Defense News: Idaho Army Guard battalion transitions to mobile infantry

Source: United States Army

BOISE, Idaho – The Idaho Army National Guard’s 2-116th Combined Arms Battalion reorganized as a mobile infantry battalion June 18 in a ceremony at Gowen Field, part of a strategic modernization effort designed to strengthen the military’s capabilities in response to emerging global threats.

“The nature of warfare is evolving, and so too must we,” said Lt. Col. Jared Mckie, executive officer of the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team (Mobile Brigade Combat Team). “Defeating the adversaries of tomorrow requires a force that is more agile, more deployable and capable of operating across vastly different, complex terrain.”

During the ceremony, the unit was reorganized as the 2nd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Regiment (Mobile Infantry). Its two armor companies and one mechanized infantry company were redesignated as mobile infantry companies; a newly formed multi-purpose company was activated; and its logistics support company was reorganized as a combat logistics company.

The reorganization is part of the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team’s transition from an armor brigade to a mobile brigade combat team as part of the U.S. Army’s Transformation Initiative. The modernization effort is designed to strengthen the military’s capabilities by adapting fighting formations and integrating new technologies to prepare units and Soldiers to fight on the battlefield of the future.

The regiment has turned in its Abrams Main Battle Tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles for Infantry Squad Vehicles, which are based on the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 platform and can carry up to nine Soldiers.

“The tools we fight with are changing, but the mission remains the same: to find the enemy, fix them and destroy them,” Mckie said. “The vehicles we fight on will change, but the lethality, the discipline and the proud heritage of the 2-116th will remain intact.”

The unit’s headquarters and headquarters company will remain in Caldwell. A Company will relocate from Emmett to Burley. B Company will remain in Nampa. C Company will remain on Gowen Field. D Company, the newly formed multi-purpose company, will be located in Emmett and provide the regiment with organic strike, reconnaissance and sensing capabilities.

G Company, 145th Brigade Support Battalion, was reorganized as C Company, 145th Light Support Battalion and will remain on Gowen Field. The event also featured a change-of-command ceremony for all the battalion’s company commanders and a change-of-responsibility ceremony for all its first sergeants.

Earlier this month, the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team (Mobile Brigade Combat Team)’s engineer battalion was inactivated, and a signal, engineer and military company were each reactivated as part of the brigade’s transition to a mobile brigade combat team. In July, the Idaho Army National Guard will activate the 1st of the 116th Cavalry Regiment (Mobile Infantry), which will be headquartered in Lewiston. Logistics and engineer companies in northern Idaho will convert to infantry units.

In August, the 145th Brigade Support Battalion will relocate from Lewiston to the new Jerome Readiness Center and become the 145th Light Support Battalion. The Jerome Readiness Center will be dedicated to former Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne on June 29.

Units in Twin Falls and Jerome were already scheduled to relocate to the Jerome Readiness Center later this summer and will now become logistical support units. Elsewhere in the Magic Valley region, the field artillery battery in Burley will relocate to Boise.

In eastern Idaho, the 1st of the 148th Field Artillery Regiment’s headquarters will remain in Pocatello. The region will gain an infantry company in Saint Anthony and gain nearly 275 additional part-time Soldiers. Following the transition, which is expected to be completed by the end of September, Idaho Army National Guard units will be located in 19 communities across the state.

Outside Idaho, subordinate battalions of the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team from the Montana and Oregon Army National Guards converted to infantry battalions and ceased affiliation with the brigade. The 1st of the 221st Cavalry Regiment, headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, will remain affiliated with the brigade and convert to a mobile infantry battalion.

The 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team (Mobile Brigade Combat Team) will retain its cavalry lineage and designation following its transition.

The brigade traces its lineage to the 1st Cavalry, which was constituted on March 4, 1920, and organized throughout Idaho’s Snake River Valley. The unit was redesignated as the 116th Cavalry on Oct. 12, 1921, and has been headquartered in Boise since Dec. 9, 1930. Elements of the brigade and its predecessor organizations have served in every major conflict since 1891, including the Spanish-American War, the Mexican Border Campaign, World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam and operations in support of the Global War on Terrorism.

