56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team
Commander: Col. Christopher Costello
Senior Enlisted Advisor: Command Sgt. Maj. James Short
The 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, the “Independence Brigade,” is one of four brigades in the 28th Infantry Division. It is headquartered at Biddle Air National Guard Base in Horsham, Pa., and has units throughout Pennsylvania.
The brigade traces its roots to the 56th Infantry Brigade, which was formed in September 1917 as part of the 28th Division, while the brigade’s 111th Infantry Regiment and 103rd Brigade Engineer Battalion trace their roots to the Associators established by Benjamin Franklin in 1747 in Philadelphia.
Today, the brigade comprises about 4,400 Soldiers. It is one of nine Stryker brigades in the Army and is centered around the 8-wheeled Stryker vehicle. It was the first Stryker Brigade in the reserve component when it was converted in 2004. The brigade's main units are:
- 1-111th Infantry
- 1-112th Infantry
- 2-112th Infantry
- 2-104th Cavalry
- 1-108 Field Artillery
- 328th Brigade Support Battalion
- 103rd Brigade Engineer Battalion