The 59th Quartermaster Company is a bulk petroleum company designed to provide semi-portable storage for 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 United States Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) is the largest United States Army command. It provides expeditionary, regionally engaged, campaign-capable land forces to combatant commanders. Headquartered at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, FORSCOM con ...

combat service support The term combat service support (or CSS) is utilized by numerous military organizations throughout the world to describe entities that provide direct and indirect sustainment services to the groups that engage (or are potentially to be engaged) ...

unit stationed at

Fort Carson, Colorado Fort Carson is a United States Army post located directly south of Colorado Springs in El Paso, Pueblo, Fremont, and Huerfano counties, Colorado, United States. The developed portion of Fort Carson is located near the City of Colorado Springs ...

under the command of the

68th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion 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 i ...

. 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.

Service history

The unit was constituted into the Regular Army on 13 January 1941 as Company B, 240th Quartermaster Battalion and composed of African-American Soldiers. On 15 February 1944, the unit was redesignated as the 3251st Quartermaster Service Company. During World War II, the unit served in the

Mediterranean Theater of Operations The Mediterranean Theater of Operations, United States Army (MTOUSA), originally called the North African Theater of Operations, United States Army (NATOUSA), was a military formation of the United States Army that supervised all U.S. Army forc ...

and served during the Rome-

Arno The Arno is a river in the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the most important river of central Italy after the Tiber. Source and route The river originates on Monte Falterona in the Casentino area of the Apennines, and initially takes a s ...

campaign, the invasion of Southern France (

Operation Dragoon Operation Dragoon (initially Operation Anvil) was the code name for the landing operation of the Allied invasion of Provence (Southern France) on 15August 1944. Despite initially designed to be executed in conjunction with Operation Overlord, th ...

); the

Rhineland The Rhineland (german: Rheinland; french: Rhénanie; nl, Rijnland; ksh, Rhingland; Latinised name: ''Rhenania'') is a loosely defined area of Western Germany along the Rhine, chiefly its middle section. Term Historically, the Rhinelands ...

campaign; the

Ardennes The Ardennes (french: Ardenne ; nl, Ardennen ; german: Ardennen; wa, Årdene ; lb, Ardennen ), also known as the Ardennes Forest or Forest of Ardennes, is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills and ridges primarily in Be ...

Alsace Alsace (, ; ; Low Alemannic German/ gsw-FR, Elsàss ; german: Elsass ; la, Alsatia) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in eastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine next to Germany and Switzerland. In 2020, it had ...

campaign; and the campaign in Central Europe. The unit was inactivated following

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. It briefly served in Korea from December 1946 until July 1947 when it was redesignated from the 3251st to the 59th. From September 1950 until December 1957 the company served at Fort Lee,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. The 59th deployed to Vietnam in 1965 and served until its inactivation in 1972. The 59th's latest period of service began in 1995 and includes service during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

World War II

After taking part in both the

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

and the Carolina Maneuvers, B Company deployed to

Oran Oran ( ar, وَهران, Wahrān) is a major coastal city located in the north-west of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria after the capital Algiers, due to its population and commercial, industrial, and cultural ...

, Algeria in November 1942 in support of the Mediterranean Base Section. In June 1944, the 3251st deployed to

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

in support of the 5th Army's Rome/Arno campaign. The 3251st was transferred to the 7th Army and remained under its command for the rest of the war. The 3251st participated in

in direct support of the 45th Infantry Division under the command of the 240th Quartermaster

Battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...

and then supported the divisions of the 7th Army as they fought their way across France into Germany. The 3251st returned to the United States through the Newport News Port of Embarcationhttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Fr4wAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pU4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=192,3958651/ The 3251st Quartermaster Company arrives home, P4, The Saint Petersburg Times aboard the AP-116 General Meigs on 13 October 1945.

Vietnam

The 59th served under the

1st Logistics Command The 1st Theater Sustainment Command (1st TSC) is a major subordinate unit of United States Army Central at Fort Knox, Kentucky, United States. History The 1st Logistical Command was activated as a planning headquarters in October 1950 at Fort Mc ...

while deployed to Vietnam. The company operated the Army mortuaries at Cam Ranh Bay and Boa Loc. In addition, the unit provided clothing reclamation and laundry services on those bases. During their service in Vietnam, the unit strength fluctuated between 297 officers and men and a low of 268 officers and men.https://www.amazon.com/Vietnam-Order-Battle-Illustrated-Reference/dp/0811700712/ Vietnam Order of Battle, page 204

Operation Iraqi Freedom

In 2003 the 59th deployed to Kuwait and various sites in Iraq to support the 3rd Infantry Division. Official Lineage & Honors Certificate The Fuelmasters deployed again from October 2004 to September 2005 to support the

1st Corps Support Command First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...

Operation Enduring Freedom

From May to November 2011 the 59th deployed 170 Soldiers to Bagram Airfield,

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

to conduct convoy security operations for logistics convoys. The 59th initially fell under the command of the 17th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion of the

101st The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) ("Screaming Eagles") is a light infantry division (military), division of the United States Army that specializes in air assault military operation, operations. It can plan, coordinate, and execute mul ...

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 ...

and later the 142nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion of the 10th Sustainment Brigade after the previous units rotated back to the United States.

Current operations

The 59th is currently conducting operations in support of the 4th Infantry Division and its brigade combat teams and other Fort Carson tenant units. In addition, the unit is providing hot (engine running) refuel services at Butts Army Airfield. The airfield provides support to the US Army aviation units based at Fort Carson as well as transient aircraft from other services and bases. Hot Point 2

Organization

The 59th Quartermaster Company is organized with a

Headquarters Headquarters (commonly referred to as HQ) denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the to ...

platoon A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two or more squads, sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the branch, but a platoon can be composed of 50 people, although specific platoons may range ...

