Hi all,

Just curious if anyone can email me and tell me some stuff about Fort Bliss / 11TH ADA BDE.

My email is keegan.benson@us.army.mil

SGT Benson

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kbenson82,

11th Air Defense Artillery "Imperial" Brigade

The sun never sets on the 11th Air Defense Artillery "Imperial" Brigade! On order, the Brigade strategically deploys and conducts air defense operations in support of the warfighting commanders in chief to protect their centers of gravity. Deployments reaffirmed the 11th ADA Brigade's status as a unique power projection force that can serve the nation as a tool of diplomacy or weapon of war.

The 11th Air Defense Artillery "Imperial" Brigade, the largest air defense organization in the free world, is located at Fort Bliss, Texas, the home of Air Defense Artillery. Today, the brigade consists of a Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, two Patriot missile battalions (3-43 ADA and 5-52 ADA) and the 286th Signal Company. Because of its commitment to the U.S. Army Forces Command, the 11th ADA Brigade must support and maintain a high level of operational readiness at all times.

The brigade decisively demonstrated its commitment to readiness during Operation Desert Storm, when its Patriot batteries were among the first units deployed to Southwest Asia. During combat operations, Hawk, Vulcan and Stinger batteries provided critical air defense for maneuver forces. The Patriot battalions recorded the first successful interceptions of hostile tactical ballistic missiles in the history of warfare.

One part of the June and July 1990 command post exercise known as INTERNAL LOOK involved the 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, which was attached to the XVIII Airborne Corps' rapid deployment force. As soon as President George H. Bush decided to send American forces to Saudi Arabia, Central Command asked for a Patriot unit from Fort Bliss as an additional demonstration of U.S. resolve in the crisis. The request, however, did not indicate what size unit, a battery or a whole battalion, would be sent, and the post staff at Fort Bliss, home of Air Defense Artillery, opened the fort's emergency operations center and began to plan for deploying the Patriot missile system. Around midnight on 11 August 1990, with none of the usual fanfare accorded deploying soldiers because of the need for secrecy, Battery B, 2d Battalion, 7th Air Defense Artillery, from one of the 11th Brigade's two Patriot battalions, loaded personnel and equipment aboard three C-5s for the flight to Saudi Arabia.

All of the American Patriot units that fought in DESERT STORM were drawn from the 11th Brigade and from several similar brigades of U.S. Army, Europe's 32d Army Air Defense Command. During Desert Storm, 11th ADA Brigade provided theater TBM defense with 12 patriot batteries from 1-7 ADA, 2-7 ADA, 2-43 ADA, and 3-43 ADA. TF 2-1 provided TBM defense to XVIII Airborne Corps with three patriot batteries. TF 8-43 defended VII Corps with four patriot batteries. Theater-wides 19 of 19 Patriot batteries were mission capable.

The primary, higher-level air defense unit during DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM was the 11th Brigade. Throughout the Gulf War, the brigade's organic combat logisticians and soldiers of the 70th Ordnance Battalion (de-activated in September 1998) moved thousands of pounds of repair parts, equipment and mail to support brigade elements. 70th Ordnance soldiers also provided conventional ammunition support to all forces in Southwest Asia. Brigade maintainers provided 24-hour support to Patriot missile batteries, Hawk platoons and Stinger teams located throughout the theater of operations.

11th ADA Brigade's Patriot batteries made history the night of January 18, 1991, when Alpha Battery, 2-7 ADA, protecting forces in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, recorded the first intercept of a ballistic missile in combat. As indicated by the debris from the BM that fell to the ground, the missile would have struck a village housing soldiers from VII Corps. Scud intercepts became a nightly event for the Patriot soldiers protecting coalition forces and the cities of Saudi Arabia and Israel. The fiery collisions of Patriot and Scud missiles were captured live by network television, and telecast worldwide to prime viewing audiences. The morale of the soldiers of the coalition, and the citizens of the United States, soared with each successful intercept.

