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82nd Sustainment Brigade (United States)
Encyclopedia
The 82nd Sustainment Brigade is a sustainment
brigade
of the United States Army
based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina
. It provides logistical support to all tenant units at the base, and is under the direct command of FORSCOM
.
Formed out of the Division Support Command of the 82nd Airborne Division, the brigade has a long history of supporting the 82nd in numerous contingencies throughout the world. The sustainment brigade supported the Division in operations including Operation Just Cause, Operation Urgent Fury, Operation Power Pack
and Operation Desert Storm. Recently, the brigade has seen multiple deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The brigade's mission in support of Operation Enduring Freedom-Afghanistan came to an end when responsibility was handed to the 101st Sustainment Brigade during a ceremony at Bagram Airbase on 2 December 2010. For the first time since the Global War on Terror began in 2001, with the exception of Delta Detachment 82nd Finance; all the elements of the 82nd Sustainment Brigade are home in Fort Bragg.
. This modular sustainment brigade is composed of five battalions:
and World War II
.
On 25 May 1964 the unit reorganized as the 82nd Division Support Command, or DISCOM. It was merged with the 82nd Airborne Division's band. A year later, the unit deployed to the Dominican Republic
with the 82nd Airborne Division in support of Operation Power Pack
. The Division was charged with the mission of quelling civil unrest and restoring order to the country, and the DISCOM provided logistical support during this mission. In 1972, the band was removed from the Division Support Command.
In 1983, the unit again deployed to combat, this time to Grenada
in support of Operation Urgent Fury. It provided logistical support to the 82nd Airborne Division as the division deployed in the island, supporting US Special Forces operating within. Then in 1989, the unit supported the first combat jump since World War II while supporting Operation Just Cause in Panama. It provided logistical efforts to the division once again in the region.
In August 1990, during Operation Desert Shield, paratroopers from the unit protected the XVIII Airborne Corps' left flank during the subsequent Operation Desert Storm. It then advanced on the western flank of the invasion force along with the 82nd Airborne Division, 101st Airborne Division
, and other units of the XVIII Airborne Corps, striking some of the deepest incursions into Iraq of the war. The Division eventually advanced to Tallil while the majority of the attacking force moved into Kuwait
. The formation earned its first campaign streamers for this action.
The unit returned to combat again in 2003 during the invasion of Iraq
, Operation Iraqi Freedom I. The 101st Airborne Division and the 3rd Infantry Divisions made the main attacks into Iraq, while elements of the 82nd Airborne Division supported them. The initial push was a rapid success, but the insurgency
that followed saw convoys become a primary target for Iraqi insurgents. For the first time, these service and support paratroopers found themselves on the front lines, as supply convoys became the central target of resistance fighters.
Hurricane Katrina
in 2005 provided a unique and unexpected mission for the paratroopers of the unit, as they were deployed to provide assistance to the citizens of Louisiana
. The supporting units were deployed to New Orleans International Airport along with the division's 3rd Brigade and division Artillery
units, a force of some 5,000 soldiers. They conducted security
operations and search and rescue
missions throughout New Orleans, Louisiana
.
In August 2006, the newly reorganized unit deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom VI. On 26 September 2006, it uncased its colors at Tallil Airbase in Iraq, to provide support services for coalition forces and Iraqi security forces in southern Iraq. They took this responsibility from the 16th Sustainment Brigade, which was rotating out of the theater. Throughout the deployment and into 2007, the brigade's medical staff was rotated into hospitals in Baghdad, Iraq for thirty day tours for each unit. The medical staff, including many of the brigade's field medics, treated American forces injured in fighting around Baghdad. In August 2007, the brigade participated in a large coalition athletic competition hosted by the US Air Force's 407th Air Expeditionary Group
at Ali Air Base
, Iraq. The brigade took second place in the competition, in which it competed in various sports against other US military units as well as Australian and Romania
n forces.
