History
The 525th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade traces its lineage back to World War II: the 218th Counter Intelligence Corps Detachment and the 525th Interrogation Team. These units were deactivated after World War II. On 21 February 1948, the 525th Headquarters Intelligence Detachment was reactivated and assigned to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. It was redesignated the 525th Military Intelligence Service Group in December 1950. During the Korean War, elements of the Group participated in seven campaigns and earned a Meritorious Unit Commendation and two Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citations. In December 1953, the Unit was redesigned again as the 525th Military Intelligence Group, and was transferred from Fort Bragg to Fort George G. Meade, Maryland.
Upon arrival in Vietnam, in November 1965, the 525th Military Intelligence Group was assigned to the U.S. Army, Vietnam. There, the Group provided advisor and intelligence support to include; aerial reconnaissance and surveillance, counterintelligence, interrogation, technical intelligence, and area intelligence (espionage in support of USARV). After Vietnam, the Group moved several times. On 16 September 1978, it returned to Fort Bragg, North Carolina where it was redesignated as the 525th Military Intelligence Brigade (Airborne).
In December 1989, the Brigade participated, once again, in a rapid deployment operation, providing critical intelligence support to Joint Task Force (JTF) during Operation Just Cause. Brigade soldiers interrogated key Panamanian Defense Force members, screened documents, and served as the nucleus of the JTF Panama J2. The soldiers who served with JTF Panama, J2, received the Joint Meritorious Unit Commendation award.
Operation Desert Shield deployments began in early August 1990. The Brigade sent over 1,600 soldiers in support of XVIII Airborne Corps. Missions included all source analysis to Corps Headquarters and subordinate units, interrogating over 5,000 enemy prisoners of war, flying over 550 combat intelligence collection missions, collecting signals intelligence, providing communications jamming support, conducting long range surveillance operations, and augmenting the 6th French Light Armored Division.
The brigade also deployed to Haiti in support of Operation Uphold Democracy. The brigade task force conducted split-based operations which provided signals intelligence and direct support teams to the maneuver brigades. The brigade also provided imagery support, intelligence analysis support, signals intelligence analysis, and national imagery support to the headquarters of both Joint Task Forces (JTF) 180 and 190. The task force also utilized its counter-intelligence/human intelligence teams and established and ran the joint detainee facility in support of JTF-190.
From late 2004 to late 2008, 525th MI Brigade deployed several times to Iraq in support of XVIII Airborne Corps, which was serving as the Multinational Corps-Iraq for the majority of 525th's deployment. Upon returning from Iraq, the brigade began the process of reorganizing into the 525th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade. The largest change was that the Analysis and Control Element was detached and became attached to the Corps G2 staff section. For its participation in Operation Iraqi Freedom from 16 November 2004 until 15 November 2005, the 525th received a Meritorious Unit Commendation.
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