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26th Area Support Group

The 26th Area Support Group provides command and control, base support operations, force protection and reception, staging, onward-movement (RSO) in support of wartime contingencies; conduct area operations and support force projection, deployments and contingency operations; and enhance the readiness and quality of life of America's Army living and working within the ASG geographic boundaries while shaping a capability to meet future requirements

The 26th Area Support Group supports a diverse group of United States military communities in Germany, focused on maintaining the highest quality of life for its soldiers, civilians and family members, and serving as a forward-deployed power projection platform.

The 26th ASG consists of the military communities in Heidelberg, Kaiserslautern, Mannheim, Worms, Darmstadt, Babenhausen, the Frankfurt area, Schwetzingen and Germersheim. Headquarters for the 26th ASG is on Patton Barracks in Heidelberg. The 26th ASG is comprised of the 293rd Base Support Battalion (BSB), headquartered in Mannheim, the 411th BSB, headquartered in Heidelberg, the 233rd BSB, headquartered in Darmstadt, and the 415th BSB, headquartered in Kaiserslautern.

With more than 60,000 soldiers, civilians and family members, the 26th ASG covers an area larger than the state of Massachusetts. The landscape offers picturesque beauty rivaling any in Europe, as well as bustling, modern cities with famous historical buildings, excellent cuisine, outstanding wines and friendly hospitality. The distinctive unit insignia was approved for the 26th General Support Group on 13 Jan 1969. It was redesignated and the symbolism revised for the 26th Support Group on 9 Nov 1979. It consists of a gold embattled band on a red enameled background above a black enameled annulet bearing a gold fer de moline. Encircling the upper portion of the device a gold scroll bearing the inscription "THE NORTHERNMOST" in black letters. The fer de moline, an iron affixed to the center of a mill-stone and used as an heraldic representation for support, on a black annulet simulating a truck tire, symbolizes the former service mission of the organization during World War II in Italy. The embattled gold and red band, colors taken from the flag of the former Republic of Vietnam, alludes to the organization's service in that country. Furthermore, the embattled line alludes to the unit's motto "THE NORTHERNMOST."