The 16th Sustainment Brigade is a
sustainment brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division.
Br ...
of the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
based at Smith Barracks in
Baumholder
Baumholder () is a town in the Birkenfeld district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, in the Westrich, an historic region that encompasses areas in both Germany and France. The town of Baumholder is the administrative seat of the like-named ''Verb ...
, Germany. It is a subordinate unit of the
21st Theater Sustainment Command
The 21st Theater Sustainment Command (21st TSC) provides theater sustainment throughout EUCOM and AFRICOM Areas of Responsibility in support of USAREUR and 7th Army. On order, deploys to support theater opening, distribution, and Reception, S ...
of the
Seventh Army.
Activated in the summer of 2007, the brigade traces its lineage to the 7th and 16th
Corps Support Group
Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was first named as such in 1805. The size of a corps varies great ...
s which combined to form it. As the only sustainment brigade active in US Army Europe, the brigade provides sustainment for all of the forces of US Army's commands for Europe and Africa. It saw two deployments to
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
in support of
Operation Iraqi Freedom
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish)
, partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...
as the 16th Corps Support Group. It deployed to Iraq for its first tour as a Sustainment brigade from July 2008 to October 2009.
Organization
The 16th Sustainment Brigade is directly subordinate to the
21st Theater Sustainment Command
The 21st Theater Sustainment Command (21st TSC) provides theater sustainment throughout EUCOM and AFRICOM Areas of Responsibility in support of USAREUR and 7th Army. On order, deploys to support theater opening, distribution, and Reception, S ...
, which in turn is subordinate to the
Seventh Army, United States Army Europe.
The Brigade Headquarters is located at US Army Garrison,
Baumholder
Baumholder () is a town in the Birkenfeld district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, in the Westrich, an historic region that encompasses areas in both Germany and France. The town of Baumholder is the administrative seat of the like-named ''Verb ...
and has three subordinate battalions currently supporting sustainment operations:
* 16th Special Troops Battalion (16th STB), in
Baumholder
Baumholder () is a town in the Birkenfeld district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, in the Westrich, an historic region that encompasses areas in both Germany and France. The town of Baumholder is the administrative seat of the like-named ''Verb ...
, Germany
* 18th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion (18th CSSB), in
Grafenwöhr
Grafenwöhr (, Northern Bavarian: ''Groafawehr'') is a town in the district of Neustadt an der Waldnaab, in the region of the Upper Palatinate (german: Oberpfalz) in eastern Bavaria, Germany. It is widely known for the United States Army militar ...
, Germany
* 39th Transportation Battalion (39th TB), in
Kaiserslautern
Kaiserslautern (; Palatinate German: ''Lautre'') is a city in southwest Germany, located in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate at the edge of the Palatinate Forest. The historic centre dates to the 9th century. It is from Paris, from Frankfur ...
, Germany
History
Origin
The unit was first constituted on 29 October 1965 in the
Regular Army
A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregulars, irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenary, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the ...
as the 16th General Support Group.
It was then activated on 10 December 1965 in the
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...
.
[Lineage and Honors Information: 16th Sustainment Brigade](_blank)
, United States Army Center of Military History
The United States Army Center of Military History (CMH) is a directorate within the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command. The Institute of Heraldry remains within the Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Arm ...
. Retrieved 5 December 2008. The group returned to the
continental United States
The contiguous United States (officially the conterminous United States) consists of the 48 adjoining U.S. states and the Federal District of the United States of America. The term excludes the only two non-contiguous states, Alaska and Hawaii ...
and was subsequently inactivated on 19 September 1968 at
Fort Benning, Georgia
Fort Benning is a United States Army post near Columbus, Georgia, adjacent to the Alabama–Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia border. Fort Benning supports more than 120,000 active-duty military, family members, reserve component soldiers, retirees ...
.
The group was redesignated on 16 September 1987 as the 16th Support Group and activated in Germany.
Through the 1990s, the 16th CSG also participated in operations in
Kuwait
Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...
, Saudi Arabia and
Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
.
It received its
distinctive unit insignia
A distinctive unit insignia (DUI) is a metallic Heraldry, heraldic badge or device worn by soldiers in the United States Army. The DUI design is derived from the coat of arms authorized for a unit. DUIs may also be called "distinctive insignia" (D ...
on 14 April 1988.
[The Institute of Heraldry: 16th Sustainment Brigade](_blank)
The Institute of Heraldry
The Institute of Heraldry, officially The Institute of Heraldry, Department of the Army, is an activity of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army solely responsible for furnishing heraldic services to President of the United ...
. Retrieved 5 December 2008.
