68th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion (United States)

Last updated

68th Division Sustainment Support Battalion (68th DSSB)
4th Infantry Division SSI.svg
4th Infantry Division shoulder sleeve insignia
Active1936–1945
1966–present
CountryFlag of the United States.svg USA
Branch U.S. Army
RoleMission Command of support and sustainment units
Size Battalion
Part of 4th Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade
Garrison/HQ Fort Carson
Motto(s)"Wheels of Distinction"
Anniversaries1 May 1936 unit constituted
Decorations Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Meritorious Unit Commendation
Meritorious Unit Commendation
Battle honours World War II
Operation Desert Shield
Operation Desert Storm
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Commanders
Current
commander
Lieutenant Colonel Jason H. Eaton
Command Sergeant MajorCommand Sergeant Major Charles F. Johnson Jr.
Insignia
Distinctive unit insignia 68th cssb dui.JPG

The 68th Division Sustainment Support Battalion (68th DSSB) is a U.S. Army support battalion stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado. The battalion motto is "Stagecoach, LET'S GO". The 68th Division Sustainment Support Battalion's current call sign is "Stagecoach". The 68th DSSB has deployed overseas to India, Burma, Somalia, Cuba, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

Contents

Lineage

Organization

The 68th DSSB is currently assigned to the 4th Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade. Subordinate elements of the 68th DSSB are:

Service history

Constituted 1 May 1936 in the Regular Army as Headquarters, 2d Battalion 45th Quartermaster Regiment (Truck-Army) and allotted to the Eighth Corps Area. Redesignated 29 September 1939 as Headquarters, 2d Battalion 45th Quartermaster Regiment (Truck-Corps). Redesignated 8 January 1940 as Headquarters, 2d Battalion 45th Quartermaster Regiment (Truck). Redesignated 1 April 1942 as Headquarters, 2d Battalion 45th Quartermaster Truck Regiment.

World War II

Activated 9 May 1942 at Camp John T. Knight, Oakland Sub-Port of Embarkation, California. In January 1943, the battalion proceeded to Camp Stoneman, Pittsburg, Northern California where they participated in numerous training exercises in preparation for deployment. The battalion delivered by convoy large numbers of vehicles to ports of embarkation up and down the Pacific Coast from the Stockton Ordnance Depot to Vancouver, Washington, Port Hueneme, California and Los Angeles, California.

In September 1943 the battalion boarded the transport George Washington in San Pedro (Submarine Base, Los Angeles), California and voyaged for 6 weeks to Bombay, India. After 4 days in Bombay, the battalion boarded the British transport Nevasa and sailed to Calcutta, India. The 2nd Battalion remained in Calcutta to clean up the bottleneck of supplies that had developed from incoming ships and barges. With this mission accomplished, the battalion joined the rest of the 45th Quartermaster Regiment in Ledo, Assam.

On 1 December 1943, the battalion was redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 68th Quartermaster Battalion, Mobile with subordinate companies redesignated as the 3465th, 3466th, 3467th and 3468th Quartermaster Truck Companies. [1]

The duties of the battalion consisted of rail unloading and convoying supplies forward for the Chinese Army in India and Merrill's Marauders. The convoying continued in ever-increasing distances as the length of the road was extended until it linked up with the Burma Road in Wanting. The battalion was one of the first units to be put on Burma Convoy Duty delivering vehicles to the China Theater Headquarters at Kunming. While the Japanese attempted to break out into the Imphal Plain, the battalion was called on to assume infantry duty to protect the Ledo Base in the event of a possible attack. However, not a single Japanese showed up and the battalion returned to convoy duty.

In October 1945, after V-J Day, the battalion left Ledo by train across India to Karachi Port, India and eventually arrived in New York on 24 November. The battalion was broken up, out processed, and inactivated on 26 November 1945 at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey and Officers and Soldiers returned by detachments to camps nearest their homes.

Inactivation and rebirth

Redesignated 1 August 1946 as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 68th Transportation Corps Truck Battalion. Redesignated 14 July 1966 as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 68th Transportation Battalion. Activated 25 August 1966 at Fort Carson, Colorado under the 43rd General Support Group. [2] The battalion loaded the 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division's vehicles and equipment for Vietnam in July 1968.
The following units were assigned or attached to the 68th at various times during the Vietnam era: [3]

Over the years, the battalion has maintained high state of readiness and training, in addition to providing essential transportation support to units in the contiguous United States.

Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm

The 68th Transportation Battalion deployed to Saudi Arabia from October 1990 to June 1991 in support of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Throughout this campaign, the 68th provided key transportation support throughout the theater. The unit received the Meritorious Unit Citation for services in Southwest Asia.

