The mission of the 193d, tactically organized as Task Force Bayonet, was twofold.
The defensive component required the protection of an extensive complex of US military bases, family housing tracts and Panama Canal Commission facilities that stretched over an area of 20 kilometers.
This included protection of the vital Miraflores and Pedro Miguel lock complexes.
Simultaneously, the Brigade was responsible for an offensive area of operations that encompassed half of Panama City and its 1.1 million inhabitants.
Within this area, the Brigade's initial offensive task was to isolate and eliminate all PDF units (police, military and para-military) in the areas Fort Amador, Ancon Hill, Balboa, and Chorrillo.
Of primary importance was the Commandancia, which was to be taken in a coup de main.
Other objectives within this area included: the PDF's Engineer Battalion compound, that part of Fort Amador occupied by the PDF 5th Company and the Panamanian Army headquarters; the Balboa and Ancon DENI (Panama's National Defense of Investigations) and Balboa Department of Transportation (DNTT) stations.

Although the 193d Infantry Brigade (Light) was, by TO&E, only a small brigade, as a result of various augmentations leading up to JUST CAUSE, in its role as TF Bayonet it ended up being the largest brigade-sized task force in JUST CAUSE.
The various units that comprised TF Bayonet on D-Day were:
 193rd Infantry Brigade (Light)
 Headquarters & Headquarters Company
 1st Battalion, 508th Infantry (Airborne) (previously designated 3-5th, respectively 2-187th)
 5th Battalion, 87th Infantry
1st Battalion,228th Aviation, Fort Kobbe
 Battery D, 320th Field Artillery
 59th Engineer Company (Sapper)
Augmentation as a result of NIMROD DANCER
 4th Battalion, 6th Infantry, from the 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized)
 One M551 Sheridan platoon from the 3rd Battalion, 73rd Armor, arrived 18 November 1989 from the 82nd Airborne Division
Augmentation effective on execution of JUST CAUSE
 519th MP Battalion, deployed to Panama the week before JUST CAUSE from Fort Meade, Maryland.

209th MP Company
401st MP Company
511th MP Company
555th MP Company
988th MP Company - arrived on 14 December 1989 and was the 1st MP company to receive combat orders since Vietnam
108th MP Company (arrived D+1 as part of the reinforcing airflow)
 One company, 75th Ranger Regiment, on D-Day for the purpose of clearing the Commandancia.

 One Marine platoon (LAV-25s) from Task Force Semper Fi
Note that TF Bayonet had neither an organic forward support battalion nor normal combat service support units, as was doctrine at the time.
Limited support was provided by the 41st Area Support Group (which had theater-wide responsibilities), but lacking a dedicated Forward Support Battalion, the Brigade's logistical support operations were significantly strained.
A fifth maneuver battalion had originally been slated for TF Bayonet, for the purpose of having a two-battalion attack at the Commandancia – which was to be the main attack of JUST CAUSE.
However, JTF-SOUTH reallocated this battalion to the other side of the Isthmus.
Ironically, as JTF-SOUTH was doing this, Noriega was beefing up defenses at the Commandancia.
Half of the PDF 6th Company, most of the PDF 7th Company and elements of the PDF Bn 2000 were moved to the Commandancia in the two months leading up to JUST CAUSE, replacing the unit that had led the second coup attempt.

At 1800 hours, 19 December 1989, TF Bayonet received from JTF-SOUTH the order to execute Operation JUST CAUSE, with an H-Hour of 0100 hours, 20 December.
Because the JUST CAUSE OPLAN had been classified at the top secret level, only a small number of the Brigade's leaders were familiar with its contents.

