years. There were equipment shortages, racial tensions, drug use, and drunken brawls. But the units built and grew. In 1980 1-502 formed the centerpiece of "Task Force Strike" and deployed to Egypt for Operation Operation BRIGHT STAR. This was a joint training exercise with Egyptian forces, culminating in a desert live fire exercise supported by low-level B-52 Stratofortress strikes; these aircraft having flown a long-duration mission from the continental US. Task Force Strike was the first American ground force in the region since World War II. In February 1982, Task Force 1-502 deployed to Panama support of Operation "Kindle Liberty", intended to demonstrate U.S. ability and resolve to defend the Panama Canal in the light of spreading pro-Soviet/Cuban influence in Nicaragua and Central America. The task force deployed on C-5 Galaxy aircraft, 24 flights being enough to move 1-502 Infantry, a battery of 105mm howitzers, a platoon of engineers, and an aviation package of UH-60 Black Hawk transport helicopters and AH-1S Cobra gunships to Howard Air Force Base in Panama. This marked the first deployment of the UH-60 helicopter to Panama. Based on its previous Egypt and Panama deployment experiences, 1-502 deployed to Egypt again in September 1982. This time its mission was to enforce the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel by serving on the Sinai Peninsula as part of the Multinational Force and Observers. Regimental realignment May 1984 saw the first major realignment of the division since before Vietnam. The brigades regimentally aligned, with both 1st and 2d Battalions now coming under 2d Brigade, and 3d Battalion reactivating from the assets and personnel of 1-506 Infantry to complete the set. For the first time since Auxerre, France in 1945, the regiment's three battalions were together under one headquarters, even if the Army wouldn't truly consider it a regiment. At the division reunion that year, long-retired First Sergeant Dovholuk presented the blue silk World War II colors back to 2d Brigade commander John Herrling. They are still on display in the 2d Brigade headquarters. Concurrent with the reflagging within the 101st, the 4th, 5th and 6th Battalions, 502d Infantry were activated within the Berlin Brigade by reflagging the existing 2d, 3d and 4th Battalions, 6th Infantry. This was part of a wider Army plan to regimentally pair units based within the United States with those stationed overseas for battalion rotational purposes. These three battalions, perpetuating the lineages of