Operation Restore Hope

On 15 October 1992, the battalion was re-designated as the 68th Corps Support Battalion. From May to August 1993, the 68th once again was on the move. The battalion deployed to Mogadishu, Somalia to provide maintenance, supply, transportation and field services in support of Operation Continue Hope.

Operation Sea Signal

From October 1994 to March 1995, the 68th Corps Support Battalion deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In support of Operation Sea Signal, the battalion provided essential life support to include transportation, maintenance, supply and field services to Cuban and Haitian migrants and US Forces. The unit received the Joint Meritorious Unit Award for service to Joint Task Force 160 during this operation. The 68th returned to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba from January to April 1996 to close the migrant support facilities constructed during Operation Sea Signal.

Operation Iraqi Freedom

Transformation

Operation Enduring Freedom

Operation Spartan Shield

From January 2020 through August 2020 the 68th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion provided distribution, field feeding support and movement control support to five different brigade elements, totaling over 120 customers, they devised a new method for tracking, accounting for and distributing over $200 million worth of commodities, 300,000 gallons of fuel (and) 650 transportation movement requests, between Kuwait, Bahrain and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [4]

Transformation

Operation European Assure, Deter, and Reinforce

From November 2022 through current, the 68th DSSB Headquarters and Headquarters Company deployed by air to FOS Powidz, Poland where it conducted a transfer of authority on 22 November 2022 assuming sustainment operation in support of Operation European Assure, Deter, and reinforce. [5] [6]

The following units were assigned or attached to the 68th at various times during this rotation:

Campaign streamers

ConflictStreamerYear(s)
World War II
Streamer APC.PNG
India-Burma1943
Central Burma1944
Gulf War
Streamer SAS.PNG
Defense of Saudi Arabia1991
Liberation and Defense of Kuwait1991
Cease Fire1991
Somalia1992-1995
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Iraq Campaign streamer (USMC).svg
Liberation of Iraq2003
Transition of Iraq2003
Iraqi Governance2004
National Resolution2005
Operation Enduring Freedom
Streamer AFGCS.PNG
Consolidation III2009–2010

[7]

Decorations

RibbonAwardYearNotes
Streamer JMUA.PNG Joint Meritorious Unit Award 1994–1995For Operation Sea Signal
Streamer MUC Army.PNG Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army)1991For Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm
Streamer MUC Army.PNG Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army)2004–2005For Operation Iraqi Freedom
Streamer MUC Army.PNG Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army)2009-2010For Operation Enduring Freedom
Streamer MUC Army.PNG Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army)2013Unknown / PO 079-09

[8]

Shoulder sleeve insignia

Description: On a light khaki square, each side 2 inches (5.08 cm) in width overall and with one angle up, four green ivy leaves arranged per cross issuing from a small open circle (one leaf in each angle of the square and the vertical and horizontal axis each 2 11/32 inches (5.95 cm) in length) all within a 1/8-inch (.32 cm) light khaki border.

Symbolism: The four leaves allude to the numerical designation of the Division while the word "I-VY" as pronounced, suggests the characters used in the formation of the Roman numeral "IV." Ivy leaves are also symbolic of fidelity and tenacity.

Background The shoulder sleeve insignia was originally approved for the 4th Division on 30 October 1918, without any background specified for the ivy leaf design. The design was embroidered on a square olive background (color of the uniform). It was redesignated for the 4th Infantry Division effective 4 August 1943. On 2 July 1958, the design was changed to reflect the light khaki color background. The insignia was amended to add a symbolism on 1 April 1969. (TIOH Drawing Number A-1-79)

Distinctive unit insignia

Description: A gold and enamel device, one inch in height, consisting of a blue ring interlace over and under a brick red ring, each issuing one wavy gold arrow overall to the left and to the right between the motto inscribed on top of the blue ring "Wheels of" and on the bottom of the ring "Distinction", all in gold. The two rings simulate wheels; the blue alludes to the Quartermaster insignia wheel from which the unit descended, and the brick red one to the Transportation Corps insignia wheel. The two arrows represent honors awarded the unit during the India-Burma and Central Burma campaigns during World War II, and the wavy arrows symbolize the tortured Burma Road run as well as suggests the important idea of "Points of Departure and Arrival."

Crest: On a wreath of the colors (or and gules [brick red]) an elephant passant superimposed by the head of a Burmese tribeswoman in traditional brass neck loops and jewelry surmounted in base by the tip of a scimitar suspended bendwise from the elephant's upraised trunk proper.

