21st Theater Sustainment Command
Encyclopedia
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, Staging, Onward Movement & enable Integration (RSO&I) functions. Be prepared to support Joint and Coalition forces.
After the United States military withdrawal from France in 1967 and the organization of the U.S. Theater Army Support Command, Europe, informally known as TASCOM, the brigade became the rear-area counterpart of the newly formed corps support commands. Assigned to TASCOM in 1969, 1st Support Brigade was responsible for Prepositioning of Materiel Configured to Unit Sets (POMCUS
) and provided combat service support for U.S. units in the area west of the Rhein River.
In 1974, TASCOM was merged with Headquarters, United States Army, Europe, and the missions of 1st Support Brigade were expanded to include base operations support for eight military communities as well as the management of regional area support. The brigade was upgraded to a general officer command and the headquarters moved to Panzer Kaserne, Kaiserslautern, Germany.
By mid-1976 the 1st Support Brigade's personnel strength was approximately 16,000 – the largest brigade in the U.S. Army. Consequently, the Department of the Army approved the elevation of the commander's position to major general and on 19 August 1976 the brigade was re-designated 21st Support Command.
During the next several years, important missions and units were assigned to the 21st and, in June 1981, the President of the United States elevated the commander's position to lieutenant general, reflecting the organization's status as a Theater Army Area Command. Accordingly, on 18 October 1988, 21st Support Command was officially re-designated the 21st Theater Army Area Command.
After the dissolution of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, U.S. forces in Europe began a reduction in personnel to accompany the reduced threat. Authorizations for both military and civilian positions were decreased substantially and, in 1993, the grade of the 21st TAACOM commander was returned to major general.
On 18 October 2000 the 21st TAACOM structure was replaced by the Army and U.S. Army Europe and transformed into the 21st Theater Sustainment Command (TSC). This restructuring was needed to meet the needs of the Army and the nation in the XXI Century, by becoming a deploy able force. This change made the 21st the Army's largest forward deployed unit and a major forward presence, in theater logistics organization in support of Central Region, Europe.
Throughout this evolution the 21st has retained the lineage and honors, distinguishing flag (colors), and distinctive unit badge and shoulder sleeve insignia of the "FIRST IN SUPPORT!"
Theater (warfare)
In warfare, a theater, is defined as an area or place within which important military events occur or are progressing. The entirety of the air, land, and sea area that is or that may potentially become involved in war operations....
sustainment throughout EUCOM and AFRICOM
United States Africa Command
The United States Africa Command is one of nine Unified Combatant Commands of the United States Armed Forces, headquartered at Kelley Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany. It is responsible for U.S. military operations and military relations with 53 African nations – an area of responsibility covering all...
Areas of Responsibility
Area of responsibility
Area Of Responsibility is a pre-defined geographic region assigned to a Combatant commanders of the Unified Command Plan , that are used to define an area with specific geographic boundaries where they have the authority to plan and conduct operations; for which a force, or component commander...
in support of USAREUR and 7th Army
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:...
. On order, deploys to support theater opening, distribution, and Reception, Staging, Onward Movement & enable Integration (RSO&I) functions. Be prepared to support Joint and Coalition forces.
Subordinate Units
- 21st Sustainment Command (Theater)
- Special Troops BattalionSpecial Troops BattalionA Special Troops Battalion is an organic unit of a modular brigade, Division , corps or higher echelon United States Army organization...
- 16th Sustainment Brigade
- 18th Engineer Brigade18th Engineer Brigade (United States)The 18th Engineer Brigade is an engineer brigade of the United States Army. It is currently a subordinate unit of 21st Sustainment Command and is headquartered at Tompkins Barracks in Schwetzingen, Germany...
- 18th Military Police Brigade
- 405th Army Field Support Brigade
- 409th Army Contracting Support Brigade
- 7th Civil Support Command
- 266th Financial Management Center
- Special Troops Battalion
Command Group
- Brigadier GeneralBrigadier GeneralBrigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
BG Aundre F. Piggee - Command Sergeant Major CSM James E. Spencer
- Deputy Commanding General BG Jimmy Jaye Wells
- Deputy Commanding Officer COL Sharon Duffy
- Chief of StaffChief of StaffThe title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
COL Mitch Brew - Deputy Chief of Staff Daniel Vargas
History of 21st Theater Sustainment Command
Inheriting a distinguished tradition of combat service support, the lineage and honors of 21st Theater Sustainment Command began 23 June 1965 with the activation of the 1st Support Brigade. The 21st TSC originated as a maintenance support headquarters under Seventh Army Support Command, the brigade's first home was Taylor Barracks, Mannheim, Germany.After the United States military withdrawal from France in 1967 and the organization of the U.S. Theater Army Support Command, Europe, informally known as TASCOM, the brigade became the rear-area counterpart of the newly formed corps support commands. Assigned to TASCOM in 1969, 1st Support Brigade was responsible for Prepositioning of Materiel Configured to Unit Sets (POMCUS
POMCUS
POMCUS is a military acronym for "Prepositioning Of Material Configured in Unit Sets".The POMCUS system kept large amounts of pre-positioned equipment in West Germany in defense of the West against the Communist threat during the Cold War...
) and provided combat service support for U.S. units in the area west of the Rhein River.
In 1974, TASCOM was merged with Headquarters, United States Army, Europe, and the missions of 1st Support Brigade were expanded to include base operations support for eight military communities as well as the management of regional area support. The brigade was upgraded to a general officer command and the headquarters moved to Panzer Kaserne, Kaiserslautern, Germany.
By mid-1976 the 1st Support Brigade's personnel strength was approximately 16,000 – the largest brigade in the U.S. Army. Consequently, the Department of the Army approved the elevation of the commander's position to major general and on 19 August 1976 the brigade was re-designated 21st Support Command.
During the next several years, important missions and units were assigned to the 21st and, in June 1981, the President of the United States elevated the commander's position to lieutenant general, reflecting the organization's status as a Theater Army Area Command. Accordingly, on 18 October 1988, 21st Support Command was officially re-designated the 21st Theater Army Area Command.
After the dissolution of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, U.S. forces in Europe began a reduction in personnel to accompany the reduced threat. Authorizations for both military and civilian positions were decreased substantially and, in 1993, the grade of the 21st TAACOM commander was returned to major general.
On 18 October 2000 the 21st TAACOM structure was replaced by the Army and U.S. Army Europe and transformed into the 21st Theater Sustainment Command (TSC). This restructuring was needed to meet the needs of the Army and the nation in the XXI Century, by becoming a deploy able force. This change made the 21st the Army's largest forward deployed unit and a major forward presence, in theater logistics organization in support of Central Region, Europe.
Throughout this evolution the 21st has retained the lineage and honors, distinguishing flag (colors), and distinctive unit badge and shoulder sleeve insignia of the "FIRST IN SUPPORT!"