277th Aviation Support Battalion
"Freedom and Liberty"
The 277th Quartermaster Service Battalion was constituted on July 25, 1942 and activated the following month at Hampton Roads, VA.
The unit moved from Virginia to Fort Devens, Massachusetts, in May 1944. There it remained for several months before departing for the European Theater. On February 24, 1945, the 277th, with all its constituent units, landed on the French Coast and established temporary headquarters at Camp Lucky Strike.
In March 1945, the Battalion moved to Belgium, then on to occupy Germany, where it spent the remainder of the war. During this period, the unit was attached to the 471st Quartermaster Group with the U.S. First Army in Germany, and earned itself two battle streamer, embroidered with the words RHINELAND and CENTRAL EUROPE, indicating successful campaigns. The 277th Quartermaster Battalion departed Europe July 29, 1945, and redeployed to the Pacific Theater Headquarters Detachment and arrived in Manila (Phillipine Islands) in September 1945, after Victory in Japan Day. They continued to serve in the Phillipines until the unit was inactivated July 15, 1946.
The 277th Supply and Service Battalion (Direct Support) was reactivated and redesignated during the Vietnam War. The Unit arrived in the Republic of Vietnam July 20, 1966 and was attached to the 506th Army Depot at Long Binh for the next two years. Early in 1969, the 277th moved to Tay Ninh with the 29th General Support Group. It moved again in August 1970 to Di An, and then to the 80th General Support Group at Chu Lai. Finally, in November of 1971, the 277th Supply and Service Battalion moved to Da Nang in the far north, where it served as a long-range support battalion.
During its tour in Vietnam (1966-1973) the 277th Supply and Service Battalion was awarded the Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm Streamer embroider VIETNAM, 1967-1968 and Meritorious Unit Commendation for the year 1969. In all, the 277th received 12 battle streamers from the Vietnam era. The unit returned to the United States in the spring of 1973 and was inactivated at Oakland, California March 14, 1973.
The 277th Quartermaster Battalion was reactivated once again March 13, 1987, when the 15th Battalion, 4th Combat Service Support Training Brigade, Fort Jackson, was redesignated. Here the battalion had the mission of training newly appointed Quartermaster soldiers. The unit was later inactivated at Fort Jackson, North Carolina June 15, 1993.
The 277th Quartermaster Battalion was reactivated, and redesignated as 277th Aviation Support Battalion at Fort Drum, New York June 22, 2005. The 277th ASB is ready to rapidly deploy worldwide to provide Combat Service Support to sustain the combat power of the 10th Multi-Functional Aviation Brigade.
