2nd Guards Combined Arms Red Banner Army, military unit 22223 (Samara)

The 2nd Combined Arms Army Association has historically been the successor to the 2nd Guards Red Banner Tank Army of the USSR Armed Forces. By the right of eternal storage and saving, she was awarded the Battle Banner of an association that has passed a glorious battle path.

The 2nd Panzer Army was formed in January-February 1943 on the basis of the 3rd Reserve Army of the Bryansk Front. Initially, it included the 11th and 16th tank corps, the 60th, 112th and 194th rifle divisions, 115th rifle, 28th ski, 11th guards tank brigades, other formations and military units .

In the military history of the army there are many heroic milestones. Among them - the battle of Bryansk, the counteroffensive near Kursk, the liberation of Right-Bank Ukraine, participation in the final operations of the Great Patriotic War.

For courage, heroism, military valor and exemplary performance of combat missions during the Great Patriotic War, more than 103 thousand army soldiers were awarded orders and medals, and 221 of them were awarded the high rank of Hero of the Soviet Union. Twice this high rank was awarded to the commander of the army, Colonel-General Semyon Ilyich Bogdanov. Almost all formations and military units of the army were awarded orders, most of them were awarded honorary titles.

In the postwar years, the army was part of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany (later the Western Group of Forces). Its formations and military units (the 16th and 25th Guards Tank Divisions, the 21st Motor Rifle Division, the 94th Guards Motor Rifle Division, etc.) were deployed in the territory of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) in 39 garrisons, the army headquarters was located in the city of Furstenberg.

On February 22, 1968, by a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the 2nd Guards Tank Army was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.

In 1993, the army was withdrawn from the territory of the German Democratic Republic and became part of the Volga Military District. Here, in accordance with the directive of the General Staff of the Ground Forces of November 11, 1993, the command of the 2nd Guards Tank Red Banner Army was transferred to the new state and received the name of the Directorate of the Guard Red Banner Combined Arms.

In accordance with the order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation of August 3, 1997 No. 040 and the directive of the Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces of December 25, 1997 No. 453/1/0820, the army was disbanded, and its formations and military units were transferred to the Volga Military District.

In 2001, pursuant to Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of March 24, 2001, directive of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation of April 17, 2001 No. 314/2/300 “On the transformation of the Volga and Ural military districts into the Volga-Ural military district and the formation 2nd Combined Arms Army »Directorate of the Red Banner Volga Military District by September 1, 2001 was reorganized into the command of the Red Banner Combined Arms Army with headquarters in Samara.

In accordance with the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of November 19, 2002 No. 1337, the honorary name of the Guards, the Battle Banner and the state award of the 2nd Guards Red Banner Tank Army were transferred to the all-arms association.

In the modern history of the country, the soldiers of the guard association once again with weapons in their hands had to defend the state interests of Russia. A number of military units of the army took part in the counter-terrorist operation in the North Caucasus.

For courage and heroism shown in the battles to eliminate illegal armed groups, 13 soldiers of the army were awarded the high title of Hero of the Russian Federation, 7 of them posthumously.

A serious test for the guards was large-scale exercises such as “Southern Shield-2006”, “Peace Mission-2008”, “Center-2008”, “West-2009” and “Center-2011”, “Unbreakable Brotherhood-2014” in which almost all formations and military units of the association took part. The actions of the army were highly praised by the higher command.

Currently, formations and military units of the 2nd Army are deployed on the territory of three constituent entities of the Russian Federation: the Republic of Bashkortostan, the Orenburg, Samara Regions, where more than 13 million people live. The area on which the units and military units of the association are deployed is 524.4 thousand km2.