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16th Sustainment Brigade (United States)
Encyclopedia
The 16th Sustainment Brigade is a sustainment
brigade
of the United States Army
based at Warner Barracks in Bamberg, Germany
. It is a subordinate unit of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command of the Seventh Army.
Activated in the summer of 2007, the brigade traces its lineage to the 7th and 16th Corps Support Groups 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
in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as the 16th Corps Support Group. It deployed to Iraq for its first tour as a Sustainment brigade from July 2008 to October 2009.
The Brigade Headquarters is located at US Army Garrison, Bamberg, and has five subordinate battalions currently supporting sustainment operations Also located at Bamberg are the 16th Special Troops Battalion and 391st Combat Sustainment Support Battalion. The 18th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion is located at Grafenwöhr
, Germany, the 39th Transportation Battalion is in Kaiserlautern, Germany and the 14th Transportation Battalion calls Vicenza
, Italy their home. The brigade acquired the transportation battalions and four additional companies under the 391st CSSB as part of the mayor transformation phase within US Army Europe and has almost doubled in size since first activating in 2007.
as the 16th General Support Group. It was then activated on 10 December 1965 in the Dominican Republic
. The group returned to the continental United States and was subsequently inactivated on 19 September 1968 at Fort Benning, Georgia.
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
, Saudi Arabia and Kosovo
. It received its distinctive unit insignia
on 14 April 1988.
On 1 May 2002, the group was re-aligned to include the 181st Transportation Battalion located at Turley Barracks in Manheim, Germany, and the 485th Corps Support Battalion, located on Hutier Kaserne, to increase their combat service support capabilities. In March 2003, the 16th Corps Support Group and its battalions deployed to Iraq
in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The group provided logistical support to include direct support maintenance, transportation and supply support to all units in the operation.
The group saw a second deployment to Iraq in October 2005. During this deployment, soldiers of the brigade executed over 1,500 sustainment convoys which provided over 250 million USgals (946,353 m³) of fuel, 1 million cases of bottled water
and 60 million USgals (227,124.7 m³) of purified water to allied forces. On 19 September 2006, the group rotated out of Iraq and back to Germany, replaced by the 82nd Sustainment Brigade
.
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
s. It became the 16th Sustainment Brigade and was subsequently activated at Warner Barracks in Bamberg, Germany. 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
. It was put under the command of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command. 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.
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. Throughout the Spring of 2008, the unit prepared for the deployment by conducting training exercises in Germany.
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. Hosted by the 3rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), the conference was attended by the 1st
, 7th
, 16th, 55th
, and 371st Sustainment Brigades
, as well as the 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. They discussed streamlining and coordinating sustainment throughout the region. Among the brigade's operations was a water project in the Ninewa province. The brigade operated with US Air Force and Iraqi Army
engineers to repair infrastructure that brought water from the Tigris River 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 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.
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 Warner Barracks in Bamberg, Germany
Warner Barracks in Bamberg, Germany
Warner Barracks are a military base of the United States Army in the city of Bamberg, southern Germany. The base has been occupied by American forces since the end of World War II. Elements of the U.S. Army’s 3rd Infantry Division and 45th Infantry Division entered the town on 13 and 14 April 1945...
. It is a subordinate unit of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command of the Seventh Army.
Activated in the summer of 2007, the brigade traces its lineage to the 7th and 16th Corps Support Groups 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
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....
in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 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, which in turn is subordinate to the Seventh Army, United States Army Europe.The Brigade Headquarters is located at US Army Garrison, Bamberg, and has five subordinate battalions currently supporting sustainment operations Also located at Bamberg are the 16th Special Troops Battalion and 391st Combat Sustainment Support Battalion. The 18th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion is located at Grafenwöhr
Grafenwöhr
Grafenwöhr is a town in the district Neustadt , in the region of the Upper Palatinate in eastern Bavaria, Germany. It is widely known for the United States Army military installation and training area, called Grafenwöhr Training Area, located directly south and west of the town.- Early History:The...
, Germany, the 39th Transportation Battalion is in Kaiserlautern, Germany and the 14th Transportation Battalion calls Vicenza
Vicenza
Vicenza , a city in north-eastern Italy, is the capital of the eponymous province in the Veneto region, at the northern base of the Monte Berico, straddling the Bacchiglione...
