Active 1991–2003 Branch Ground Army Disbanded 2003 | Country Croatia Nickname(s) Kune (Martens) | |
Engagements Croatian War of Independence | ||
The 3rd Guards Brigade (Croatian: 3. gardijska brigada), also known by their nickname Kune (lit. "Martens"), was a Croatian Ground Army (HV) brigade formed on 29 April 1991 in Vinkovci. The brigade participated in a number of engagements during the War of Independence (1991–1995) and primarily operated in the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia.
Initially the brigade was referred to as the 3rd "A" Brigade of the Croatian National Guard. Its initial roster included four battalions, stationed in Osijek, Vinkovci, Slavonski Brod and Vukovar.
The 4th battalion of the brigade was the primary guard unit involved in the Battle of Vukovar.
The 3rd Brigade was disbanded in 2003 when it merged with the 5th "Falcons" Brigade and was incorporated in the 3rd Armoured Guards Brigade (3.GOMBR), which was then re-styled in 2007 as the present-day Guard Armoured Mechanized Brigade (Gardijska oklopno-mehanizirana brigada or GOMBR). The tank battalion within the GOMBR continues to use the original 3rd Brigade's nickname and emblem.