▁inf antry ▁was ▁a ▁mechan ized ▁inf antry ▁batt alion ▁assigned ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 th ▁Infantry ▁Brigade ▁( Se par ate ) ▁at ▁Fort ▁Ben ning , ▁Georgia . ▁The ▁brig ade ▁was ▁re organ izing ▁as ▁a ▁separate ▁mechan ized ▁inf antry ▁brig ade ▁with ▁a ▁go ▁to ▁war ▁mission ▁as ▁the ▁XVIII ▁Air bor ne ▁Corps ▁heavy ▁force ▁package . ▁During ▁the ▁period ▁ 1 9 7 3 - 7 7 ▁the ▁batt alion ▁supported ▁several ▁important ▁Army ▁modern ization ▁initi atives . ▁On ▁return ▁from ▁three ▁months ▁of ▁g unn ery ▁and ▁man eu ver ▁training ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁at ▁McG reg or ▁Range ▁in ▁New ▁Mexico ▁( the ▁brig ade ▁and ▁batt alion ▁had ▁previously ▁deployed ▁from ▁K elle y ▁Hill ▁Bar ra cks ▁at ▁F t . ▁Ben ning , ▁Georgia ▁to ▁Eg lin ▁Air ▁Force ▁Base , ▁Florida ▁for ▁a ▁several ▁week ▁joint ▁exercise ), ▁deployed ▁Comp an ies ▁A ▁and ▁B ▁for ▁four ▁months ▁in ▁support ▁of ▁the ▁M IC V ▁( Me chan ized ▁Infantry ▁Com bat ▁Ve h icle ) ▁Development al / Oper ational ▁Test s ▁ 1 ▁and ▁ 2 . ▁ ▁The ▁M IC V ▁later ▁became ▁the ▁Brad ley ▁Infantry ▁Fight ing ▁Ve h icle ▁and ▁the ▁Test s ▁also ▁deployed ▁the ▁M I LE s ▁systems ▁with ▁their ▁sens ors , ▁las er ▁weapons ▁effect ▁systems ▁and ▁other ▁force ▁on ▁force ▁techn ologies ▁later ▁deployed ▁to ▁F t . ▁Ir win ▁and ▁the