The United States Army Quartermaster Corps, formerly the Quartermaster Department, is a sustainment, formerly

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) ...

(CSS), branch 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 ...

. It is also one of three U.S. Army logistics branches, the others being the

Transportation Corps The Transportation Corps is a combat service support branch of the U.S. Army. It is responsible for the movement of personnel and material by truck, rail, air, and sea. It is one of three U.S. Army logistics branches, the others being the Qua ...

and the Ordnance Corps. The U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps mission is to support the development, production, acquisition, and sustainment of general supply,

Mortuary Affairs Mortuary Affairs is a service within the United States Army Quartermaster Corps tasked with the recovery, identification, transportation, and preparation for burial of deceased American and American-allied military personnel. The human remains ...

, subsistences, petroleum and water, material and distribution management during peace and war to provide combat power to the U.S. Army. The officer in charge of the branch for doctrine, training, and professional development purposes is the Quartermaster General. The current Quartermaster General is

Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

Michael B. Siegl.

History

The Quartermaster Corps is the U.S. Army's oldest logistics branch, established 16 June 1775. On that date, the

Second Continental Congress The Second Continental Congress was a late-18th-century meeting of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that united in support of the American Revolutionary War. The Congress was creating a new country it first named "United Colonies" and in 1 ...

passed a resolution providing for "one Quartermaster General of the grand army and a deputy, under him, for the separate army". In 1802 under President Thomas Jefferson the size of the US Army was reduced with the Quartermaster Department being disbanded. In its place the nation was divided into three departments, each with its own agent and subordinates who were responsible for quartermaster functions within each Department The Quartermaster Corps was re-established in 1812. From 1775 to 1912, this organization was known as the Quartermaster Department. In 1912, Congress consolidated the former Subsistence, Pay, and Quartermaster Departments to create the Quartermaster Corps.

Quartermaster Quartermaster is a military term, the meaning of which depends on the country and service. In land armies, a quartermaster is generally a relatively senior soldier who supervises stores or barracks and distributes supplies and provisions. In m ...

units Unit may refer to: Arts and entertainment * UNIT, a fictional military organization in the science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' * Unit of action, a discrete piece of action (or beat) in a theatrical presentation Music * Unit (album), ...

and soldiers have served in every U.S. military operation from the Revolutionary War to recent operations in Iraq (

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 ...

) and Afghanistan (

Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used synonymously by the U.S. government for both the War in Afghanistan (2001–2014) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response to the September 11 at ...

Insignia

*The Regimental Insignia was authorized in 1986 and revised in 1994 to the current insignia. The insignia is described as a gold color metal and enamel device 1 inch in height consisting of a gold eagle with wings spread and head lowered looking to his right and standing upon a wheel with a blue felloe set with thirteen gold stars, having thirteen gold spokes and the hub white with a red center; superimposed on the wheel a gold sword and key crossed diagonally hilt and bow up, all on a black background and resting upon a wreath of green laurel terminating at either side below the eagle's wings at the upper end of the sword and key. Attached below the device is a gold scroll inscribed ''SUPPORTING VICTORY'' in black. The original regimental insignia was all gold and approved on 31 March 1986. The design was changed on 7 June 1994 to add color to the insignia. The Regimental DUI is worn on the Soldier's right side above the name tag and any unit awards on the

Army Service Uniform The Army Service Uniform (ASU) is a military uniform worn by United States Army personnel in situations where formal dress is called for. It can be worn at most public and official functions. Over history, a number of different non-combat service ...

. *The Branch Insignia was approved in its present form in 1913. The sword is characteristic of military forces and symbolized the Quartermaster Corps control of military supplies. The key is representative of the Corps traditional storekeeping function. The wheel is styled after a six-mule-wagon wheel and represents transportation and delivery of supplies. The wheel has thirteen spokes, a red and white hub, and a blue felloe (the outer edge of the wheel) embedded with thirteen gilt (gold) stars. The thirteen stars and spokes of the wheel represent the original colonies and the origin of the Corps which occurred during the Revolutionary War. The gilt (gold) eagle is the national bird and is symbolic of our nation. The colors red, white, and blue are the national colors. The Branch Insignia is worn on the lapel of the

, singly on a brass disk for Enlisted personnel and in pairs for Officers. US Army Quartermaster Regimental DUI

Functions

The function of the Quartermaster Corps is to provide the following support to the Army: *general supply (except for ammunition and medical supplies) *

(formerly graves registration) *subsistence (food service) *petroleum and water *field services **aerial delivery (parachute packing, air item maintenance, heavy and light equipment parachute drop, rigging and sling loading) **shower, laundry, fabric/light textile repair *material and distribution management