During its deployment to Iraq, the brigade undertook many responsibilities, including providing logistics for airdrop
s and major combat operations including Operation Marne Torch
. The brigade also created a Combat Logistics Patrol academy, training for combat situations during convoy
operations, including improvised explosive device
detection and removal, and first aid
. The brigade also dispatched optometry
teams to soldiers in the region to ensure they had all the eyesight testing they needed. The brigade returned to the continental United States in early 2008 along with the rest of the 82nd Airborne Division, and was recognized by President George W. Bush
in a welcome home speech.
The brigade received its distinctive unit insignia
on 8 November 2007. The insignia alludes heavily to the unit's history with the 82nd Airborne. On 29 February 2008 the 82d Sustainment Brigade added the 264th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion as a subordinate unit. The 264th has a long history of supporting the United States Army in a myriad of campaigns dating back to World War II. The brigade received its shoulder sleeve insignia on 19 March 2007. On 16 December 2007 the brigade was detached from the 82nd Airborne Division and attached to the XVIII Airborne Corps as a separate brigade. One month later, the 507th Corps Support Group, XVIII Airborne Corps, was inactivated and three of its battalions were reactivated under the 82nd Sustainment Brigade. This addition gave the brigade a total of five battalions, making it the largest brigade on Fort Bragg, and one of the largest in the United States Army.
New building facilities for the 82nd Sustainment Brigade have been completed. Two new barracks built specifically for the unit are now occupied by the Soldier who spent the past 12 months at Bagram Army Airfield.
Sustainment Brigade
As part of the early 21st century transformation of the United States Army from a division-based structure to a brigade-based army; the Division Support Commands, Corps Support Groups, and Area Support Groups are being inactivated or transformed to Sustainment Brigades As part of the early 21st...
brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
of the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Fort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke counties, North Carolina, U.S., mostly in Fayetteville but also partly in the town of Spring Lake. It was also a census-designated place in the 2010 census and had a population of 39,457. The fort is named for Confederate...
. It provides logistical support to all tenant units at the base, and is under the direct command of FORSCOM
United States Army Forces Command
United States Army Forces Command is the largest Army Command and the preeminent provider of expeditionary, campaign-capable land forces to Combatant Commanders. Headquartered at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, FORSCOM consists of more than 750,000 Active Army, U.S. Army Reserve, and Army National...
.
Formed out of the Division Support Command of the 82nd Airborne Division, the brigade has a long history of supporting the 82nd in numerous contingencies throughout the world. The sustainment brigade supported the Division in operations including Operation Just Cause, Operation Urgent Fury, Operation Power Pack
Operation Power Pack
The second United States occupation of the Dominican Republic began when the United States Marines Corps entered Santo Domingo on April 28, 1965. They were later joined by most of the United States Army's 82nd Airborne Division and its parent XVIIIth Airborne Corps...
and Operation Desert Storm. Recently, the brigade has seen multiple deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The brigade's mission in support of Operation Enduring Freedom-Afghanistan came to an end when responsibility was handed to the 101st Sustainment Brigade during a ceremony at Bagram Airbase on 2 December 2010. For the first time since the Global War on Terror began in 2001, with the exception of Delta Detachment 82nd Finance; all the elements of the 82nd Sustainment Brigade are home in Fort Bragg.
Organization
The 82nd Sustainment Brigade is a separate brigade under FORSCOMUnited States Army Forces Command
United States Army Forces Command is the largest Army Command and the preeminent provider of expeditionary, campaign-capable land forces to Combatant Commanders. Headquartered at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, FORSCOM consists of more than 750,000 Active Army, U.S. Army Reserve, and Army National...
. This modular sustainment brigade is composed of five battalions:
- Special Troops Battalion, 82nd Sustainment Brigade
- 7th Transportation Battalion (Motor Transport)7th Transportation Battalion (United States)The 7th Transportation Battalion is a transportation battalion in the United States Army first constituted in 1943. The 7th Transportation Battalion participated in World War II, Vietnam and Desert Storm/Desert Shield.-Lineage:...
