division, had a minimum 3-year commitment to the unit. This meant that soldiers at the 4th Brigade Combat Team would be placed at least until 2007.
This manning concept was intended to create unit cohesion, enhance stability and provide predictable lifestyles for soldiers and their families. Under the plan, with training and the right leadership, the 4th Brigade Combat Team had the opportunity to greatly improve its ability to fight and win when called upon to do so. As the Army transformed into the modular BCTs, the potential to be more lethal, to deploy quicker and to be more agile as a total force was tremendous.
When it was activated, the 4th Brigade Combat Team was receiving about 100 soldiers per week and was initially 1,700 soldiers strong. The unit expected to be fully manned with about 3,700 troops by March 2005. The thing soldiers liked about the 3-year lifecycle was the predictability. The soldiers knew that for at least 3 years they were going to be in one unit. They were not going to PCS and they were not going anywhere else. During that time, they were going to stand up their unit. They were going to have a training cycle where they would hone up on the skills of the trade and from there they would deploy. The 3-year lifecycle management system was part of the Army"s plan to convert from a division-based force to a brigade-based force.
In its May 2005 BRAC Recommendations, the US Department of Defense (DoD) recommended to realign Fort Hood, Texas, by relocating a Brigade Combat Team and Unit of Employment Headquarters to Fort Carson, Colorado. DoD"s recommendation would relocate to Fort Carson, Colorado, a Heavy BCT that would be temporarily stationed at Fort Hood in FY06, and a Unit of Employment Headquarters. The Army was temporarily stationing a BCT to Fort Hood in FY06 due to operational necessity and to support current operational deployments in support of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT).
However, based on the BRAC analysis, Fort Hood did not have sufficient facilities and availablemaneuver training acreage and ranges to support 6 permanent heavy BCTs and numerous other operational units stationed there. Fort Carson had sufficient capacity to support these units. The Army previously obtained approval from the Secretary of Defense to temporarily station a third BCT at Fort Carson in FY05. Due to Fort Carson"s capacity, the BRAC analysis indicated that the Army should permanently station that third BCT at Fort Carson. This relocation would never pay back because it involved the relocation of a newly activated unit. No permanent facilities existed to support the unit. DoD"s review of community infrastructure attributes revealed no significant issues regarding the ability of the community to support forces, missions, and personnel. When moving activities from Fort Hood to Fort Carson, one attribute would improve (Population Center) and one (Education) would not be as robust.
As of 14 January 2006, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, took control of Forward Operating Base Prosperity, located in Baghdad, from 4th Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division. Their mission included training Iraqi Security Forces and maintaining security within the central and southern regions of the Iraqi capital.
On 8 April 2008, the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division reflagged as the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colorado. This was part of a major US Army realignment that saw the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division reflag as the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas. As part of the transfer, the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division transformed from a heavy brigade combat team to an infantry brigade combat team. Two of the units from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division remained active and were not reflagged as part of the reorganization. These battalions were the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment and the 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment. This reorganization consolidated the 2 active battalions of the 12th Infantry Regiment for the first time since 1995. The 3rd Battalion, 67th Armor and 8th Squadron, 10th Cavalry were not reactivated. The remaining units previously assigned to the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, 1-12th Infantry, 2-77th Field Artillery, and 704th Brigade Support Battalion, remained assigned to the brigade, but were reorganized to reflect the change to the infantry brigade combat team.