Related Research Articles

The 49th Quartermaster Group was a United States Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) combat service support unit stationed at Fort Gregg-Adams, Virginia. The group motto was "Fueling the Force." Reactivated in 1993, the 49th held an inactivation ceremony at Fort Lee on 14 September 2012. Its subordinate 530th Support Battalion and 108th Quartermaster Company were reassigned to a brigade headquarters to await their own inactivation in September 2013. According to an article in the post newspaper, "The 54th and 111th, the Army's only active duty mortuary affairs units, are not likely to be inactivated but may be transferred. If any of the units remain at Fort Lee, they may be realigned under battalions either at Fort Eustis, home of the 7th Sustainment Brigade, or Fort Bragg, N.C., home of the XVIII Airborne Corps, the 49th's current higher headquarters."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">13th Expeditionary Sustainment Command</span> Modular sustainment command of the III Armored Corps, US Army

The 13th Armored Corps Sustainment Command—the "Lucky 13th"—is a U.S. Army modular sustainment command which serves as a forward presence for expeditionary operations for a theater, or in support of a regional combatant commander. Corps Sustainment Commands (CSC), such as the 13th, synchronize distribution of supplies and services within their operational areas and provides distribution oversight. Formed at Fort Cavazos, Texas when the 1st Logistics Command deployed to Vietnam, the organization then known as the 13th Support Brigade was initially responsible for the training of technical services units to assume combat service support missions in Southeast Asia.

The 260th Quartermaster Battalion deploys and provides storage, distribution, and quality surveillance of bulk petroleum products in a corps area. The units official motto is 'THE NECTAR FOR VICTORY.'

<span class="mw-page-title-main">43rd Sustainment Brigade</span> Military unit

The 43rd Sustainment Brigade was re-designated the 4th Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade, 4th Infantry Division effective 9 July 2015. a U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) combat service support unit stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado. The Brigade motto is "Provide with Pride". The Brigade call sign is "Rough Riders". The 43rd Sustainment Brigade has deployed overseas to Somalia, Cuba, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. On 9 July 2015 the 43rd Sustainment Brigade was inactivated. Subordinate units were reassigned to the 4th Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">64th Brigade Support Battalion (United States)</span> Military unit

The 64th Brigade Support Battalion, nicknamed "Mountaineers," is a United States Army support battalion, assigned to the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division in Fort Carson, Colorado.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">87th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion (United States)</span> Military unit

The 87th Support Battalion (Corps) was constituted on 1 May 1936 in the U.S. Army as the 87th Separate Quartermaster Battalion (Light Maintenance) at Fort Des Moines, Iowa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">68th Armor Regiment</span> Military unit

The 68th Armor Regiment is an armored regiment of the United States Army. It was first activated in 1933 in the Regular Army as the 68th Infantry Regiment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">45th Sustainment Brigade</span> Military unit

The 45th Sustainment Brigade was a sustainment brigade of the United States Army based at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. The 45th SB was directly subordinate to the 8th Theater Sustainment Command until 2015 when the Army aligned sustainment brigades to major divisions. The 45th SB was then re-designated to the 25th Sustainment Brigade, with the 25th Infantry Division obtaining complete administrative and operational control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">528th Support Battalion (United States)</span> Military unit

The 528th Support Battalion is a battalion of the United States Army. The 528th Support Battalion's mission is to provide rapidly deployable CSS and HSS to ARSOF as directed. The 528th Support Battalion's strengths lie in its capability to support ARSOF-unique and low-density weapons and vehicles. The 528th complements [organic] 22 ARSOF CSS, HSS, and signal units. The support battalion consists of a headquarters and main support company (HMSC), three forward support companies and may receive augmentation from Theater Army. As part of Army Special Operations Command the unit, along with the 112th Signal Battalion, is tasked to provide full logistical support to Army Special Operations Forces forming along with several other units what was known as Special Operations Support Command, later reorganized as the 528th Sustainment Brigade. Brigade Troops Battalion includes a wide variety of military occupation specialists: riggers, drivers, medics, mechanics, engineers, fuelers, cooks, etc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">168th Brigade Support Battalion</span> Military unit

The 168th Brigade Support Battalion is a support battalion of the United States Army based at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. It provides logistic support to the 214th Fires Brigade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Engineer Special Brigade</span> Former amphibious engineer forces of the United States Army from 1942 to 1955

The Engineer Special Brigades were brigade-sized amphibious forces of the United States Army developed during World War II and active from 1942 to 1955. Initially designated engineer amphibian brigades, they were redesignated engineer special brigades in 1943. The 1st, 5th, and 6th Engineer Special Brigades were assigned to the European Theater of Operations. The 1st Engineer Special Brigade participated in the landings in Sicily and Italy before joining the 5th and 6th Engineer Special Brigades for the invasion of Normandy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">143rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)</span> Military unit