, three petroleum supply platoons, and a maintenance platoon. The 40th Quartermaster Detachment normally functions as part of the headquarters platoon.

Personnel

The 59th Quartermaster Company is authorized 225

Soldier A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...

s, non-commissioned officers,

warrant officers Warrant officer (WO) is a rank or category of ranks in the armed forces of many countries. Depending on the country, service, or historical context, warrant officers are sometimes classified as the most junior of the commissioned ranks, the most ...

, and

officers An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...

. The two Soldiers composing the 40th Quartermaster Detachment (Petroleum Laboratory) are attached to the 59th for training, support, and disciplinary purposes. The 59th is composed of personnel from the

Quartermaster Corps Following is a list of Quartermaster Corps, military units, active and defunct, with logistics duties: * Egyptian Army Quartermaster Corps - see Structure of the Egyptian Army * Hellenic Army Quartermaster Corps (''Σώμα Φροντιστών ...

, Ordnance Corps, Signal Corps,

Adjutant General Corps The Adjutant General's Corps, formerly the Adjutant General's Department, is a branch of the United States Army first established in 1775. This branch provides personnel service support by manning the force, providing human resources services, c ...

, Engineer Corp, and Chemical Corps. *Enlisted Specialties **12N Horizontal Construction Engineer ** 25U Signal Support Specialist **42A

Personnel Employment is a relationship between two parties regulating the provision of paid labour services. Usually based on a contract, one party, the employer, which might be a corporation, a not-for-profit organization, a co-operative, or any othe ...

Specialist **74D CBRN Specialist **91B Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic **91C Utilities Equipment Repairer **91D Power Generation Equipment Repairer **91E Allied Trades Specialist **91X Maintenance Supervisor **91Z Senior Maintenance Supervisor **92A Automated Logistical Specialist **92F Petroleum Supply Specialist **92G Food Service Operations **92L Petroleum Laboratory Specialist (40th Quartermaster Detachment only) **92Y Unit Supply Specialist *Warrant Officer Specialties **923A Petroleum Technician **915A Automotive Maintenance Warrant Officer *Officer Specialties **90A

Logistics Logistics is generally the detailed organization and implementation of a complex operation. In a general business sense, logistics manages the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of consumption to meet the requirements of ...

Officer (company commander) **92A Quartermaster, General **92F Petroleum and Water

Equipment

*SEE Truck *HMMH Truck *Fuel System Supply Point *Assault Hoseline System *M969 Fuel Tanker * M931 Trucks *M1151 * Medium Tactical Vehicles * M998 Humvees *

Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP; ) is a term for United States military light tactical vehicles produced as part of the MRAP program that are designed specifically to withstand improvised explosive device (IED) attacks and ambushes. Th ...

Vehicles *

Maxxpro The International M1224 MaxxPro MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicle is an armored fighting vehicle designed by American company Navistar International's subsidiary Navistar Defense along with the Israeli Plasan Sasa, who designed and ...

MaxxPro Armored Truck * Common Remotely Operated Weapon System * M2 Heavy Machine Gun * MK-19 Automatic grenade Launcher *

M249 Light Machine Gun The M249 light machine gun (LMG), also known as the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW), which continues to be the manufacturer's designation, and formally written as Light Machine Gun, 5.56 mm, M249, is the American adaptation of the Belgian F ...

M16 Rifle The M16 rifle (officially designated Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16) is a family of military rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States military. The original M16 rifle was a 5.56×45mm automatic rifle with a 20-roun ...

M203 Grenade Launcher The M203 is a single-shot 40 mm under-barrel grenade launcher designed to attach to a rifle. It uses the same rounds as the older stand-alone M79 break-action grenade launcher, which utilizes the high-low propulsion system to keep recoil force ...

M9 Pistol The Beretta M9, officially the Pistol, Semiautomatic, 9mm, M9, is the designation for the Beretta 92FS semi-automatic pistol used by the United States Armed Forces. The M9 was adopted by the United States military as their service pistol in 1985 ...

* Army Combat Uniform *

Army Combat Boot The Army Combat Boot is the primary issue combat boot of the United States Army since 2002, intended for use in conjunction with the Army Combat Uniform The Army Combat Uniform (ACU) is the current combat uniform worn by the United States Arm ...

* MultiCam *

Extended Climate Warfighter Clothing System Extension, extend or extended may refer to: Mathematics Logic or set theory * Axiom of extensionality * Extensible cardinal * Extension (model theory) * Extension (predicate logic), the set of tuples of values that satisfy the predicate * E ...

Army Combat Shirt The Army Combat Shirt (ACS) is a flame-resistant shirt developed and used by the United States Army as a supplementary addition to the Army Combat Uniform. The ACS is a stand-alone shirt designed specifically for use with Improved Outer Tactical ...

Advanced Combat Helmet The Advanced Combat Helmet (ACH) is the United States Army's current combat helmet, used since the early 2000s. It was developed by the United States Army Soldier Systems Center, the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, and the U.S. Army Researc ...

* Improved Outer Tactical Vests

Campaign participation credit

Unit decorations

References

External links

Fort Carson HomepageUS Army Institute of Heraldry page for the 43rd Sustainment BrigadeArmy Emergency Relief
{Dead link, date=September 2019 , bot=InternetArchiveBot , fix-attempted=yes
Slideshow of the 2010 RedeploymentThe 3251st Quartermaster Company arrives home, page 4, The Saint Petersburg Times59th trains for deployment
* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20030226183652/http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/army/docs/st63-1/chapter6.htm Petroleum Doctrine at the Federation of American Scientists websitebr>Vietnam Order of Battle, page 204The U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum
059 Quartermaster companies of the United States Army