26th Brigade Support Battalion
26th Forward Support Battalion
"No Challange Too Great"
In July 2004 the 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized) began tranformation to the US Army's new modular force structure. As a result the relationships between the Division's brigades and Division level support support assets, often habitually attached, changed. One of the more visible changes was the inactivation of the Division Support Command, and the inactivation of the Forward Support Battalions and Main Support Battalion. These Battalions were reactivated as the Brigade Support Battalions assigned to the Division's reorganzied Brigade Combat Teams. 26th Forward Support Battalion was inactivated and reactivated as the redesignated and reorganized 26th Brigade Support Battalion.
The Soldiers of the 26th Forward Support Battalion stand willing and able to deploy rapidly and support the "Spartan" Brigade Combat Team of the Marne Division with every facet of combat service support. The reorganized Brigade Support Battalion consists of a Headquarters and Headquarters Company, a Supply Company (Company A), a Maintenance Company (Company B), a Medical Company (Company C), and 4 Forward Support Companies (Companies D-G), all attached to the Brigade's other Battalions.
The mission of the 26th Forward Support Battalion had been to deploy rapidly to a contingency area by air, land, and sea to request, receive, and issue supplies to the 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized) in the conduct of mobile, combined arms offensive and defensive operations worldwide.
The 26th Brigade Support Battalion was first constituted in the Regular Army on 1 May 1936 as 1st Battalion, 26th Quartermaster Regiment. On 1 April, 1942 the unit was reorganized and designated as the 1st Battalion, 26th Quartermaster Truck Regiment.
During World War II, the Battalion participated in 5 campaigns: Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe, and Asiatic-Pacific. Following World War II, the Battalion inactivated in Okinawa on 30 April, 1946.
After several activations, redesignations, and inactivations, the Battalion was converted and redesignated on 1 May, 1987 in Germany as the 26th Forward Support Battalion, assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized).
In November of 1990, the 26th Forward Support Battalion was called upon to deploy to the Persian Gulf in support of the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized). The Marne Division's 3rd Brigade and 26th Forward Support Battalion led the 1st Armored Division and VII Corps's assault into Iraq. Moving over 250 kilometers in 87 hours, the 3rd Brigade outflanked the Iraqi Talakaha and Medina Republican Guard Divisions. During Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, the 26th Forward Support Battalion received battle credits for the defense of Saudi Arabia, the liberation and defense of Kuwait, and the Cease-Fire.
The colors of the 26th Forward Support Battalion were cased in Germany on 1 April 1996, and brought to the 3rd Infantry Division's new home at Fort Stewart on 30 April 1996, as part of the Division's rebasing operation.
Supporting the 2nd Brigade Combat Team from Fort Stewart, the 26th Forward Support Battalion supported back-to-back Intrinsic Action rotations in Kuwait from 1998 to 1999. During these rotations the unit also prepared to support Operation Desert Fox again in the Kuwaiti desert. Continuing its proud tradition of providing uninterrupted logistical support to the 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized), the 26th Forward Support Battalion formed a Logistics Task Force in support of the Division's Multinational Division (North) peacekeeping operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina from September 2000 to March 2001.
The 26th Forward Support Battalion deployed to Kuwait in September, 2002 on a 6 month rotation in support of Operation Desert Spring. On 21 March 2003, the 26th Forward Support Battalion was called upon to support the 2nd Brigade Combat Team's assault into Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Battalion continued to aggressively support the 2nd Brigade Combat Team during the "Thunder Run" as the Spartan Brigade led the 3rd Infantry Division's capture of Baghdad. The 26th Forward Support Battalion ended their tour of duty in Fallujah, Iraq as it redeployed back to Fort Stewart in August of 2003.
In November of 2003 the Battalion received orders to reorganize under Task Force Modularity. The Battalion reorganized the A Company from a Supply Company into a Supply and Distribution Company. The Staff became more robust in order to support more independent operations, distribution based operations and the establishment of Forward Support Companies in the maneuver Battalions. In the spring of 2004 the Battalion recieved orders to deploy in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III. The Battalion continued to reorganize while simultaneously training for combat.
In January 2005, the reorganized and redesignated 26th Brigade Support Battalion deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III. While supporting the 2nd Brigade Combat Team from Forward Observation Base Rustamiyah, the Battalion supported 3 major Iraqi Elections and numerous offensive operations. In addition, the Battalion conducted over 900 self secured convoy missions. The 26th BSB has driven more than 240,000 miles, distributed over 6,000,000 gallons of fuel and completed and completed more than 2,000 maintenance jobs. In addition, the Battalion treated over 7,000 sick call Soldiers and 120 combat wounded in action.
The 26th Brigade Support Battalion deployed in mid-2007 for another tour of duty in Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom in support of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized). The unit remained in that country into 2008.
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