- 330th Transportation Battalion (Movement Control)
- 189th Support Battalion (Combat Sustainment)
- 264th Support Battalion (Combat Sustainment)
Origins
The 82nd Sustainment Brigade traces its lineage to the 82nd Support Group, which was constituted 1 September 1957 at Fort Bragg. It was composed of units with long histories with the 82nd Airborne Division, dating back to World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
On 25 May 1964 the unit reorganized as the 82nd Division Support Command, or DISCOM. It was merged with the 82nd Airborne Division's band. A year later, the unit deployed to the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
with the 82nd Airborne Division in support of Operation Power Pack
Operation Power Pack
The second United States occupation of the Dominican Republic began when the United States Marines Corps entered Santo Domingo on April 28, 1965. They were later joined by most of the United States Army's 82nd Airborne Division and its parent XVIIIth Airborne Corps...
. The Division was charged with the mission of quelling civil unrest and restoring order to the country, and the DISCOM provided logistical support during this mission. In 1972, the band was removed from the Division Support Command.
Grenada
Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...
in support of Operation Urgent Fury. It provided logistical support to the 82nd Airborne Division as the division deployed in the island, supporting US Special Forces operating within. Then in 1989, the unit supported the first combat jump since World War II while supporting Operation Just Cause in Panama. It provided logistical efforts to the division once again in the region.
In August 1990, during Operation Desert Shield, paratroopers from the unit protected the XVIII Airborne Corps' left flank during the subsequent Operation Desert Storm. It then advanced on the western flank of the invasion force along with the 82nd Airborne Division, 101st Airborne Division
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
, and other units of the XVIII Airborne Corps, striking some of the deepest incursions into Iraq of the war. The Division eventually advanced to Tallil while the majority of the attacking force moved into Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
. The formation earned its first campaign streamers for this action.
The unit returned to combat again in 2003 during the invasion of Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, Operation Iraqi Freedom I. The 101st Airborne Division and the 3rd Infantry Divisions made the main attacks into Iraq, while elements of the 82nd Airborne Division supported them. The initial push was a rapid success, but the insurgency
Insurgency
An insurgency is an armed rebellion against a constituted authority when those taking part in the rebellion are not recognized as belligerents...
that followed saw convoys become a primary target for Iraqi insurgents. For the first time, these service and support paratroopers found themselves on the front lines, as supply convoys became the central target of resistance fighters.
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
in 2005 provided a unique and unexpected mission for the paratroopers of the unit, as they were deployed to provide assistance to the citizens of Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. The supporting units were deployed to New Orleans International Airport along with the division's 3rd Brigade and division Artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
units, a force of some 5,000 soldiers. They conducted security
Security
Security is the degree of protection against danger, damage, loss, and crime. Security as a form of protection are structures and processes that provide or improve security as a condition. The Institute for Security and Open Methodologies in the OSSTMM 3 defines security as "a form of protection...
operations and search and rescue
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
missions throughout New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
.
Activation
On 16 February 2006 the unit reorganized as the 82nd Sustainment Brigade under the Army's modular transformation redesign. As a part of this redesign, the brigade was removed from the command of the 82nd Airborne Division and made a separate, independent unit. It would continue to support the 82nd Airborne Division, but it would be able to take on different missions when deployed. Instead, its mission is to support all US Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) units stationed at Fort Bragg while generating sustainment capabilities to meet rotational demand and respond to future contingencies.In August 2006, the newly reorganized unit deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom VI. On 26 September 2006, it uncased its colors at Tallil Airbase in Iraq, to provide support services for coalition forces and Iraqi security forces in southern Iraq. They took this responsibility from the 16th Sustainment Brigade, which was rotating out of the theater. Throughout the deployment and into 2007, the brigade's medical staff was rotated into hospitals in Baghdad, Iraq for thirty day tours for each unit. The medical staff, including many of the brigade's field medics, treated American forces injured in fighting around Baghdad. In August 2007, the brigade participated in a large coalition athletic competition hosted by the US Air Force's 407th Air Expeditionary Group
407th Air Expeditionary Group
The 407th Air Expeditionary Group is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the United States Air Forces Central 321st Air Expeditionary Wing. It is stationed at Ali Air Base, Iraq...
at Ali Air Base
Ali Air Base
Ali Air Base is a military airbase located near Nasiriyah, Iraq. It is also known as Tallil Air Base. At present, the base is being used by United States Armed Forces. It is called Camp Adder by the U.S. Army; the name "Ali Air Base" is used chiefly by the U.S...
