The 15th Sustainment Brigade was a sustainment brigade of the United States Army based at Fort Bliss, Texas. It provided logistics support to other units of the United States Army, and was subordinate to the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary). It previously had provided support to the 1st Cavalry Division, but now did so for the 1st Armored Division until 12 May 2015 when the 15th Sustainment Brigade became part of the 1st Armored Division and was renamed 1st Armored Division Sustainment Brigade.
The brigade's lineage dates back to 1919, and it had a long and decorated history when designated as the supply command of the 1st Cavalry Division. Having seen service in every major conflict of the 20th century in support of its parent division, the unit was not designated as the 15th Sustainment Brigade permanently until 2005. In February 2008, the brigade was reassigned to the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), ending almost a century of association with the 1st Cavalry Division.
The 15th Sustainment Brigade's extensive lineage also carries many honors for the unit. What is now the 15th Sustainment Brigade, and its previous incarnations, have earned 17 campaign streamers, as well as numerous awards, mostly for service during the Vietnam War. These decorations include the Presidential Unit Citation, the Valorous Unit Award, and five Meritorious Unit Commendations.
Organization
The 15th Sustainment Brigade was permanently attached to the 1st Cavalry Division, though it could operate independently when needed. Currently, it falls under the organization of the 1st Armored Division, having relocated as part of the Base Realignment and Closure 2005. This assignment allows the unit maximum flexibility when deployed, as it can provide any support function needed, without being permanently attached to any particular unit or area of operations.
The unit has two permanently assigned battalions along with its Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC). They consist of the 15th Special Troops Battalion, and the 142nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion which are also headquartered at Fort Bliss, Texas. 72nd Brigade Support Battalion inactivated in November 2014, in conjunction with inactivation of 212th Fires Brigade (United States) in July 2014. In addition, Company A, 125th Brigade Support Battalion (formerly with 3rd BCT), in conjunction with the inactivation of 3rd BCT, completed a high-visibility project: Company A produced the first Redistribution Property Accountability Team (RPAT) yard in the continental US, which gives commanders a clear picture of property redistribution, especially during a unit's closure. The brigade command is modular in design, allowing it to assume command of additional units when deployed. The command is preparing for deployment to Southwest Asia in 2015.
History
Origins
The 15th Sustainment Brigade was originally constituted on 4 May 1966 in the Regular Army as a Headquarters and Headquarters Company. It was first activated on 1 July 1966.
On 20 October 1967, the Brigade was inactivated after providing support to units in Vietnam, only to be reactivated on 21 September 1968 at Fort Lewis, Washington. The Brigade later inactivated at Fort Lewis on 21 March 1973 having received campaign credits for its support for Counteroffensive Operations (Phase II and III) in Vietnam.
As mentioned above, the 15th Sustainment Brigade replaced the "Division Support Command" of the 1st Cavalry Division. The history of the organization can be traced back to 1919 when one of its present units, the 15th Forward Support Battalion, existed as the 615th Motor Transport Company. The Division Support Command (DISCOM) thus predated the 1st Cavalry Division itself, which was not established until 1921.
In the years before World War II, most of the units of the 1st Cavalry Division that were not assigned to larger unit commands were under the control of the Headquarters, Division Special Troops of the division; an independent unit for various supporting units for a division. These included the service and support elements of the division. After World War II, however, the Special Troops Headquarters was reorganized into Headquarters, Division Trains. This designation immediately predates the "Division Support Command" (DISCOM) designation. The division trains were activated 1 November 1957 in Korea. Although a new organization, 1st Cavalry Division's Division Trains employed concepts and tactics similar to those of U.S. armored division trains that were originated in World War I.