Former functions

Former functions and missions of the Quartermaster Corps were: *military transportation (given to the newly established

Army Transport Service The United States Army Transport Service (ATS) was established as a sea-going transport service that was independent of the Navy Department. ATS operated army transport ships for both troop transport and cargo service between United States ports ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

and to the

in 194

*military construction (given to the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Corps of Engineers in the early 1940s

*

U.S. Army Remount Service A part of the Quartermaster Corps, the U.S. Army Remount Service provided horses (and later mules and dogs) as remounts to U.S. Army units. Evolving from both the Remount Service of the Quartermaster Corps and a general horse-breeding program unde ...

horses/war dogs (military dog training given to Corps of Military Police in 1951

*military heraldry (given to the United States Army Adjutant General's Corps, Adjutant General's Corps in 1962

Units

Quartermaster detachments, companies and battalions are normally assigned to

corps 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 ...

or higher level commands.

Division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...

s and smaller units have multifunctional support battalions which combine functional areas from the Army Transportation Corps, Army Quartermaster Corps, Army Ordnance Corps, and the Army Medical Service Corps. Quartermaster organizations include field service, general supply, petroleum supply and petroleum pipeline, aerial delivery (rigger), water, and mortuary affairs units. Most are company level except petroleum and water, which has battalion and group level units. There is one Bulk petroleum Company on Active Duty.

Military Occupational Specialities

The nine Quartermaster Enlisted

Military Occupational Specialties A United States military occupation code, or a military occupational specialty code (MOS code), is a nine-character code used in the United States Army and United States Marine Corps to identify a specific job. In the United States Air Force, a sy ...

(MOSs) are: *92A – Automated Logistical Specialist *92F – Petroleum Supply Specialist *92G – Culinary Specialist *92L – Petroleum Laboratory Specialist *92M – Mortuary Affairs Specialist *92R – Parachute Rigger *92S – Shower/Laundry and Clothing Repair Specialist *92W – Water Treatment Specialist *92Y – Unit Supply Specialist The five Quartermaster Warrant Officer Military Occupational Specialties (MOSs) are: *920A – Property Accounting Technician *920B – Supply Systems Technician *921A – Airdrop Systems Technician *922A – Food Service Technician *923A – Petroleum Systems Technician The three Quartermaster Officer Areas of Concentration (AOCs) have been merged into 92A as Additional Skill Identifiers (ASIs) *92A – Quartermaster, General *R9 – Aerial Delivery and Materiel (formerly 92D) *R8 – Petroleum and Water (formerly 92F)

Leadership / School

The officer in charge of the branch for doctrine, training, and professional development purposes is the Quartermaster General. The current Quartermaster General is

Michelle Donahue. The Quartermaster General does not have command authority over Quartermaster units, but instead commands the United States Army

Quartermaster Center and School The Quartermaster School (QMS) is a subordinate command of the United States Army's Combined Arms Support Command and is located at Fort Lee, Virginia. Shoulder Sleeve Insignia Description On a buff lozenge shaped field with rounded points, 2 ...

, located at

Fort Lee, Virginia Fort Lee, in Prince George County, Virginia, United States, is a United States Army post and headquarters of the United States Army Combined Arms Support Command (CASCOM)/ Sustainment Center of Excellence (SCoE), the U.S. Army Quartermaster Sc ...

, near Petersburg. This school provides enlisted advanced individual training (AIT) and leader training for Quartermaster

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," f ...

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

non-commissioned officer A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not pursued a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. (Non-officers, which includes most or all enli ...

s. For a list of US Army Quartermasters General, see Quartermaster General (United States).

In the media

The Quartermaster Corps provides a host of vital services to the U.S. Army. But, because these jobs are often not glamorous, very little is mentioned about Quartermaster soldiers in the mainstream media. The Global

War on Terrorism The war on terror, officially the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), is an ongoing international counterterrorism military campaign initiated by the United States following the September 11 attacks. The main targets of the campaign are militant I ...

and the 11 September attack on the Pentagon, as well as operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, have brought several Quartermasters briefly into the spotlight. Here are a few who have recently gained attention: *MAJ Steve V. Long, a Quartermaster Officer who was serving as Secretary of the General Staff Office of the Commanding General US Total Army Personnel Command, was one of the casualties of the 11 September 2001 attack on the Pentago

*Members of the 507th Maintenance Company which was ambushed at An Nasiriyah, Iraq, on 23 March 2003, during Operation Iraqi Freedom: **

Sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...

