PHASE VII, and CONSOLIDATION I. On 15 February 1969, the battalion was released from the 198th Light Infantry Brigade and assigned to the 23rd Infantry Division, Americal Division. Cold War On 13 September 1972 was reassigned to the 1st Armored Division, and was posted at Stork Barracks in Illesheim, West Germany. During 1st Armored Division's closing months at Ft. Hood, Texas in 1970-71 prior to the division's assignment to Germany, 5th Battalion, 6th Infantry was the 1st Brigade's mechanized infantry battalion. In 1974, the regiment was split again, this time between Germany and the United States. The 1st Battalion was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division in Illesheim, Germany. The 2nd Battalion was assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division in Erlangen, Germany, a three tank battalion brigade with 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry as the brigade's mechanized infantry. The three Berlin Brigade battalions were reflagged as the 4th, 5th and 6th Battalions, 502nd Infantry. The 3rd and 4th Battalions were assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 5th Infantry Division at Fort Polk, Louisiana, where elements participated in Operation Just Cause in Panama in 1989, earning campaign streamer – PANAMA, and the Valorous Unit Award for Panama. In 1989, the unit also received the Army Superior Unit Award. The 5th Battalion was assigned to the 3rd Brigade of the 5th Infantry Division. The 6th Battalion and 7th Battalion were assigned to 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Bamberg, Germany. Post-Cold War In 1990, the 6th and 7th Battalions were called on to participate in the regiment's tenth war, Operation Desert Shield / Desert Storm. During that war in the Persian Gulf, the regiment earned campaign streamers – DEFENSE OF SAUDI ARABIA, LIBERATION AND DEFENSE OF KUWAIT, and CEASE-FIRE, as well as Valorous Unit Citations for Iraq and Iraq-Kuwait. In 1993, the 5th Infantry Division was deactivated, and the 3rd, 4th and 5th Battalions were re-flagged under the 2nd Armored Division at Fort Hood. In early 1990 the 1st Battalion moved from Illesheim to Vilseck, Germany, as part of 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division. In late 1990, as part of deployments for Desert Storm / Desert Shield, 1st Battalion became a component of the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division; and the 6th and 7th Battalions were deactivated. The 4th Battalion was then reflagged again as 2/7 Cavalry under the 1st Cavalry Division (United States). War on Terrorism In April 2003, the