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Previously Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Continuing to Commit Child Sexual Abuse Offenses

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A previously convicted sex offender from Williams County was sentenced to federal prison for committing offenses that involved sexual abuse of children while he was out on parole for a separate offense.This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. 

47 defendants charged as part of ‘Operation Fly City’ Homeland Security Task Force enforcement operation

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

DAYTON, Ohio – U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II announced today with federal law enforcement partners the results of an eight-week operation to fight gun violence and drug trafficking in Dayton. Forty-seven defendants face federal charges, and 43 individuals are in federal custody following arrests last week. During the operation, which began on April 27, agents seized 176 firearms, as well as machinegun conversion devices and kilogram quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine.  

Defense News: Pennsylvania Guard trains on Infantry Squad Vehicle

Source: United States Army

FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – Soldiers with the Pennsylvania National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, 56th Mobile Brigade Combat Team conducted training June 17-18 on the new vehicle they will use for movement to and from mission locations.

The Infantry Squad Vehicle, or ISV, is a light, unarmored vehicle capable of transporting an infantry squad of nine Soldiers and their gear over rugged terrain, emphasizing speed and agility over armor and firepower. The ISV is the primary vehicle used by the Army’s relatively new mobile brigade combat teams.

1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S Soldiers with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, 56th Mobile Brigade Combat Team were introduced to the Infantry Squad Vehicle June 17, 2026, at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania. The Soldiers learned how to properly perform PMCS and operate the new vehicle, and completed a short driver’s course designed to introduce them to the vehicle’s mobility capabilities. (Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Jonathan Campbell) VIEW ORIGINAL
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S Soldiers with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, 56th Mobile Brigade Combat Team were introduced to the Infantry Squad Vehicle June 17, 2026, at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania. The Soldiers learned how to properly perform PMCS and operate the new vehicle, and completed a short driver’s course designed to introduce them to the vehicle’s mobility capabilities. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Jonathan Campbell) (Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Jonathan Campbell) VIEW ORIGINAL

Staff Sgt. Jordan Briggs, the battalion master driver, led the initial training on the ISV, training the trainers for each company. Briggs walked through each step of the preventive maintenance checks and services for the vehicle, a vital step in caring for and maintaining each vehicle to remain mission-ready and capable.

He then walked them through the vehicle’s capabilities and how to operate it. Each Soldier then completed a driving course around Fort Indiantown Gap.

“The companies’ representatives performed exceptionally well throughout the course, demonstrating strong technical proficiency disciplined execution, and a clear commitment to safety,” Briggs said. “The training not only met but exceeded expectations, producing confident and capable ISV operators ready to support mission requirements.”

The next training was conducted by the companies to develop confidence in the vehicle platform.

“I thought the training was very thorough,” said Spc. Nathan Breitenstein of A Company. “It addressed everything from walking up to the vehicle not knowing anything about it to being comfortable driving it. I feel confident in operating it based on our training.”

Sgt. Connor Vaughan, also with A Company, has experience driving several military vehicle platforms. He praised the training as well, explaining that it was very easy to understand the ISV’s purpose and capabilities.

“I’m looking forward to the implementation into the company, to see their scope and how we will use them in the field,” Vaughan said. “I think they’re pretty slick.”

The 56th Mobile Brigade Combat Team had been a Stryker brigade for 20 years before converting to a mobile brigade combat team in March. As a Stryker brigade, it was centered around eight-wheeled, armored Stryker vehicles.

Several ISVs arrived at Fort Indiantown Gap earlier in 2026 for driver training. The remainder of the brigade’s ISVs are expected to begin arriving in 2027.

The battalion plans to continue training Soldiers on the ISV throughout annual training to build a strong base of confident drivers, fully capable of operating the vehicle during any mission.

Related Links

The Official Website of the National Guard | NationalGuard.mil

State Partnership Program | NationalGuard.mil

The National Guard on Facebook | Facebook.com/TheNationalGuard

The National Guard on Flickr | Flickr.com/TheNationalGuard

The National Guard on Instagram | Instagram.com/us.nationalguard

The National Guard on X | X.com/USNationalGuard

The National Guard on YouTube | YouTube.com/TheNationalGuard