13th Corps Support Command (COSCOM)
The 13th Corps Support Command was activated at Ford Hood as the 13th Support Brigade in September 1965. As the nation's involvement in Vietnam was increasing, consequently this brigade was formed and tasked with training technical services units to assure combat service support missions in Southeast Asia.
The command has evolved due to its increased missions and changing roles, being redesignated as the 13th Support Command (Corps) in 1980 and as the 13th Corps Support Command (COSCOM) in March 1989.
The 13th COSCOM is one of only four throughout the active Army. The command's mission is to provide combat support and combat service support to units of III Corps in the areas of supply, maintenance, transportation, field services, medical engineering construction, smoke generation, and decontamination.
The 13th COSCOM is Fort Hood's third largest unit with strength of almost 6,000 soldiers. The command is comprised of the 1st Medical Brigade with three battalions at Fort Hood (21st Combat Support Hospital, 36th Evacuation Battalion, 61st Area Support Medical Battalion), and eight separate battalions located in six different states.
The 64th Corps Support Group has four battalions (180th Transportation Battalion, 544th Maintenance, 553rd Corps Support Battalion, and the Special Troops Battalion). The COSCOM also has four separate battalions as part of a provisional group, know as the Phantom Support Group (2nd Chemical Battalion, 49th Transportation Battalion, 62nd Engineer Battalion (Heavy), and the 4th Corps Material Management Center).
The 13th COSCOM's mission is to provide combat support and combat service support to units of the III U.S. Corps in the areas of supply, maintenance, transportation, field services, medical, engineer support, decontamination and smoke generation. The 13th COSCOM also operates the Fort Hood ammunition supply point, staffs troop medical clinics and provides helicopter evacuation support to units at Fort Sam Houston as well as Fort Hood.
The 13th COSCOM has the specific missions of:
- Command and control of all assigned and attached units.
- Providing Combat Service Support to all III Corps units through:
- Direct Support Maintenance to non-divisional units;
- General Support Maintenance, back-up Direct Support Maintenance to the 1st Cavalry Division and 4th Infantry Division;
- and finally, support to selected installation activities and functions.
The COSCOM's capability to provide combat support and combat service support is not limited to just the Divisions. The COSCOM also provides support to the following brigade-size III Corps units at Fort Hood:
- 3rd Signal Brigade
- 3rd Personnel Group
- 13th Finance Group
- 89th Military Police Brigade
- 504th Military Intelligence Brigade
The 13th COSCOM has the responsibility of supporting units that are not only based at Fort Hood but those that extend beyond the boundaries of the installation. Those units include:
- 31st Air Defense Artillery (Fort Bliss, TX)
- 1ST Brigade, 1st Infantry Division and 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division (Fort Riley, KS)
- 3rd Armor Cavalry Regiment (Fort Carson, CO)
- III Corps Artillery (Fort Sill, OK)
- 49th Armored Division (Texas National Guard)
- 50th Armored Division (New Jersey National Guard)
The capabilities of the III Corps and 13th COSCOM to conduct combat operations is an important consideration when sustaining or implementing national security interests.
Not only have 13th COSCOM units provided disaster relief, they have also answered the call to support our Army in combat and peacekeeping operations, and they have supported humanitarian relief operations around the world. Soldiers from the command have responded to the call to lend a hand, whether it was removing snow in Massachusetts, aiding flood victims in Louisiana, processing refugees in Arkansas, fighting forest fires in Montana, assisting earthquake victims in Mexico or helping flood victims in Curio, Texas.
In the fall of 1990, 13th COSCOM Units deployed to Saudi Arabia to provide combat support and combat service support during Operations Desert Shield and Storm. During Operation Desert Calm and Operation Provide Comfort, COSCOM units and soldiers continued to serve proudly in the Persian Gulf area. In 1992, COSCOM Soldiers deployed to Cuba to aid Haitian refugees during Operation Safe Harbor, and they assisted victims of Hurricane Andrew in Florida. COSCOM Soldiers led the way as III Corps units deployed to Kuwait to train and ensure the peace in support of Exercise Intrinsic Action. From December 1992 until May 1993, 13th COSCOM soldiers were deployed to Somalia for Operation Restore Hope to command and control the Joint Task Force Support Command. From October through December 1994, 13th COSCOM soldiers provided multifunctional logistical support to Army Forces supporting Operation Vigilant Warrior in Kuwait.
In the recent past, the 13th COSCOM conducted humanitarian and/or peacekeeping missions in Cuba as part of Operation Sea Signal V, Haiti Operation Uphold Democracy, Honduras JTF-B Mission Strong Support, and Stabilization Force 6 in Bosnia. The 13th COSCOM recently deployed engineers to Thule, Greenland for a support mission as well.
With over half of its support capability residing with Army Reserve and National Guard units, the 13th Corps Support Command took time out to show those units where they fit into the command's battle plan, as COSCOM leaders welcomed more than 200 members of Active, Guard and Reserve units from around the country, and Korea, to its annual Wartrace Conference March 19-21, 2001. The intent of the three-day conference was to discuss lessons learned from recent training exercises, such as Phantom Lifeline, and to improve wartime planning, mission capability and readiness, and demonstrate new technology within the COSCOM. Attendees got to see what part they play in the Command's battle plans, air and support operations, and the COSCOM's redesign, along with a tour of the command's nerve center, its Tactical Logistics Operations Center (TLOC). A good slice of the Corps Service Support Control System (CSSCS) comes from the Reserve components, so to get us all together and focused on the same is a tremendous opportunity. The digitization and ability to get real-time information and to be able to get that information out to the user is quite amazing.
The 13th Corps Support Command, which provides logistical and medical support units to III Corps, deployed a Medical Evacuation Headquarters and an Air Evacuation Company on Wednesday (Feb. 12, 2003). These units were to reposition forces as required to support the president's global war against terrorism.
On Dec. 12, 2004, the 13th Corps Support Command said farewell to LSA Anaconda as it transferred authority to the 1st Corps Support Command. During its time at LSA Anaconda, the 13th COSCOM processed 2,000 tons of mail; averaged over 200 convoys a day for a total of 62,000 convoys involving 750,000 vehicles during 2004; and was responsible as well for quality of life improvements, including indoor and outdoor swimming pools and theaters.
