In 1961, after the abortive Bay of Pigs Invasion and rumors of Soviet assistance to Cuba, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara decided to bolster available U.S. Army forces in the Caribbean area.
The Army replaced the battle group in the Panama Canal Zone with the 193d Infantry Brigade, which was activated on 8 August 1962.

Through most of the period of its assignment to the Canal Zone, the 193d included the following units:
 3d Battalion, 5th Infantry (Instead of the regiment's common nickname, the "Bobcats," 3rd Battalion retained the name and motto, "Red Devils," when reflagged from 3d Battalion (Airborne), 508th Infantry, Fort Kobbe)
 4th Battalion, 10th Infantry ("Apaches," Fort Davis)
 4th Battalion, 20th Infantry ("Sykes Regulars," Fort Clayton)
Battery B, 22d Field Artillery (Fort Kobbe; later reflagged as Battery D, 320th FA)
 518th Engineer Company (Fort Kobbe, later reflagged as the 59th Engineer Company)
 534th MP Company (Fort Clayton)
549th Military Police Company (Fort Gulick)
210th Aviation Battalion (Albrook Army Air Field; moved during the 1970s to Fort Kobbe as part of the Canal reorganization treaties)
1097th Transportation Company (Medium Boat) (Fort Davis)
Additionally, there were other units, such as the School of the Americas (Fort Gulick), 3d Battalion, 7th Special Forces (Fort Gulick), and Jungle Operations Training Center (Fort Sherman) that were not assigned to the 193d but had an habitual relationship and rating scheme for their commanders and/or senior officers tantamount to assignment.

There were other units assigned at different times.
For example, the brigade had, for most of the 1960s a mixed HAWK missile and M42 Duster battalion, 4th Battalion, 517th Artillery (Battery A at Fort Davis, Dusters; Battery B, Fort Clayton, Dusters; Battery C, HAWKs, Flamenco Island; and Battery D, HAWK, Fort Sherman).
The brigade was also staffed heavily enough as to permit it to command the 92d and 53d Infantry Brigades (Separate) from the Puerto Rico and Florida National Guard, respectively.
 In 1977, in order to improve command and control over the numerous combat support and combat service support units, the 193d Combat Support Battalion (CSB) was activated within the brigade.
The 193d CSB commanded a wide variety of units, to include the 193d Military Intelligence Company (Combat Electronic Warfare and Intelligence - CEWI), the 1097th Transportation Company (Medium Boat), and even a field artillery unit (Battery D, 320th FA).

In October 1983, the 1st and 2d Battalions, 187th Infantry were assigned to the 193d Infantry Brigade in Panama as a result of reflagging the 4th Battalion, 10th Infantry and the 3d Battalion, 5th Infantry, respectively.
Company A, 2d Battalion, 187th Infantry was on jump status and later this was expanded to the entire battalion.
During a realignment of the United States Army's combat forces in 1987 the colors of the 1st and 2d Battalions were inactivated in Panama and reactivated at Fort Campbell, KY.
This resulted in 2-187th being reflagged as the 1st Battalion (Airborne), 508th Infantry while 1-187th was reflagged as the 5th Battalion, 87th Infantry.

Beginning in early 1988, after the first coup attempt against Noriega failed, life for the soldiers and families of the Brigade became increasingly difficult due to civil unrest in Panama City and harassment by the Panama Defense Force.
Movements off post were often restricted, armed confrontations occurred frequently and quality of life declined.
Panamanian provocations, intended to deny freedom of movement rights that were guaranteed by treaty, steadily escalated.
Americans were increasingly detained without charges and held without communication.
At one point, several school buses full of dependent children on the way to school were commandeered by the PDF and held for hours.
This harassment culminated after the abortive Panamanian elections during the summer of 1989, when all off-post personnel were moved on-post, resulting in families having to double or triple up in on-post quarters.

