Headquarters and Headquarters Company
15th Sustainment Brigade
Historical Missions
"Support The Action"
In pre-World War II years, most units of the 1st Cavalry Division not assigned
to the major subordinate maneuver commands were under control of the
Headquarters, Division Special Troops. These included service and supports
elements of the Division. After World War II, however, the Special Troops
Headquarters was reorganized under the Pentomic concept and the immediate
forerunner of the DISCOM, Headquarters, Division Trains, was activated 01
November 1957 in Korea. Although a new organization, Division Trains employed
concepts similar to those of a US armored division trains that were originated
in World War I.
Vietnam War 1965 - 1972
On 01 September 1963, Headquarters, Division Trains was reorganized under the
ROAD (Reorganization of the Army Divisions) concept and redesignated as
Headquarters, Headquarters Company and Band, 1st Cavalry Division, 1st Cavalry
Division Support Command. Accompanying the Division to Vietnam in August 1965,
the Support Command participated in all major campaigns and distinguished
itself in battle.
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In parallel with the deployments of the 1st Cavalry Division, on 04 May 1966,
the historical 15th Sustainment Brigade was constituted in the Regular Army as
a Headquarters and Headquarters Company. The unit was first activated on 01
July 1966. Following a tour providing support to units in Vietnam, on 20
October 1967, the Brigade was inactivated. However on 21 September 1968, it
was reactivated on at Fort Lewis, Washington and returned to Vietnam receiving
campaign credits for its support for Counteroffensive Operations (Phase II and
III). It would not be until 06 July 2005 until the units joined forces.
On 15 May 1971, the DISCOM was reorganized and designated as Headquarters and
Headquarters Company, 1st Cavalry Division Support Command. Most major
subordinate units of the DISCOM had returned from Vietnam in 1971 and were
stationed at Fort Hood. By the end of June 1971, the DISCOM was a large
command comprised of "HHC", Support Command, 15th Adjutant General
Company/Band, 15th Medical Battalion, 15th Supply and Transport Battalion,
27th Maintenance Battalion, 8th Engineer Battalion, 315th Composite Support
Battalion, 15th Finance Company (the latter two units had been transferred
from the 1st Armored Division), and the 15th Data Processing Unit.
Today's Cavalry 19
During the early 1980s, the DISCOM consisted of a Headquarters Company, a
Division Materiel Management Center, a Division Data Center, the 15th Medical
Battalion, 15th Adjutant General Battalion, 15th Finance Company, 15th Supply
and Transport Battalion, 27th Maintenance Battalion and the 68th Chemical
Company. In October 1984, the 1st and 2nd Forward Support Battalions were
activated from elements of the three functional battalions. The following
year saw the Army of Excellence Reorganization (AOE) transform the remaining
elements of the three functional battalions (maintenance, medical, and supply
and transport) into the 4th Main Support Battalion.
The AOE reorganization also added the 493rd Transportation Aircraft
Maintenance Company to the Division Support Command. The forward and main
support battalions, along with the Aviation Maintenance Company, were
redesignated in 1987, becoming the 15th and 115th Forward Support Battalions,
27th Main Support Battalion, and 227th Transportation Aviation Maintenance
Company.
Persian Gulf War, Southwest Asia 1990 - 1991
On 28 September 1990, the Division Support Command deployed to Southwest Asia
in support of Operation Desert Shield. In January 1991, Division Support
Command provided support throughout Operation Desert Storm, leading to a
quick liberation of Kuwait. On 16 December 1991, following the return of the
Support Command to Fort Hood, the 215th Forward Support Battalion was
activated bringing the number of active duty forward support battalions to
three.
Modular Forces 2005
On 15 July 2005, the Support Command, 1st Cavalry Division, was inactivated as
part of the US Army's transformation towards a modular force. The function of
centralized support was assumed by activation of the 15th Sustainment Brigade
along with its organic elements that were concurrently constituted and
activated. The previously subordinate Forward Support Battalions of DISCOM,
the 15th Support Battalion, 27th Support Battalion, 115th Support Battalion,
215th Support Battalion and the 615th Support Battalion were redesignated
Brigade Support Battalions and task organized under each of the 5 maneuvering
(1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 1st Air Cavalry) Brigades of the 1st Cavalry
Division.
Iraqi Freedom-iV 2006 - 2008
The 15th Sustainment Brigade was the first element of the 1st Cavalry Division
to return to Iraq and assumed control for logistics in the Baghdad area of
operations. In July 2006, the Brigade deployed to Camp Taji, Iraq and in early
September, 2006. the Brigade began command and control for numerous units not
normally associated with the 1st Cavalry Division including the 1st Cavalry
Division, Multi-National Division - "Baghdad, the Multi-National Division -
"Central and the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary).
During the course of the deployment, the Brigade conducted over 6,545 combat
Logistics patrols (CLPs), which involved 111,916 vehicles and 186,667 Soldiers
driving over 4 million miles. The Brigade experienced over 40 incidents
involving detonated and found improvised explosive devices (IEDs), more than
50 attacks by small-arms fire, and 25 direct-fire actions. In all, the Brigade
supported 13 Brigade Combat Teams totaling more than 100,000 Soldiers during
"The Surge" of 2007.
On October 2007, the Brigade returned home to Fort Hood and began reorganizing
for future actions. On 15 February, 2008 the Brigade changed its higher
command for the first time in its history. It was relieved from assignment to
the 1st Cavalry Division and assigned to the 13th Sustainment Command
(Expeditionary). The Brigade, marking the first time that it served
independently from the 1st Cavalry Division, provided logistics support to
40,000 Soldiers at Fort Hood, while simultaneously training for another
deployment.
Iraqi Freedom-VI 2008 - 2010
In September 2009, the Brigade once again deployed in support of Operation
Iraqi Freedom and on 05 October, 2009 it assumed the sustainment mission for
Multi-National Division - North at Contingency Operating Location Q-West,
Iraq. During the deployment, the Brigade provided sustainment support for
United States Divisions - "North" and "Center", swelling its command and
control nearly 7,000 Soldiers. In addition, the Brigade managed human
resources and finance operations for the entire country of Iraq.
When the Brigade departed theie original tour of duty was scheduled for a 12
months, but came home early in May and June of 2010. Since their return from
Iraq, the Brigade had undertaken a number of duties around Fort Hood. The
activities include testing new systems for use during deployments, remodeling
infrastructure around the fort, and training on personal safety.
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On 30 November, one chapter in the history of the 15th Sustainment Brigade has
closed at Fort Hood but another chapter is just beginning. The 15th Sustainment
Brigade. and the 15th Special Troops Battalion held a change of command and
color casing ceremony on Cooper Field to mark the final step as the base move
of the operations to Fort Bliss. Soldiers with the 15th Sustainment Brigade.
have been preparing for the move since returning to Fort Hood this summer,
after the "Wagonmasters' and "Wranglers" completed their third deployment to
Iraq.
While deployed to Iraq, Soldiers assigned to the 15th Sustainment Brigade
traveled in excess of six million miles across Iraq, delivering food, water
and other essential supplies.
On 08 December 2010, the 15th Sustainment Brigade "WAgonmasters" officially
uncased their colors in a ceremony at Noel Field to join "Team Bliss".
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