On 1 May 2002, the group was re-aligned to include the
181st Transportation Battalion located at
Turley Barracks
The United States Army has 40 military installations in Germany, two of which are scheduled to close. Over 220 others have already been closed, mostly following the end of the Cold War in the 1990s. The rationale behind the large number of closu ...
in
Manheim, Germany
Mannheim (; Palatine German: or ), officially the University City of Mannheim (german: Universitätsstadt Mannheim), is the second-largest city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg after the state capital of Stuttgart, and Germany's 2 ...
, and the 485th Corps Support Battalion, located on
Hutier Kaserne, to increase their combat service support capabilities.
[16th Sustainment Brigade Homepage: History](_blank)
, 16th Sustainment Brigade Staff. Retrieved 5 December 2008.
In March 2003, the 16th Corps Support Group and its battalions deployed to
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
in support of
Operation Iraqi Freedom
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish)
, partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...
. The group provided logistical support to include direct support maintenance, transportation and supply support to all units in the operation.
During this deployment the unit and controlled 3,000 logistical soldiers provided a support role for Combined Joint Task Force 7 (CJTF-7) for combat and stability operations, including the invasion, for Operation Iraqi Freedom. During this deployment they primarily operated out of Camp Dogwood.
![16thCSGRange](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/16thCSGRange.jpg)
The group saw a second deployment to Iraq in October 2005 while primarily operating out of Tallil Air Base and Camp Adder near An Nasiriyah Iraq. The 16th CSG also had support personnel located in Kuwait, Mosul, Baghdad and LSA Anaconda, LSA Taji, and other major bases around Iraq. 16th CSG Also provided support to Cedar II, Scania, Camp Charlie, Camp Delta, Camp Echo, Camp Duke and others with an area expanding from the Kuwait Border to LSA Anaconda
[Baumgartner, Robert]
Troopers Have New Mission in Southern Iraq
, ''DefendAmerica.mil''. Retrieved 5 December 2008. During this deployment, soldiers of the group executed over 1,500 sustainment convoys which provided over of fuel, 1 million cases of
bottled water
Bottled water is drinking water (e.g., well water, distilled water, mineral water, or spring water) packaged in plastic or glass water bottles. Bottled water may be carbonated or not. Sizes range from small single serving bottles to large car ...
and of purified water to allied forces.
The 16th CSG also operated both the Air and Land Movement Control Centers with over rotary and fixed wing support for the 27th Movement Control Battalion and the 101st Airborne Division supply emergency support for camps and bases throughout Southern Iraq. During this deployment the 16th CSG also operated a Military Transition Team in the Southern Baghdad Area. During this operation they also controlled and supported logistic operations for such units for the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 36th Infantry Division, and the 34th Infantry Division. One of the other missions of the 16th CSG was their "S5 Section" which was Civil Affairs On 19 September 2006, the group rotated out of Iraq and back to Germany, replaced by the
82nd Sustainment Brigade
The 82nd Airborne Division Sustainment Brigade is a sustainment brigade of the United States Army based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. It provides logistical support to and is part of 82nd Airborne Division.
Formed out of the Division Suppor ...
.
Upon rotation back to Hanau Germany the 16th Corp Support Group began deactivating and assisting in the deactivation of units throughout Europe. Soldiers left with the unit were attached to Task Force Sustainer which was a joint operation with the 21st Theater Support Command in the shutting down of Kaserne's and Units, and the retrograding of vehicles and equipment.
Activation
In January 2007, the lineage and honors were designated to be transferred to the 16th Sustainment Brigade.
On 16 July 2007 the group was reorganized as part of an effort to reform support groups into larger, more versatile
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 were inactivated and transformed to su ...
s. It became the 16th Sustainment Brigade and was subsequently activated at
Warner Barracks
Warner Barracks was a United States Army military base in the city of Bamberg, Bavaria, southern Germany. The base had been occupied by U.S. forces since the end of World War II. Elements of the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Division and 45th Infant ...
in
Bamberg, Germany
Bamberg (, , ; East Franconian: ''Bambärch'') is a town in Upper Franconia, Germany, on the river Regnitz close to its confluence with the river Main. The town dates back to the 9th century, when its name was derived from the nearby ' castle. C ...
.
The 16th Corps Support Group and the
7th Corps Support Group had been deactivated and combined to form the new formation. Their subordinate units had been moved and redesignated as well.
This move made the 16th Sustainment Brigade the only brigade-sized logistics unit supporting
United States Army Europe
United States Army Europe and Africa (USAREUR-AF) is an Army Service Component Command (ASCC) /Theater Army responsible for directing United States Army operations throughout the U.S. European Command (EUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (AFRICO ...
. It was put under the command of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command.
[Lantz, Angelika]
16th Sustainment Brigade activates
, 21st Theater Sustainment Command Public Affairs. Retrieved 5 December 2008. The move was part of an overall streamlining of the Command's logistics element, as all major logistics formations were redesigned to be modular and more efficient. The sustainment brigade not only retained all previous logistics functions and responsibilities, but also assumed additional services, like finance, medical and signal capabilities.
