3rd Infantry Brigade (Lebanon)

The 3rd Infantry Brigade (Lebanon) is a Lebanese Army unit that fought in the Lebanese Civil War, being active since its creation in January 1983 until its disbandment in December 1984, being subsequently re-formed in June 1991.

3rd Infantry Brigade
Active1983 – 1984; 1991 – present
CountryLebanon
Allegiance Lebanon
BranchGround Forces
TypeHeavy Mechanized Infantry
RoleInfantry
SizeBrigade
EngagementsLebanese Civil War

Syrian civil war spillover in Lebanon

Commanders
ColonelNizar Abdelkader
ColonelSaid al-Qaqur
ColonelAdnan el-Khatib

Origins

In the aftermath of the June–September 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, President Amin Gemayel, convinced that a strong and unified national defense force was a prerequisite to rebuilding the nation, announced plans to raise a 60,000-man army organized into twelve brigades (created from existing infantry regiments), trained and equipped by France and the United States.[1] In late 1982, the 3rd Infantry Regiment was therefore re-organized and expanded to a brigade group numbering 2,000 men, mostly Sunni Muslims from Southern Lebanon, which became on January 18, 1983, at the southern port city of Sidon, the 3rd Infantry Brigade.[2]

Emblem

The Brigade's emblem consists of a silvered sword that symbolizes law and strength, emerging from the brown soil of the country, held firmly by the hands of the 3rd Brigade soldiers in the defense of their homeland. The sword is embraced by a blazing flame symbolizing sacrifice, which enlightens Lebanon's blue sky and burns the enemy with his flames, so that the green cedar tree remains eternal, uniting all Lebanese in its heart, the same as the Arabic numeral (3) inserted at the center of the cedar. The emblem also bears the motto "Our land is ours" written in Arabic script.[3]

Structure and organization

The new unit grew from an understrength battalion comprising three rifle companies to a fully equipped mechanized infantry brigade, capable of aligning a Headquarters' (HQ) battalion, an armoured battalion (34th) equipped with Panhard AML-90 armoured cars, AMX-13 light tanks (replaced in the 1990s by T-55A tanks donated by Syria) and M48A5 main battle tanks (MBTs),[4] three mechanized infantry battalions (31st, 32nd and 33rd) issued with M113 armored personnel carriers (APC), plus an artillery battalion (35th) fielding US M114 155 mm howitzers. The Brigade also fielded a logistics battalion, equipped with US M151A2 jeeps, Land-Rover long wheelbase series III, Chevrolet C20 and Dodge Ram (1st generation) pickups, and US M35A2 2½-ton (6x6) military trucks. Headquartered at the Mohamed Zogheib Barracks near Sidon, in 1983 it was initially placed under the command of Colonel Nizar Abdelkader, later replaced by Col. Said al-Qaqur, in turn succeeded in 1984 by Col. Adnan el-Khatib.[5]

Combat history

The Lebanese Civil War

Commanded by Colonel Nizar Abdelkader, the Third Brigade during the Mountain War was split into two separated commands deployed at different locations: some of its battalions were positioned in east Beirut, at the Hadath and the Faculty of Sciences sectors leading to the southern suburbs of the Lebanese Capital,[6] while the other units remained stationed at Sidon. During the Battle for west Beirut on February 6, 1984, the Third Brigade's battalions stationed at Beirut's eastern sector provided support to the other Lebanese Army units deployed in the western sector of the city fighting the anti-Government Muslim militias.[6]

In late February-early March 1984, the Third Brigade was placed under the command of Col. Said al-Qaqur and its units previously stationed at east Beirut were transferred back to Sidon, taken by ship under the auspices of the Lebanese Navy. At that time, it was presumed that the Brigade would eventually patrol the Southern regions along the Israeli border. Until early 1983, the Sidon-based units of the Brigade could not leave Israeli-controlled areas for training, but that was no longer the case by mid-year. Confined to barracks for most of the time and forced into inactivity, the Third Brigade was finally disbanded on December 1, 1984, by order of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) Command in east Beirut and by 1987 its units had been dispersed.[7][5]

The post-civil war years 1990-present

Upon the end of the war in October 1990, the LAF Command proceeded to reorganize and expand the Lebanese Army's battered mechanized infantry brigades structure, with the Third Brigade being officially re-established in Sidon on June 1, 1991.

