The 23rd Infantry Regiment, one of the oldest infantry formations in the U.S. Army, played a defining role in the history and capabilities of the 172nd Infantry Brigade during its decades of service in Alaska. Both 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment (1-23 IN) and 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment (4-23 IN) were assigned to the brigade at various times, forming two of its core maneuver battalions during the Cold War and into the post–Vietnam era. Stationed primarily at Fort Richardson and Fort Wainwright, the battalions of the 23rd Infantry became central to the Army’s development of Arctic and subarctic warfare doctrine, mastering combat, mobility, and survival in some of the harshest conditions faced by U.S. ground forces. Their soldiers trained in deep snow, frozen muskeg, mountainous terrain, and temperatures that routinely plunged below –30°F, building a reputation as some of the Army’s most capable cold-weather infantrymen.
During the period when the 172nd Infantry Brigade held Airborne status, both 1-23 IN and 4-23 IN contributed forces to airborne training and cold-weather parachute operations, helping refine the Army’s understanding of rapid deployment and insertion in Arctic environments. Even after the brigade transitioned away from parachute operations, the 23rd Infantry battalions remained at the heart of its mission. Throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, 1-23 IN and 4-23 IN participated in major field exercises, joint Arctic missions, and Pacific-region deployments, reinforcing U.S. commitments in Korea and conducting multinational training with allied forces also focused on extreme-climate operations. Their service ensured the brigade remained a ready and acclimated force capable of responding to crises across the northern Pacific and the Arctic.
As the Army entered the 21st century and shifted toward modular designs, the brigade restructured and eventually deployed to Iraq in 2005–2006, a combat tour that became one of the longest continuous deployments of any Army brigade during the conflict. Soldiers of the 23rd Infantry, including elements tied to its historical battalions in Alaska, played significant roles in this extended mission. Shortly after the deployment, the 172nd Infantry Brigade and its 23rd Infantry elements were inactivated in Alaska in 2006, concluding a multi-decade chapter of Arctic service. Although the regiment later served in other formations, its legacy in Alaska is defined by the combined contributions of 1-23 IN and 4-23 IN—units whose airborne heritage, extreme-cold proficiency, and constant field readiness helped shape the Army’s approach to northern warfare for generations.