the conclusion of Vietnam, the battalion returned to Germany as part of a forward-deployed brigade of the Big Red One. Training recruits The 26th Infantry was reassigned to TRADOC in April 1987. All three Spader battalions spent several years training recruits at Fort Dix, New Jersey and Fort Jackson, South Carolina, until reassigned to the First Infantry Division in January 1996. Balkan Wars In 1996, the battalion rejoined the Big Red One in Germany only to send its soldiers to Bosnia as part of the first American forces to enter the Balkans from February to September 1996. The entire battalion followed its initial deployment from October 1996 to April 1997. In March 1998, the unit deployed to the Balkans, this time to the Republic of Macedonia. Returning briefly in September 1998, the battalion was one of the first unit alerted for deployment to Kosovo in June 1999. It returned in December 1999. During this period, the unit earned the Superior Unit Award streamer and the Defense of Kosovo streamer. Three of the Task Force 1-26 Infantry soldiers lost their lives in Kosovo. PFC McGill. 1 Aug 1999. Cco 1- 26inf 1st ID. Operation Iraqi Freedom II In February 2004 the "Blue Spaders" deployed to Iraq as part of OIF II. The unit primarily bore responsibility for Sammara, the capital of Salahuddin Province, a major part of the so-called Sunni Triangle. The battalion returned to Schweinfurt, Germany in February 2005. Operation Iraqi Freedom 06-08 Deployment in 2006 to Iraq On 5 August 2006 Task Force "Blue Spader" deployed to Eastern Baghdad. The battalion's B Company was cross attached to TF 1-77 Armor, in return TF 1-26 Infantry received B Company, 1-77 Armor, B Company, 9th Engineers, a fire support team from 1-7 Field Artillery, and a maintenance support team from 299th Forward Support Battalion. Task Force 1-26 Infantry operated as the primary maneuver element in the Eastern Baghdad area. Return to Germany in December 2007 and total casualties The unit returned to Schweinfurt, Germany, in December 2007. Thirty-one soldiers from the battalion lost their lives during the deployment. Operation Enduring Freedom July 2008 Deployment In July 2008 the battalion deployed to Kunar Province of Afghanistan. Most of the unit was scattered in small combat outposts throughout the province to include the Kunar Valley, Pech Valley, Watapor Valley, Chapadara, and the Korengal Valley. The unit fell under CJTF-101 and later CJTF-82 during