1st Armored Division Sustainment Brigade

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 Support 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 15th Support 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. 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. The opening battle of the campaign, the Battle of Ia Drang Valley, was described in the book We Were Soldiers Once...And Young which was also the basis of the subsequent Mel Gibson film We Were Soldiers. For most of 1967 and early 1968, the formation supported the 1st Cavalry Division through Operation Pershing. This was a large scale search of areas under the jurisdiction of the US II Corps which, according to the US Army, saw 5,400 enemy killed and 2,000 captured. The 15th Sustainment Brigade was the first element of the 1st Cavalry Division to return to Iraq and assumed control for logistics in the Baghdad area of operations in July 2006. The Brigade provided command and control for numerous units not normally associated with the 1st Cavalry Division. Tasks the unit completed during its 2006–2007 tour in Iraq included construction and maintenance of sustainment facilities, and maintaining vehicles, including adding additional armor to Humvee vehicles for other US units operating in the country. The Brigade changed its higher command for the first time in its history on 15 February 2008. It was reassigned from the 1st Cavalry Division to the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), holding a mock cavalry charge to celebrate the occasion. This would also mark the first time that the brigade served independently from the 1st Cavalry Division. Since returning from Iraq, the brigade has undertaken a number of duties around Fort Hood. These activities include testing new systems for use during deployments, remodeling infrastructure around the fort, and training on personal safety. ==Honors==

Unit Decorations Campaign streamers == Legacy ==

The Sustainment Brigade and its soldiers have been the subject of numerous army publications during its tours in Iraq, most of which having to do with the culture and lifestyle of soldiers serving the unit. Among these have been feature stories by the Multi-National Force: Iraq public affairs office, on married soldiers who deploy together. The Army Logistician, an Army publication for soldiers serving in support units, published a feature story on the stories of soldiers serving in Iraq for their September–October 2007 issue. This story was intended to display the versatility of sustainment brigades overall. Another story was written for defenselink.mil, the press service for the United States Armed Forces in March 2007 about soldiers of the brigade and how they react to the desert climate of the country, having to cope with sandstorms and other issues. == References ==