The brigade was composed of the
16th Special Troops Battalion headquartered at Bamberg, the
391st Combat Sustainment Support Battalion at Bamberg, and the
18th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion in
Grafenwoehr.
It also received its
shoulder sleeve insignia
A shoulder sleeve insignia (often abbreviated SSI) is an embroidered patch worn on some uniforms of the United States Army. It is used by major formations of the U.S. Army; each formation has a unique formation patch. The U.S. Army is unique amon ...
.
![16 SUS BDE Iraq](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/16_SUS_BDE_Iraq.jpg)
On 29 November 2007, it was announced that the 16th Sustainment Brigade would be deployed to Iraq in summer of 2008. It would be part of a force of 8,000 soldiers from US Army Europe to deploy. The brigade was just one of over 20 major units from Europe to deploy to the Middle East in 2008; most of these units came from the 21st Theater Sustainment Command and
V Corps 5th Corps, Fifth Corps, or V Corps may refer to:
France
* 5th Army Corps (France)
* V Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars
* V Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Ar ...
. Throughout the Spring of 2008, the unit prepared for the deployment by conducting training exercises in Germany.
[St. Clair, Marcus]
Unit prepares for first deployment under new name
''Stars and Stripes''. Retrieved 5 December 2008.
In July 2008, the brigade deployed to Iraq for its first tour in Operation Iraqi Freedom as a sustainment brigade. Its mission in the country was to provide sustainment and force protection operations in support of Multi-National Division North with life support and logistical operations.
On 22 July 2008, the brigade's soldiers underwent final preparations before departing
Rammstein Air Base for northern Iraq. The brigade operated out of
Contingency Operating Base Q-West, which was supported by a dozen Iraqi small businesses.
In October 2008, the brigade's leaders attended a conference at
Joint Base Balad
A joint or articulation (or articular surface) is the connection made between bones, ossicles, or other hard structures in the body which link an animal's skeletal system into a functional whole.Saladin, Ken. Anatomy & Physiology. 7th ed. McGraw- ...
. Hosted by the
3rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)
The 3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command is a United States Army unit. It derives its lineage from the 3rd Logistical Command, which was activated in Japan on 19 September 1950 for service in Korea.
The 3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command co ...
, the conference was attended by the
1st,
7th
7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube (algebra), cube.
As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion ...
, 16th,
55th, and
371st Sustainment Brigades, as well as the
76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
The 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team ("Night Hawks") is a modular infantry brigade of the United States Army National Guard of Indiana. It is headquartered in Lawrence Readiness Training Center, on the grounds of Fort Benjamin Harrison.
Hist ...
. They discussed streamlining and coordinating sustainment throughout the region. Among the brigade's operations was a water project in the
Ninewa
Nineveh (; akk, ; Biblical Hebrew: '; ar, نَيْنَوَىٰ '; syr, ܢܝܼܢܘܹܐ, Nīnwē) was an ancient Assyrian city of Upper Mesopotamia, located in the modern-day city of Mosul in northern Iraq. It is located on the eastern ban ...
province. The brigade operated with
US Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
and
Iraqi Army
The Iraqi Ground Forces (Arabic: القوات البرية العراقية), or the Iraqi Army (Arabic: الجيش العراقي), is the ground force component of the Iraqi Armed Forces. It was known as the Royal Iraqi Army up until the coup ...
engineers to repair infrastructure that brought water from the
Tigris River
The Tigris () is the easternmost of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of the Armenian Highlands through the Syrian and Arabian Deserts, and empties into the P ...
to the entire province, including the base. The brigade has also undertaken several other support duties for units operating throughout northern Iraq.
The brigade participated in joint exercises with the
18th Military Police Brigade
The 18th Military Police Brigade is a military police brigade of the United States Army based in Vilseck, Germany, with subordinate battalions and companies stationed throughout Germany. It provides law enforcement and force protection duties to ...
and other elements of the 21st Theater Support Command in Spring of 2009. The exercises involved extensive battle simulations and role play missions to test the overall effectiveness of the units.
In October 2010, the brigade served as the command and control element for Saber Strike 11, a cooperative training effort aimed at improving interoperability and preparing Latvian, Estonian, Lithuanian and U.S. troops for upcoming deployments in support of the International Security Assistance Forces in Afghanistan.
In July 2016, 23rd Ordnance Company, 18th Combat Sustainment Support Command assumed mission command of the logistics for Task Force Warhammer, in
Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, Romania.
Honors
Unit Decorations
Campaign streamers
References
{{Reflist
External links
The 16th Sustainment Brigade website
016
Military units and formations established in 2007