173rd Support Battalion (United States)

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173rd Brigade Support Battalion
173SupportBnCOA.jpg
173rd Brigade Support Battalion coat of arms
Active1963-1972; 2005-2006; 17 September 2007 - present
Country Flag of the United States.svg United States of America
Branch United States Army
Type Support Battalion
RoleSupport
Size Battalion
Part of 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team
Garrison/HQCaserma Del Din, Vicenza, Italy
Nickname(s)Repel
Motto(s)To Our Utmost
ColorsSilver, Blue & Yellow
Decorations Presidential Unit Citation Streamer embroidered DAKTO, Meritorious Unit Commendation Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1965-1967, Meritorious Unit Commendation Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1969, Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm embroidered VIETNAM 1965-1970, Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1969-1971
Commanders
Battalion Commander LTC Rhonda M. Booth [1]
Command Sergeant Major CSM Gerardo Moran [1]
Insignia
Distinctive unit insignia
173SupportBnDUI.jpg
Unit flash
US Army 173rd Bde Support BN Flash.png

The 173rd Brigade Support Battalion (Airborne) is a subordinate unit of the 173rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) in the United States Army based in Vicenza, Italy.

Contents

Organization

The 173rd Brigade Support Battalion (Airborne) serves to support the 173rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne). The battalion currently consists of 475 soldiers in a headquarters and headquarters company (HHC), a supply company, maintenance company, medical company, parachute rigging company, and an aerial delivery detachment. Five additional forward support companies are detached in support of the Brigade's other subordinate units.

Brigade Support Battalion

Forward Support Companies

History of the 173rd Brigade Support Battalion (Airborne)

The 173rd Support Battalion was constituted on 26 March 1963 in the Regular Army and assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade. Officially activated on 25 June 1963 in Okinawa, the Support Battalion participated and logistically supported hundreds of Brigade operations in a dozen different countries in the Pacific. In May 1965, the Support Battalion was sent to Vietnam with the Brigade. For its time in Southeast Asia, the 173rd Support Battalion is recognized as having participated in 15 separate campaigns in Vietnam. The Battalion received a Presidential Unit Citation, two Meritorious Unit Commendations, and a Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with palm streamer and a Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal. On 14 January 1972, the Support Battalion was relieved from assignment to the 173rd Airborne Brigade and subsequently deactivated.

In July 2004, Lt. Col. Cynthia L. Fox was tasked with combining the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 51st Maintenance Battalion located in Mannheim, Germany and 501st Forward Support Company & Headquarters located in Vicenza, Italy to begin the activation of the 173rd Support Battalion. This was achieved on 16 March 2005. Eight days later, the 173rd Support Battalion deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan to provide combat service support to Combined Task Force Bayonet. The Battalion redeployed on 24 February 2006 after spending twelve months supporting combat operations in southern Afghanistan.[ citation needed ]

As a part of the 173rd Airborne Brigade's transformation, the 173rd Support Battalion transitioned into a Brigade Support Battalion (BSB) and moved to Bamberg, Germany on 16 September 2006 to begin training for their deployment to Afghanistan. On 17 May 2007, the newly transformed 173rd BSB (Airborne) deployed to Bagram and Jalalabad Airfields in northeastern Afghanistan. The Battalion redeployed on 4 August 2008 after spending 15 months supporting combat operations throughout Regional Command East in Afghanistan.[ citation needed ]

On 22 February 2009, the Battalion was notified of a change to their deployment from Operation Iraqi Freedom to Operation Enduring Freedom. In November 2009, the Sky Soldiers of the 173rd BSB were deployed to Forward Operating Base Shank, Logar, Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom X and The Global War on Terrorism. The unit performed its mission of manning, arming, fueling, fixing, moving and sustaining over 10,000 Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, civilian contractors, and other government agencies throughout Logar and Wardak provinces of Regional Command-East (RC East), Afghanistan. The Battalion redeployed from combat operations in November 2010.[ citation needed ]

