 In addition to supporting the Reserve Officer Training Corps Warrior Forge Program and deploying elements of the 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment in support of wild-land fire fighting, the brigade was also at the forefront of fielding new systems to enhance Army capabilities.The brigade was the first unit to field the Land Warrior, a digital, man portable system that enhances soldier communications, tracking of friendly forces, and improves overall situational awareness.In April 2007, the brigade deployed to Iraq as part of President George W. Bush's "surge" strategy and became the first Stryker brigade to deploy with all ten variants of the Stryker combat vehicle.