As part of the fall-out from the aborted
In 1961, after the abortive Bay of Pigs Invasion and rumors of Soviet assistance to Cuba, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara decided to bolster available U.S. Army forces in the Caribbean area. The Army replaced the battle group in the Panama Canal Zone with the 193d Infantry Brigade, which was activated on 8 August 1962.
Through most of the period of its assignment to the Canal Zone, the 193d included the following units:
 3d Battalion, 5th Infantry (Instead of the regiment's common nickname, the "Bobcats," 3rd Battalion retained the name and motto, "Red Devils," when reflagged from 3d Battalion (Airborne), 508th Infantry, Fort Kobbe)
 4th Battalion, 10th Infantry ("Apaches," Fort Davis)
 4th Battalion, 20th Infantry ("Sykes Regulars," Fort Clayton)
Battery B, 22d Field Artillery (Fort Kobbe; later reflagged as Battery D, 320th FA)
 518th Engineer Company (Fort Kobbe, later reflagged as the 59th Engineer Company)
 534th MP Company (Fort Clayton)
549th Military Police Company (Fort Gulick)
210th Aviation Battalion (Albrook Army Air Field; moved during the 1970s to Fort Kobbe as part of the Canal reorganization treaties)
1097th Transportation Company (Medium Boat) (Fort Davis)
Additionally, there were other units, such as the School of the Americas (Fort Gulick), 3d Battalion, 7th Special Forces (Fort Gulick), and Jungle Operations Training Center (Fort Sherman) that were not assigned to the 193d but had an habitual relationship and rating scheme for their commanders and/or senior officers tantamount to assignment.
There were other units assigned at different times. For example, the brigade had, for most of the 1960s a mixed HAWK missile and M42 Duster battalion, 4th Battalion, 517th Artillery (Battery A at Fort Davis, Dusters; Battery B, Fort Clayton, Dusters; Battery C, HAWKs, Flamenco Island; and Battery D, HAWK, Fort Sherman). The brigade was also staffed heavily enough as to permit it to command the 92d and 53d Infantry Brigades (Separate) from the Puerto Rico and Florida National Guard, respectively.  In 1977, in order to improve command and control over the numerous combat support and combat service support units, the 193d Combat Support Battalion (CSB) was activated within the brigade. The 193d CSB commanded a wide variety of units, to include the 193d Military Intelligence Company (Combat Electronic Warfare and Intelligence - CEWI), the 1097th Transportation Company (Medium Boat), and even a field artillery unit (Battery D, 320th FA).
In October 1983, the 1st and 2d Battalions, 187th Infantry were assigned to the 193d Infantry Brigade in Panama as a result of reflagging the 4th Battalion, 10th Infantry and the 3d Battalion, 5th Infantry, respectively. Company A, 2d Battalion, 187th Infantry was on jump status and later this was expanded to the entire battalion. During a realignment of the United States Army's combat forces in 1987 the colors of the 1st and 2d Battalions were inactivated in Panama and reactivated at Fort Campbell, KY. This resulted in 2-187th being reflagged as the 1st Battalion (Airborne), 508th Infantry while 1-187th was reflagged as the 5th Battalion, 87th Infantry.
Beginning in early 1988, after the first coup attempt against Noriega failed, life for the soldiers and families of the Brigade became increasingly difficult due to civil unrest in Panama City and harassment by the Panama Defense Force. Movements off post were often restricted, armed confrontations occurred frequently and quality of life declined. Panamanian provocations, intended to deny freedom of movement rights that were guaranteed by treaty, steadily escalated. Americans were increasingly detained without charges and held without communication. At one point, several school buses full of dependent children on the way to school were commandeered by the PDF and held for hours. This harassment culminated after the abortive Panamanian elections during the summer of 1989, when all off-post personnel were moved on-post, resulting in families having to double or triple up in on-post quarters.
As part of the fall-out from the aborted 
193rd Infantry Brigade (United States)