4th Support Battalion
Forward Support Battalion
As of January of 2006 the 4th Support Battalion was operating in Camp Taji, an Army base approximately 10 miles northwest of Baghdad, fulfilling their second rotation in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. They will be there until December 15th of 2006. In March 2003, 4th Support Brigade deployed to Iraq to participate in the intial stages of Operation Iraqi Freedom and provided service support operations for the combat units of the 1st Brigade, 4th ID.
History
The 4th Forward Support Battalion was constituted November 19, 1917, as the 4th Support Trains, 4th Division. It was organized at Camp Green, NC December 31 of the same year. The unit participated in numerous campaigns during WWI including the Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne, Champagne 1918 and Lorraine 1918 campaings.
On April 15, 1921, the unit was reorganized as the 4th Division Transportation, Quartermaster Corps. On September 21, 1921, the unit was inactivated for the first time at Fort Lewis, Wa. It was then redesignated three consecutive times. On March 23, 1925, it was redesignated as the 4th Division Quartermaster Train; on May 1, 1936, it was redesignated as 4th Quartermaster Regiment; and on October 16, 1939, the unit was redesignated as the 4th Quartermaster Battalion. On June 1, 1940, the unit was reactivated at Fort Benning, Ga., and was reorganized and redesignated soon after on September 1942 as the 4th Motorized Quartermaster Battalion. On August 1 of the following year, the unit was reorganized and redesignated again as the 4th Quartermaster Company and later inactivated on March 2, 1946, at Camp Butner, NC.
The 4th Quartermaster Company provided support to fighting units during WWII and participated in the Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace and Central Europe campaigns. On July 6, 1948, the Unit was again reactivated at Fort Ord, Ca. and was later reorganized and redesignated on October 1, 1963, as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Supply and Transport.
The unit served gallantly during the Vietnam War and received participation credit for its roles in Counteroffensive, Phase II; Counteroffensive, phase III; Tet Counteroffensive; Counteroffensive, Phase IV; Counteroffensive, Tet 69/Counteroffensive; Summer-Fall 1969; Winter-Spring 1970; Sanctuary Counteroffensive; and Counteroffensive, Phase VII. After the Vietnam war, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Supply and Transportation Battalion was inactivated at Fort Carson, Co, on April 15, 1985. The Unit was once again activated and redesignated as the 4th Battalion in May 1987 at Fort Carson
The unit provides mechanical, medical and supply support to the 1st Brigade Combat Team and the 4th Infantry Division. The 4th Support Battalion provides multiple types of support to the maneuver brigade. This support includes supply, maintenance, medical and support elements. The unit contains a wide range of military occupational specialties, each their specific missions.
To ensure the soldiers are capable of fulfilling their duties during combat, classroom instruction dealt with how to deal with improvised explosive devices, rocket-propelled grenades and react to ambush while in a convoy.
The 4th Support Battalion soldiers used small convoys of four or five Light Medium Tactical Vehicles and Humvees to complete a weeklong convoy, live-fire exercise at Pilot Knob multi-use range in October 2004. This training was essential to accomplishing the mission. The success of other units depended on being able to provide maintenance, support and supplies.
During the exercise, 4th Support Battalion soldiers engaged pop-up targets from moving vehicles, and the convoy continued on before stopping to recover a disabled vehicle. Several simulated casualties required a medical evacuation vehicle to arrive on the scene while the soldiers established security around the area and recovered the disabled vehicle. This was accomplished under normal and chemical attack situations.
The initial phase began with how to set up the engagements. There was a great deal of planning involved. Including classroom time and Sergeants Time training.