, Iraq. The brigade took second place in the competition, in which it competed in various sports against other US military units as well as Australian and Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n forces.
During its deployment to Iraq, the brigade undertook many responsibilities, including providing logistics for airdrop
Airdrop
An airdrop is a type of airlift, developed during World War II to resupply otherwise inaccessible troops, who themselves may have been airborne forces. In some cases, it is used to refer to the airborne assault itself. Early airdrops were conducted by dropping or pushing padded bundles from...
s and major combat operations including Operation Marne Torch
Operation Marne Torch
Operation Marne Torch refers to two operations launched by Coalition forces in 2007 against al-Qaeda in Iraq in the Arab Jabour area of Babil province...
. The brigade also created a Combat Logistics Patrol academy, training for combat situations during convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
operations, including improvised explosive device
Improvised explosive device
An improvised explosive device , also known as a roadside bomb, is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action...
detection and removal, and first aid
First aid
First aid is the provision of initial care for an illness or injury. It is usually performed by non-expert, but trained personnel to a sick or injured person until definitive medical treatment can be accessed. Certain self-limiting illnesses or minor injuries may not require further medical care...
. The brigade also dispatched optometry
Optometry
Optometry is a health care profession concerned with eyes and related structures, as well as vision, visual systems, and vision information processing in humans. Optometrists, or Doctors of Optometry, are state licensed medical professionals trained to prescribe and fit lenses to improve vision,...
teams to soldiers in the region to ensure they had all the eyesight testing they needed. The brigade returned to the continental United States in early 2008 along with the rest of the 82nd Airborne Division, and was recognized by President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
in a welcome home speech.
The brigade received its distinctive unit insignia
Distinctive unit insignia
A Distinctive Unit Insignia is a metal heraldic device worn by soldiers in the United States Army. The DUI design is derived from the coat of arms authorized for a unit...
on 8 November 2007. The insignia alludes heavily to the unit's history with the 82nd Airborne. On 29 February 2008 the 82d Sustainment Brigade added the 264th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion as a subordinate unit. The 264th has a long history of supporting the United States Army in a myriad of campaigns dating back to World War II. The brigade received its shoulder sleeve insignia on 19 March 2007. On 16 December 2007 the brigade was detached from the 82nd Airborne Division and attached to the XVIII Airborne Corps as a separate brigade. One month later, the 507th Corps Support Group, XVIII Airborne Corps, was inactivated and three of its battalions were reactivated under the 82nd Sustainment Brigade. This addition gave the brigade a total of five battalions, making it the largest brigade on Fort Bragg, and one of the largest in the United States Army.
New building facilities for the 82nd Sustainment Brigade have been completed. Two new barracks built specifically for the unit are now occupied by the Soldier who spent the past 12 months at Bagram Army Airfield.
Unit Decorations
| Ribbon | Award | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Superior Unit Award Superior Unit Award The Superior Unit Award is a decoration of the United States Army which is awarded in peacetime to any unit of the Army which displays outstanding meritorious performance of a difficult and challenging mission carried out under extraordinary circumstances.... |
1994 |
Campaign Streamers
| Conflict | Streamer | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Gulf War Gulf War The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf... |
Defense of Saudi Arabia | 1990–1991 |
| Gulf War | Liberation and Defense of Kuwait | 1990–1991 |
| Iraq War | Operation Iraqi Freedom I | 2003–2004 |
| Iraq War | Operation Iraqi Freedom IV | 2006–2007 |
| Afghanistan War | Operation Enduring Freedom IX | 2009–2011 |