FORT HARRISON — During a ceremony at Fort Harrison, on May 27th, the 1st Battalion, 163rd Cavalry Regiment as the 1st Battalion, 163rd Infantry Regiment, marking a major change for a unit with more than a century of service tied to Montana military history.
The transformation comes shortly after members of the battalion represented Montana at the Sullivan Cup, one of the Army’s top tank crew competitions.
Madison Collier reports - watch the video here:
That competition highlighted the unit’s armored background, but this ceremony marked its move toward a different kind of mission.
In simpler terms, the battalion is moving away from heavier combat vehicles like Abrams tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles and shifting toward infantry squad vehicles.
Those vehicles are lighter and designed to help soldiers move more quickly across different types of terrain.
Montana National Guard leaders say the change reflects the evolving needs of the Army and prepares the battalion for future missions.
The ceremony also honored the unit’s past. The 1-163rd traces its history back more than 100 years, with service connected to World War I, World War II, the Global War on Terrorism and more recent deployments to Southwest Asia.
As part of the ceremony, soldiers also changed patches to reflect the battalion’s new organizational alignment. The unit moved from the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team patch to the 1889th Regional Support Group patch.
The battalion was also formally recognized with the Superior Unit Award for exceptionally meritorious service during its 2021 to 2022 deployment to the U.S. Central Command area of operations.
During that deployment, Montana soldiers supported Operation Spartan Shield across Kuwait, Jordan and Syria.
Leaders of the Montana Army National Guard, say the transformation is more than a change in name or equipment. It represents the next chapter for a unit carrying generations of service forward while preparing soldiers for the missions ahead.
