5th Infantry Brigade (Lebanon)
| 5th Infantry Brigade | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1983 – present |
| Country | Lebanon |
| Allegiance |
 Lebanon |
| Branch | Ground Forces |
| Type | Heavy Mechanized Infantry |
| Role | Infantry |
| Size | Brigade |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Colonel | Gabriel Arsuni |
| Colonel | khalil Kanaan |
Syrian Civil War spillover in Lebanon
The 5th Infantry Brigade (Lebanon) is a Lebanese Army unit that fought in the Lebanese Civil War, being active since its creation in January 1983.
In the aftermath of the June–September 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, President Amin Gemayel, convinced that a strong and unified national defense force was a prerequisite to rebuilding the nation, announced plans to raise a 60,000-man army organized into twelve brigades (created from existing infantry regiments), trained and equipped by France and the United States. In late 1982, the 5th Infantry Regiment was therefore re-organized and expanded to a brigade group numbering 2,000 men, mostly Maronite Christians from Mount Lebanon, which became on January 1, 1983 the 5th Infantry Brigade.
The Brigade's emblem is composed of a Phoenix, a legendary bird that lives through five centuries, set on a sky-blue background, holding the Arabic numeral (5) five and emerging from the flames symbolizing sacrifice and resurrection, surmounted by the motto "From my ashes Lebanon arises" in Arabic script.
The new unit grew from an understrength battalion comprising three rifle companies to a fully equipped mechanized infantry brigade, capable of aligning a Headquarters' (HQ) battalion, an armoured battalion equipped with Panhard AML-90 armoured cars, AMX-13 light tanks (replaced in the 1990s by T-55A tanks donated by Syria) and M48A5 main battle tanks (MBTs), three mechanized infantry battalions (51st, 52nd, and 53rd) issued with M113 armored personnel carriers (APC), plus an artillery battalion fielding US M114 155 mm howitzers. The Brigade also fielded a logistics battalion, equipped with US M151A2 jeeps, Chevrolet C20 and Dodge Ram (1st generation) pickups, and US M35A2 2½-ton (6x6) military trucks. Initially commanded in 1983 by Colonel Gabriel Arsuni, later replaced by Colonel khalil Kanaan, by 1987 the Brigade was stationed at Brummana in the Matn District east of Beirut, with its administrative headquarters being located at the Raymond el-Hayek Barracks in Sarba, north of Jounieh, which was a Lebanese Forces (LF) stronghold.
...
Wikipedia