Middlesex Township near Carlisle in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Colonel Peter R. Mansoor
Peter Mansoor graduated first in his class from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1982. Twenty-one years later in July 2003, as a recent graduate of the U.S. Army War College, he took command of the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division ("Ready First Combat Team") in Baghdad, Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
In August 2003, Mansoor's brigade combat team was temporarily tasked with gaining control of and stabilizing an area of roughly seventy-five square miles from the outskirts of Baghdad west to Fallujah. To do so, Colonel Mansoor placed his task forces throughout the zone and relied on a mobile tactical command post (TAC) consisting of three M577s and wheeled vehicles to relay orders and information from his larger command post situated in central Baghdad. The M577s and their tented extensions were mobile staff offices, equipped with communications, equipment, mapboards, tables, and blackout curtains. Introduced in 1962, the M577 continues to be a vehicle platform used by the Army sixty years later.
With the operation completed, Colonel Mansoor's brigade returned to its area of operations in central
this page online
With three M577 command post vehicles along with the signal trucks, the TAC was spartan but functional for a three-week operation, and with radio, phone, and digital data communications, it gave me a good picture of the battlefield.
From Baghdad at Sunrise: A Brigade Commander's War in Iraq, 2008, by COL Peter Mansoor (RET)
M577A3 Light Tracked Command Post Carrier Armament: None
Engine: 275 Horsepower, 6V53T Turbocharged 2-Cycle Diesel Engine
Maximum Speed: 40 MPH on land / 3.6 MPH in water
Weight: 26,000 pounds
Length: 15 feet 11 inches
Width: 8 feet 9.75 inches
Armor: 1.1 - 1.7 inches of aluminum alloy
Crew: 5 (Driver, and up to four staff)
Manufacturer: Food Machinery Corporation/United Defense LimitedPartnership, and BAE Systems
Erected by The United States Army War College; United States Army Heritage and Education Center.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, 1st Iraq & Desert Storm. A significant historical month for this entry is March 2004.
Location. Marker has been permanently removed. It was located near 40° 12.373′ N, 77° 9.583′ W. Marker was near Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in Cumberland County. It was in Middlesex Township. It could be reached from Army Heritage Trail south of Soldiers Drive, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 95 Soldiers Dr, Carlisle PA 17013, United States of America.
We have been informed that this marker is no longer there and will not be replaced. This page is an archival view of what was.
Regionally, this marker was in South-Central Pennsylvania and in Greater Harrisburg. It was also in the American Northeast, in the Mid-Atlantic, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it was in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it found itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location: Reception Centers (within shouting distance of this marker); Integrity (within shouting distance of this marker); World War II Core Area (within shouting distance of this marker); Induction Centers (within shouting distance of this marker); Sergeant Frederick A. Counsel (within shouting distance of this marker); Chief Warrant Officer 4 William F. Hale (Retired) (about 300 feet away); The Army's War Horse (about 300 feet away); Meet Private Donald D. Kyler (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Carlisle.
Other markers no longer nearby. Sergeant Michael A. Mira (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been confirmed missing); Kady Brownell (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been confirmed missing); The Army Introduces a Heavyweight: The 3-Inch Antitank Gun M5/M6 (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Staff Sergeant Fred A. Rella (was about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line but has been confirmed missing); "Old Abe" (was about 300 feet away but has been confirmed missing); They Called Them "Hellcats" (was about 300 feet away but has been permanently removed); a different marker also named They Called Them Hellcats (was about 300 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); The Trenches (was about 400 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Regarding Colonel Peter R. Mansoor. The wayside and the associated M577A3 Light Tracked Command Post Carrier have been relocated to the Iraqi Entry Control Point display.
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. The wayside and its associated vehicle at its new location.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 31, 2026. It was originally submitted on March 2, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 238 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 2, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