After combat operation ceased, a political decision to rapidly drawdown US forces to their pre-invasion levels had an unexpected impact on the 193d; in order to reach that level, USSOUTHCOM directed that the Brigade's field artillery battery be inactivated and its personnel – and their families – be immediately shipped out of country.
During this period TF Bayonet
The mission of the 193d, tactically organized as Task Force Bayonet, was twofold. The defensive component required the protection of an extensive complex of US military bases, family housing tracts and Panama Canal Commission facilities that stretched over an area of 20 kilometers. This included protection of the vital Miraflores and Pedro Miguel lock complexes. Simultaneously, the Brigade was responsible for an offensive area of operations that encompassed half of Panama City and its 1.1 million inhabitants. Within this area, the Brigade's initial offensive task was to isolate and eliminate all PDF units (police, military and para-military) in the areas Fort Amador, Ancon Hill, Balboa, and Chorrillo. Of primary importance was the Commandancia, which was to be taken in a coup de main. Other objectives within this area included: the PDF's Engineer Battalion compound, that part of Fort Amador occupied by the PDF 5th Company and the Panamanian Army headquarters; the Balboa and Ancon DENI (Panama's National Defense of Investigations) and Balboa Department of Transportation (DNTT) stations.
Although the 193d Infantry Brigade (Light) was, by TO&E, only a small brigade, as a result of various augmentations leading up to JUST CAUSE, in its role as TF Bayonet it ended up being the largest brigade-sized task force in JUST CAUSE. The various units that comprised TF Bayonet on D-Day were:
 193rd Infantry Brigade (Light)
 Headquarters & Headquarters Company
 1st Battalion, 508th Infantry (Airborne) (previously designated 3-5th, respectively 2-187th)
 5th Battalion, 87th Infantry
1st Battalion,228th Aviation, Fort Kobbe
 Battery D, 320th Field Artillery
 59th Engineer Company (Sapper)
Augmentation as a result of NIMROD DANCER
 4th Battalion, 6th Infantry, from the 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized)
 One M551 Sheridan platoon from the 3rd Battalion, 73rd Armor, arrived 18 November 1989 from the 82nd Airborne Division
Augmentation effective on execution of JUST CAUSE
 519th MP Battalion, deployed to Panama the week before JUST CAUSE from Fort Meade, Maryland.
209th MP Company
401st MP Company
511th MP Company
555th MP Company
988th MP Company - arrived on 14 December 1989 and was the 1st MP company to receive combat orders since Vietnam
108th MP Company (arrived D+1 as part of the reinforcing airflow)
 One company, 75th Ranger Regiment, on D-Day for the purpose of clearing the Commandancia.
 One Marine platoon (LAV-25s) from Task Force Semper Fi
Note that TF Bayonet had neither an organic forward support battalion nor normal combat service support units, as was doctrine at the time. Limited support was provided by the 41st Area Support Group (which had theater-wide responsibilities), but lacking a dedicated Forward Support Battalion, the Brigade's logistical support operations were significantly strained. A fifth maneuver battalion had originally been slated for TF Bayonet, for the purpose of having a two-battalion attack at the Commandancia – which was to be the main attack of JUST CAUSE. However, JTF-SOUTH reallocated this battalion to the other side of the Isthmus. Ironically, as JTF-SOUTH was doing this, Noriega was beefing up defenses at the Commandancia. Half of the PDF 6th Company, most of the PDF 7th Company and elements of the PDF Bn 2000 were moved to the Commandancia in the two months leading up to JUST CAUSE, replacing the unit that had led the second coup attempt.
At 1800 hours, 19 December 1989, TF Bayonet received from JTF-SOUTH the order to execute Operation JUST CAUSE, with an H-Hour of 0100 hours, 20 December. Because the JUST CAUSE OPLAN had been classified at the top secret level, only a small number of the Brigade's leaders were familiar with its contents.
After combat operation ceased, a political decision to rapidly drawdown US forces to their pre-invasion levels had an unexpected impact on the 193d; in order to reach that level, USSOUTHCOM directed that the Brigade's field artillery battery be inactivated and its personnel – and their families – be immediately shipped out of country. During this period TF Bayonet
193rd Infantry Brigade (United States)