, Italy their home. The brigade acquired the transportation battalions and four additional companies under the 391st CSSB as part of the mayor transformation phase within US Army Europe and has almost doubled in size since first activating in 2007.
Origin
The unit was first constituted on 29 October 1965 in the Regular ArmyRegular Army
The Regular Army of the United States was and is the successor to the Continental Army as the country's permanent, professional military establishment. Even in modern times the professional core of the United States Army continues to be called the Regular Army...
as the 16th General Support Group. It was then activated on 10 December 1965 in 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...
. The group returned to the continental United States and was subsequently inactivated on 19 September 1968 at Fort Benning, Georgia.
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
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...
, Saudi Arabia and Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
. It 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 14 April 1988.
On 1 May 2002, the group was re-aligned to include the 181st Transportation Battalion located at Turley Barracks in Manheim, Germany, and the 485th Corps Support Battalion, located on Hutier Kaserne, to increase their combat service support capabilities. In March 2003, the 16th Corps Support Group and its battalions deployed to 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....
in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The group provided logistical support to include direct support maintenance, transportation and supply support to all units in the operation.
The group saw a second deployment to Iraq in October 2005. During this deployment, soldiers of the brigade executed over 1,500 sustainment convoys which provided over 250 million USgals (946,353 m³) of fuel, 1 million cases of bottled water
Bottled water
Bottled water is drinking water packaged in plastic or glass water bottles. Bottled water may be carbonated or not...
and 60 million USgals (227,124.7 m³) of purified water to allied forces. On 19 September 2006, the group rotated out of Iraq and back to Germany, replaced by the 82nd Sustainment Brigade
82nd Sustainment Brigade (United States)
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....
.
Activation
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...
s. It became the 16th Sustainment Brigade and was subsequently activated at Warner Barracks in Bamberg, Germany. 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
United States Army Europe and Seventh Army, is an Army Service Component Command of the United States Army and the land component of United States European Command. It is the largest American formation in Europe.-Invasion of Sicily:...
. It was put under the command of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command. 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.
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. Hosted by the 3rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), the conference was attended by the 1st
1st Sustainment Brigade (United States)
The 1st Sustainment Brigade is a sustainment brigade of the United States Army based at Fort Riley, Kansas. It provides logistics support to the 1st Infantry Division.Activated in 2007, the unit is a modular brigade capable of a variety of actions...
, 7th
7th Sustainment Brigade (United States)
The 7th Sustainment Brigade is a sustainment brigade of the United States Army. It is known and referred to as "the most deployed unit in the Army" because of its continuous mission to provide logistical support to all branches of the service for both training and war-time activities.-Units:* 7th...
, 16th, 55th
55th Sustainment Brigade (United States)
The 55th Sustainment Brigade is a sustainment brigade of the United States Army Reserve.It is located at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Activated in March 2006, the unit has served at least one tour in Iraq....
, and 371st Sustainment Brigades
371st Sustainment Brigade (United States)
The 371st Sustainment Brigade is an Ohio Army National Guard sustainment Brigade. It is based out of Springfield and Newark, Ohio. It is the new and larger incarnation of the 371st Corps Support Group, which had been based at Kettering, Ohio...
, as well as the 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. They discussed streamlining and coordinating sustainment throughout the region. Among the brigade's operations was a water project in the Ninewa province. The brigade operated with US Air Force and Iraqi Army
Iraqi Army
The Iraqi Army is the land component of the Iraqi military, active in various forms since being formed by the British during their mandate over the country after World War I....
engineers to repair infrastructure that brought water from the Tigris River 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 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.
Unit Decorations
| Ribbon | Award | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Meritorious Unit Commendation Meritorious Unit Commendation The Meritorious Unit Commendation is a mid-level unit award of the United States military which is awarded to any military command which displays exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service, heroic deeds, or valorous actions.... (Army) |
2003–2004 | for service in Southwest Asia |
 |
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.... |
1995–1996 | for service during Operation Joint Endeavor |
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 |
| Gulf War | Cease-Fire | 1990–1991 |
| Iraq War | Operation Iraqi Freedom I | 2003–2004 |
| Iraq War | Operation Iraqi Freedom III | 2005–2006 |
| Iraq War | Operation Iraqi Freedom IV | 2008–2009 |