The 3rd Brigade, along with the rest of the 9th Infantry Division- the Old Reliables- was first organized July 18, 1918, at Camp Sheridan, Ala., but was demobilized in February 1919 shortly after the war ended. It was redesignated a Regular Army Unit in 1923, though remaining inactive. Reactivation took place on Aug. 1, 1940, at Ft. Bragg, N.C., and subsequently, the division took part in action in North Africa, on the Normandy beaches, across France, Belgium and Germany. Following World War II the division underwent a series of inactivations and reactivations, with the most recent call to duty being on Feb. 1, 1966, at Ft. Riley, Kan.

When the division first began landing in Vietnam at Vung Tau on Dec. 19, 1966, a new chapter in its history opened. The 3rd Brigade became the first American infantry unit to establish a permanent base in the Mekong Delta at Dong Tam in mid-January.

When the enemy launched his 1968 Tet attacks, the Old Reliables reacted with swift precision to gain decisive victories, accounting for almost 2,000 VC killed. In July 1968, the 9th Division was presented the Vietnamese Valor Award, Army level.