Donald Walters, killed in action –

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an e ...

recipient ** Specialist Edgar Hernandez, captured **Specialist

Shoshana Johnson Shoshana Nyree Johnson (born January 18, 1973) is a Panamanian-born former United States soldier, and the first black female prisoner of war in the military history of the United States. Johnson was a Specialist of the U.S. Army 507th Mainten ...

, captured **

Private First Class Private first class (french: Soldat de 1 classe; es, Soldado de primera) is a military rank held by junior enlisted personnel in a number of armed forces. French speaking countries In France and other French speaking countries, the rank (; ) ...

Howard Johnson II, killed in action **Private First Class

Jessica Lynch Jessica Dawn Lynch (born April 26, 1983) is an American teacher, actress, and former United States Army soldier who served in the 2003 invasion of Iraq as a private first class. On March 23, 2003, she was serving as a unit supply specialist w ...

, captured **Private First Class

Lori Piestewa Lori Ann Piestewa ( ; December 14, 1979 – March 23, 2003) was a United States Army soldier killed during the Iraq War. A member of the Quartermaster Corps, she died in the same Iraqi attack in which fellow soldiers Shoshana Johnson and Piestewa' ...

, killed in action **

Private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

Brandon Sloan, killed in action **Private Ruben Estrella-Soto, Jr, killed in action *During

Operation Desert Storm Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...

, the

14th Quartermaster Detachment The 14th Quartermaster Detachment, is a United States Army Reserve water purification unit stationed in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. During Operation Desert Storm the Detachment lost 13 soldiers killed and 43 wounded in an Iraqi Al Hussein (missile), ...

, a

U.S. Army Reserve The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the Army element of the reserve components of the United States Armed Forces. Since July 20 ...

unit from

Greensburg, Pennsylvania Greensburg is a city in and the county seat of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States, and a part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The city lies within the Laurel Highlands and the ecoregion of the Western Allegheny Plateau (ecoregion), W ...

, gained world-wide media exposure. The 14th suffered the greatest number of casualties of any allied unit in the war due to a

SCUD A Scud missile is one of a series of tactical ballistic missiles developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. It was exported widely to both Second World, Second and Third World, Third World countries. The term comes from the NATO reporti ...

missile In military terminology, a missile is a guided airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight usually by a jet engine or rocket motor. Missiles are thus also called guided missiles or guided rockets (when a previously unguided rocket i ...

attack on 25 February 1991.

Quartermaster Creed

Military Order of Saint Martin

The Quartermaster Corps established this private order on 7 February 1997. The emblematic figure is of

Saint Martin of Tours Martin of Tours ( la, Sanctus Martinus Turonensis; 316/336 – 8 November 397), also known as Martin the Merciful, was the third bishop of Tours. He has become one of the most familiar and recognizable Christian saints in France, heralded as the ...

.The Order of Saint Martin
The medal, for Quartermasters either on Active Duty, in the Reserves, or Civilian status, is awarded in three grades: *Ancient Order of Saint Martin (gold medallion) *Distinguished Order of Saint Martin (silver medallion) *Honorable Order of Saint Martin (bronze medallion) An updated list of recipients is maintained on th
Association of Quartermasters website
The Military Order of Saint Martin is awarded by the Association of Quartermasters and not the United States Army.

Quartermaster Unit Insignia

File:23 QM Bde DUI.jpg, 23rd Quartermaster Brigade
"The Corps Starts Here" 2 QM Group DUI.jpg, 2nd Quartermaster Group
"Fuel Line to Victory" File:49 QM GRP DUI.png, 49th Quartermaster Group
"Fueling the Force" 16th Quartermaster Squadron.jpg, 16th Quartermaster Squadron File:56th QM Bn crest.jpg, 56th Quartermaster Battalion
"Meet the Need" 61 QM Bn DUI.jpg, 61st Quartermaster Battalion
"Foundation for Victory" File:95th SupServ Bn crest.jpg, 95th Supply and Services Battalion
"Supply the Line" File:244 QM Bn DUI.png, 244th Quartermaster Battalion
"Si Non Potestis Possumus" File:262 QM Bn DUI.png, 262nd Quartermaster Battalion
"Lifeline to Victory" File:266 QM Bn DUI.png, 266th Quartermaster Battalion
"The Providers" File:505 QM Bn DUI.png, 505th Quartermaster Battalion
"Proud to Pump" File:554 QM Bn DUI.png, 554th Quartermaster Battalion
"Liberte et Droit"

Notes

External links

Official web site
* {{US Army navbox Branches of the United States Army Quartermasters