In July 2013, the 173rd BSB deployed for a fourth time since its 2005 reactivation. This time, BSB Paratroopers deployed from Bamberg, Germany as part of Task Force Repel, back to Afghanistan and Regional Command – East, as a subordinate element of Task Force Bayonet conducting Security Force Assistance and Training (SFAT) Operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom XIII. The Battalion aligned a forward logistics element in Wardak Province, Afghanistan and the remainder of the battalion at Forward Operating Base Shank, Logar Province Afghanistan, where they executed the difficult task of reducing the footprint of the Brigade and retrograding critical military material while continuing to train their Afghan counterparts.[ citation needed ]

The Battalion redeployed from combat operations in March 2013 and immediately began preparations to relocate from Bamberg, Germany to Vicenza, Italy to the newly completed Caserma Del Din where the Sky Soldiers of the 173rd BSB continue the distinction of honored service dating back to Vietnam and proudly represent the Airborne fighting spirit wherever they serve.[ citation needed ]

Honors

Unit decorations

RibbonAwardYearNotes
U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force Presidential Unit Citation ribbon.svg Presidential Unit Citation (Army)1967for fighting in the Battle of Dak To
Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon.svg Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army)1965–67for service in Vietnam
Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon.svg Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army)1969for service in Vietnam
Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon.svg Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army)2007-2008for service in support of Operation Enduring Freedom DAGO 2019-03 [2] DAGO 2013-28 [3]
Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon.svg Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army)2009-2010for service in support of Operation Enduring Freedom [4] DAGO 2013-26 [5]
Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon.svg Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army)2012-2013for service in support of Operation Enduring Freedom DAGO 2018-08 [6]
Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation with Palm.png Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm1965–70for service in Vietnam
Vietnam Civil Actions Unit Citation.png Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal, First Class1969–71for service in Vietnam

Forward Support Company Unit decorations

RibbonAwardYearCompanyNotes
Valorous Unit Award ribbon.svg Valorous Unit Award 2007-2008E CompanyDAGO 2013-12 [7]
Valorous Unit Award ribbon.svg Valorous Unit Award 2008F CompanyDAGO 2013-10 [8]
U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force Presidential Unit Citation ribbon.svg Presidential Unit Citation (Army)2007F CompanyDAGO 2013-07 [9]
Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon.svg Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army)2009-2010F CompanyDAGO 2013-50 [10]
Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon.svg Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army)2012-2013F CompanyDAGO 2014-52 [11]
Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon.svg Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army)2009-2010D CompanyDAGO 2014-17 [12]
Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon.svg Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army)2009-2010E CompanyDAGO 2013-20 [13]
Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon.svg Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army)2007-2008G CompanyDAGO 2013-82 [14]

Former Commanders

Former Command Sergeant Majors

References

  1. 1 2 "Leaders". 173rd Airborne Brigade. US Army. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  2. "HRC Homepage".
  3. "MERITORIOUS UNIT COMMENDATION" (PDF). armypubs.army.mil. 28 August 2013. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
  4. US Army Human Resources Command. Permanent Orders 336-03, 2 December 2010. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  5. "MERITORIOUS UNIT COMMENDATION" (PDF). armypubs.army.mil. 28 August 2013. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
  6. "MERITORIOUS UNIT COMMENDATION" (PDF). armypubs.army.mil. 1 March 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
  7. "VALOROUS UNIT AWARD" (PDF). armypubs.army.mil. 15 July 2013. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
  8. "VALOROUS UNIT AWARD" (PDF). armypubs.army.mil. 18 June 2013. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
  9. "PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION" (PDF). armypubs.army.mil. 10 June 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 January 2019. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
  10. "MERITORIOUS UNIT COMMENDATION" (PDF). United States Army Publishing Directorate. 1 November 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 January 2019.
  11. "MERITORIOUS UNIT COMMENDATION" (PDF). United States Army Publishing Directorate. 8 July 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 January 2019.
  12. "MERITORIOUS UNIT COMMENDATION" (PDF). United States Army Publishing Directorate. 27 May 2014.
  13. "MERITORIOUS UNIT COMMENDATION" (PDF). United States Army Publishing Directorate. 28 August 2013.
  14. "MERITORIOUS UNIT COMMENDATION" (PDF). United States Army Publishing Directorate. 1 November 2013.