See also

Notes
  1. Barak, The Lebanese Army – A National institution in a divided society (2009), p. 123.
  2. John Pike. "Lebanon - Mechanized Infantry Brigades". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2020-05-22.
  3. "3rd Infantry Brigade | Official Website of the Lebanese Army". Lebarmy.gov.lb. Retrieved 2020-05-22.
  4. Kassis, 30 Years of Military Vehicles in Lebanon (2003), p. 18.
  5. Hokayem, L'armée libanaise pendant la guerre: un instrument du pouvoir du président de la République (1975-1985) (2012), p. 99.
  6. Hokayem, L'armée libanaise pendant la guerre: un instrument du pouvoir du président de la République (1975-1985) (2012), pp. 85-86.
  7. Collelo, Lebanon: a country study (1989), p. 222.

References
  • Aram Nerguizian, Anthony H. Cordesman & Arleigh A. Burke, The Lebanese Armed Forces: Challenges and Opportunities in Post-Syria Lebanon, Burke Chair in Strategy, Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), First Working Draft: February 10, 2009. –
  • Are J. Knudsen, Lebanese Armed Forces: A United Army for a Divided Country?, CMI INSIGHT, November 2014 No 9, Chr. Michelsen Institute (CMI), Bergen - Norway. –
  • Denise Ammoun, Histoire du Liban contemporain: Tome 2 1943-1990, Fayard, Paris 2005. ISBN 978-2-213-61521-9 (in French) –
  • Edgar O'Ballance, Civil War in Lebanon 1975-92, Palgrave Macmillan, London 1998. ISBN 0-333-72975-7
  • Éric Micheletti and Yves Debay, Liban – dix jours aux cœur des combats, RAIDS magazine n.º41, October 1989 issue. ISSN 0769-4814 (in French)
  • Joseph Hokayem, L'armée libanaise pendant la guerre: un instrument du pouvoir du président de la République (1975-1985), Lulu.com, Beyrouth 2012. ISBN 9781291036602, 1291036601 (in French) –
  • Ken Guest, Lebanon, in Flashpoint! At the Front Line of Today’s Wars, Arms and Armour Press, London 1994, pp. 97–111. ISBN 1-85409-247-2
  • Matthew S. Gordon, The Gemayels (World Leaders Past & Present), Chelsea House Publishers, 1988. ISBN 1-55546-834-9
  • Moustafa El-Assad, Civil Wars Volume 1: The Gun Trucks, Blue Steel books, Sidon 2008. ISBN 9953-0-1256-8
  • Oren Barak, The Lebanese Army – A National institution in a divided society, State University of New York Press, Albany 2009. ISBN 978-0-7914-9345-8 –
  • Rex Brynen, Sanctuary and Survival: the PLO in Lebanon, Boulder: Westview Press, Oxford 1990. ISBN 0 86187 123 5 –
  • Robert Fisk, Pity the Nation: Lebanon at War, London: Oxford University Press, (3rd ed. 2001). ISBN 0-19-280130-9 –
  • Samer Kassis, 30 Years of Military Vehicles in Lebanon, Beirut: Elite Group, 2003. ISBN 9953-0-0705-5
  • Samer Kassis, Véhicules Militaires au Liban/Military Vehicles in Lebanon 1975-1981, Trebia Publishing, Chyah 2012. ISBN 978-9953-0-2372-4
  • Samuel M. Katz, Lee E. Russel, and Ron Volstad, Armies in Lebanon 1982-84, Men-at-Arms series 165, Osprey Publishing Ltd, London 1985. ISBN 0-85045-602-9
  • Samuel M. Katz and Ron Volstad, Arab Armies of the Middle East wars 2, Men-at-Arms series 194, Osprey Publishing Ltd, London 1988. ISBN 0-85045-800-5
  • Steven J. Zaloga, Tank battles of the Mid-East Wars (2): The wars of 1973 to the present, Concord Publications, Hong Kong 1998. ISBN 962-361-613-9
  • Thomas Collelo (ed.), Lebanon: a country study, Library of Congress, Federal Research Division, Headquarters, Department of the Army (DA Pam 550-24), Washington D.C., December 1987 (Third edition 1989). –
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