The 143rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)(formerly: 143rd Transportation Command), is one of seven general officer sustainment commands in the United States Army Reserve. It has command and control of more than 10,000 Army Reserve Soldiers throughout the southeastern United States in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi. It is made up of more than 100 Army Reserve units whose missions are diverse and logistical in nature. The mission of the 143rd ESC is to provide command and control of sustainment forces and to conduct sustainment, deployment, redeployment and retrograde operations in support of U.S. and multinational forces. The mission of the 143rd when not deployed is to ensure readiness of the soldiers under its command and control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">125th Brigade Support Battalion (United States)</span> Military unit

125 Brigade Support Battalion The 125th Forward Support Battalion was constituted in 1936 at the 3rd Battalion, 49th Quartermaster Regiment and activated on 1 April 1942 at Berkeley, California, as the 3rd Battalion, 49th Quartermaster Truck Regiment. The 3rd Battalion was broken up and separated in 1943 and its element reorganized and redesignated. On 17 December 1943 the Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment was redesignated as the Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 125th Quartermaster Battalion, Mobile. In 1946, the battalion was converted to the 125th Transportation Corps Truck Battalion and inactivated.

The 59th Quartermaster Company is a bulk petroleum company designed to provide semi-portable storage for 2.5 million US gallons (9,500 m3) of fuel and to provide distribution of fuel to military units within a specified geographic area while deployed overseas. Its secondary mission is to provide an armed military escort to military cargo and civilian trucks during overseas contingency operations. It is a U.S. Army Forces Command combat service support unit stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado under the command of the 68th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion. The 59th has deployed overseas to Algeria, Italy, France, Germany, Korea, Vietnam, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. The 59th is the only bulk petroleum company in the Regular Army; all sister units are part of the Army Reserve as of 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">101st Sustainment Brigade</span> Military unit

The 101st Division Sustainment Brigade is a sustainment brigade of the United States Army based at Fort Campbell providing logistical support to the 101st Airborne Division. Formerly a separate unit under the command of United States Army Forces Command, it became a division sustainment brigade in 2015 and adopted the wear of the division SSI.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)</span> Military unit

The 4th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) is a subordinate command of 377th Theater Sustainment Command. The 4th ESC is located in San Antonio, Texas. The command comprises 54 subordinate units and has command and control of more than 6,500 Army Reserve soldiers throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and New Mexico. The 4th ESC provides trained and ready forces in support of global contingency operations. On order, the 4th ESC is prepared to deploy and provide command and control to all assigned, attached, and operationally controlled units and will provide sustainment planning, guidance and support to forces in the area of operations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">264th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion</span> Military unit

The 264th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion is a U.S. Army support battalion stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The battalion motto is "Support for Victory". The 264th has deployed overseas to France, Vietnam, Haiti, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">55th Support Battalion</span> Military unit

The 55th Support Battalion was a unit of the United States Army, which was last active from 9 July 1982 to 15 June 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">53rd Transportation Battalion</span> Transportation battalion of the United States Army

The 53rd Transportation Battalion (Movement Control) is assigned to the 593rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command at Fort Eustis, Virginia. The structure of the battalion has shifted over time with the deployment of units and reassignment to the 593rd ESC. Today the Battalion includes the Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment (HHD), six Movement Control Teams (70th, 99th, 271st, 384th, 612th, and 622nd), and two Inland Cargo Transfer Companies (155 and 567). The battalion also has administrative control of four Engineer Dive Detachments (74th, 86th, 511th, and 569th).

142nd Division Sustainment Support Battalion is a multifunctional logistics headquarters. It is task organized as a Division Sustainment Support Battalion with capability required to support specified mission requirements. The CSSB supports echelon above brigade units, multifunctional brigades, functional support brigades, and brigade combat teams. The 142nd DSSB is currently stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas, and is a subordinate unit of the 1st Armored Division Sustainment Brigade.

References

  1. "QUARTERMASTER CORPS UNITS". www.cbi-history.com.
  2. "HISTORY: 43d Area Support Group (ASG)". US Army. Archived from the original on 12 February 2012. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  3. "China Burma India Theater of Operations page for the 68th". Archived from the original on 8 January 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  4. "Operation Spartan Shield: Troops return from Saudi Arabia – Fort Carson Mountaineer" . Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  5. "Cal Guard's 746 CSSB Hands off Mission to Colorado's 68 DSSB". www.army.mil. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  6. "746 CSSB and 68 DSSB Transfer of Authority". DVIDS. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  7. "Listing of the Campaigns of the U.S. Army Displayed on the Army Flag | U.S. Army Center of Military History". history.army.mil.
  8. "Organizational History Program | U.S. Army Center of Military History". history.army.mil.