Operation Iraqi Freedom The 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team is the largest formation of the Idaho Army National Guard.

The 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team has units located throughout Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Nevada.

Often referred to as the Snake River Brigade and formerly known as the 116th Armored Cavalry Regiment, the unit includes about 3,000 citizen-soldiers from Idaho.

[1] In July 2016, the 116th CBCT took part in Exercise Saber Guardian, which involve deploying troop elements from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Canada, Georgia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Ukraine and the U.S.[2] The 116th CBCT consists of the following units: The 116th Cavalry (Snake River Regiment) was constituted on 4 March 1920 in the Idaho National Guard as the 1st Cavalry.

The Attack Helicopter Company was allotted on 1 September 1975 to the Washington and Wyoming Army National Guard.

The unit reorganized and was redesignated on 1 September 1989 in the Idaho and Oregon Army National Guard as the 116th Cavalry, a parent regiment under the United States Army Regiment System, to consist of the 2nd and 3rd Battalions and Troop E, elements of the 116th Cavalry Brigade, and Troop F, and element of the 41st Infantry Brigade.

The 116th Cavalry Brigade, headquartered at Gowen Field, deployed approximately 100 soldiers in March 2002, returning in October 2002.

[5] In the early part of 2004 the 116th Cavalry Brigade was alerted for a mobilization to support Operation Iraqi Freedom.

As a cavalry unit, many soldiers serving in the brigade during the deployment were authorized to wear the gold combat spurs.

On 17 September 2010 the brigade began a 12-month deployment to Iraq, first traveling to Camp Shelby, Mississippi, for training and premobilization certification.

After serving for a year in various locations in Iraq performing Force Protection missions, the brigade returned to Idaho in September 2011.