The Army's first brigade to deploy with Strykers will soon leave for Afghanistan without them.

The 3^rd Brigade, 2^nd Infantry Division plans on leaving its 300 plus marquee infantry vehicles at Joint Base Lewis McChord and will instead assume control over a mix of armored vehicles - such as the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected, or MRAP.

The move from the Stryker to the MRAP didn't faze the brigade's soldiers.

"It's a Stryker brigade, but the way we look at it is it's an infantry brigade," Lt. Col. Wayne Brewster, deputy commanding officer, said at a briefing yesterday morning.

"We are adaptive, and we are agile."

Developed in 2007, the V-bottomed MRAP provides better protection from IEDs (improvised explosive device) than the flat-bottomed Stryker.

Currently, only the Alaska based 1^st Brigade, 25^th Infantry Division uses Strykers in Afghanistan. 

Brewster explained that 3^rd Brigade's intense training cycle two months ago at the National Training Center (NTC) has prepared it for it's non-Stryker, infantry centered mission.

"We had a host of missions while at NTC," Brewster continued, "and the four objectives we achieved were confidence in our equipment, unit, leadership and the guys to the left and right."

He also pointed out that scenarios involving governance and working with local Afghani officials were vital to preparation for deployment.

The brigade has deployed three times to Iraq.  This deployment is its first to Afghanistan.

The units scheduled to leave in December for 12 months are the brigade's leadership, the 2^nd Battalion, the 3^rd Infantry Regiment, the 5^th Battalion, 20^th Infantry Regiment, the 1^st Squadron, 14^th Cavalry Regiment and the 296^th Brigade Support Battalion.

The 1^st Battalion, 23^rd Infantry Regiment will deploy early next year for a nine-month tour, and the 1^st Battalion, 37^th Field Artillery will not deploy.

In total, about 3,000 soldiers will serve in Afghanistan.

"We will all be home for next Christmas, though," Brewster added.

The brigade enters Afghanistan as the Department of Defense scales down the number of American forces on the ground.

The brigade will conduct counter-insurgency operations in southern Afghanistan in conjunction with Afghan security forces.

Brewster compared the brigade's upcoming missions to the work that has been done in tandem with Iraqi soldiers and police officers in recent years.

"We will continue the great job done by those who have been working there before us," Brewster said.

"We hope for a point where we're no longer needed there because the nation can stand on its own."