11th ADA brigade soldiers again demonstrated their commitment to readiness in March 1994, when 2-7 ADA (re-designated as 5-52 ADA) rapidly deployed to the Republic of Korea in response to rising tensions over North Korea's nuclear program. Meanwhile, 3-43 ADA received notification that its scheduled six-month Southwest Asia rotation would, in-fact, occur months early. Just 50-days after the accelerated deployment notification, 3-43 ADA soldiers assumed their mission in Southwest Asia. The 11th ADA Brigade entered the history books as the only brigade to simultaneously deploy two Patriot missile battalions to two different theaters of operation.

Simultaneous deployments didn't end the brigade's deployment efforts during this time: 1-43 ADA began their plans to move the entire battalion to the Republic of Korea. 1-43 synchronized its deployment with 2-7 ADA's return, providing the Republic of Korea, for the first time in history, a permanent basing of the Patriot missile system.

More recently, the brigade has taken part in a multitude of exercises and deployments. All of the units took part in Roving Sands exercises and live fires, and field training exercises.

3-43 ADA successfully completed another six-month Southwest Asia rotation (Jul 99 - Dec 99). The battalion rear detachment performed superbly, taking care of families.

Since February of 1998 thru January 1999, 3-43 ADA has performed two short notice deployments of Minimum Engagement Packages (MEPS), in support of an Air Force Expeditionary Wing (AEW). The Battalion minus along with two Patriot Batteries have deployed on no notice to Southwest Asia as Iraqi provocations threatened to rekindle the smoldering embers of Desert Storm during operations Desert Thunder I, II and Desert Fox.

The unit was initially constituted 25 January 1907 in the Regular Army as the 133d Company, Coast Artillery Corps. Organized 1 August 1907 at Fort Terry, New York. Redesignated 3 July 1916 as the 3d Company, Fort Terry (New York). Redesignated 31 August 1917 as the 13th Company, Coast Defense of Long Island Sound. Redesignated in December 1917 as Battery A, 56th Artillery (Coast Artillery Corps). Demobilized 31 July 1921 at Camp Jackson, South Carolina.

Reconstituted 1 June 1922 in the Regular Army; concurrently consolidated with the 4th Company, Coast Defenses of Long Island Sound (organized in June 1917 as the 7th Company, Fort H.G. Wright (New York); redesignated 31 August 1917 as the redesignated as the 133d Company, Coast Artillery Corps. Redesignated 1 July 1924 as Headquarters Battery, 11th Coast Artillery (Headquarters, 11th Coast Artillery, concurrently constituted and activated at Fort H.G. Wright, New York). Inactivated 7 April 1944 at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Disbanded 14 June 1944.

Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 11th Coast Artillery, reconstituted 28 June 1850 in the Regular Army; concurrently consolidated with Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 11th Antiaircraft Artillery Group (active), and Antiaircraft Artillery Group. Inactivated 27 April 1953 at Fort Tilden, New York. Activated 15 January 1955 at Camp Stewart, Georgia. Redesignated 20 March 1958 as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 11th Artillery Group. Inactivated 26 August 1960 at August 1960 at Rehoboth Defense Area, Massachusetts.

Activated 1 May 1967 at Fort Carson, Colorado. Headquarters and Headquarters Battery 11th Air Defense Artillery was inactivated 26 May 1967 at Fort Carson, Colorado. Activated 1 September 1971 at Fort Bliss, Texas. Redesignated 15 March 1972 as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 11th Air Defense Artillery Group. Reorganized and redesignated 16 December 1980 as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade.

Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 11th Antiaircraft Artillery Group was constituted 19 December 1942 in the Army of the United States as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 11th Antiaircraft Automatic Weapons Group. Activated 20 January 1943 at Camp Davis, North Carolina. Redesignated 26 May 1943 as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 11th Antiaircraft Artillery Group. Inactivated 6 October 1945 in Germany. Allotted 9 December 1948 to the Regular Army. Activated 15 January 1949 at Fort Bliss, Texas.

for my $0.02, it was the worst ADA Bge ever to be assigned to. JMHO.