Pat Donahue, Coastal Courier.
The Marne Division is celebrating its birthday and its legacy this week — as it prepares for another mission overseas.
For the first time in two years, the 3rd Infantry Division is celebrating Marne Week, marking its 107th birthday since being formed at Camp Greene, North Carolina.
The 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team is set to deploy in January for eastern Europe, the third such deployment for a Fort Stewart brigade since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The Raider Brigade, the first American brigade sent to Europe to bolster NATO allies following the 2022 invasion, is replacing the 1st Cavalry Division’s 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team.
“When our nation calls,” said 3rd ID commander Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, “the answer is yes.”
The division paid homage to its heritage with the annual Twilight Tattoo at Cottrell Field, with soldiers taking the field in vintage uniforms representing the division’s history from its founding during World War I through World War II, the Korean War, the Cold War and Vietnam and into Operations Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom/Enduring Freedom.
“Twilight Tattoo is an opportunity for the division and the community to celebrate the historical achievements of the division and bring the division together,” said CW2 Brian Beasley, human intelligence operations chief for the 3rd ID.
This year’s tattoo was the first for Chief Beasley, who reported to Fort Stewart this summer.
“When you see the dogfaced soldiers come together and you get the community coming in, you realize you are a part of a unit that has achieved a lot throughout history,” he said. “It’s a way to showcase our achievements throughout history.”
The 1st and 2nd brigades have trained alongside NATO partners during their previous deployments to eastern Europe in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The brigades also conducted training in preparation for their missions.
“In our world, while we train in the middle of the nights, there are often no red carpets or paparazzi and we would never ask for any of those things,” Maj. Gen. Norrie said. “When our lights come on, we are not playing a game and we are not playing a role. The American people expect us to win.”
Maj. Gen. Norrie said the division, which has the most modern technology available and comprises the most lethal formations, is “a formidable adversary to any enemy who would dare challenge us.
“We are privileged to serve as the hammer of the XVIII Airborne Corps. This division throughout history has been the rock upon which the dreams of dictators and tyrants break,” he continued.
“If you want to change the course of history and if you want to point the will of the American people against the will of anyone who would dare harm our national interests or way of life, you send in the 3rd Infantry Division.”
