98th Area Support Group
The 98th Area Support Group conducts sustaining-base operations, providing installation management and command, control, and communications (C3) to all U.S. Government agencies within the Area of Responsibility (AOR) as specified by current agreements. It plans for and executes deployment/redeployment support, reception, onward movement, and integration of forces in and out of the AOR. It also implements security measures according to higher headquarters force-protection programs and ensures the readiness and well-being of assigned and attached personnel. On order, the unit becomes OPCON to the CG, 21st TSC, to support deployment and redeployment operations.
The 98th Area Support Group is made up of four base support battalions (BSBs) and provides quality of life, service, and support in an area of approximately 19,000 square kilometers. The BSBs are the 235th in Ansbach, the 279th in Bamberg, the 280th in Schweinfurt, and the 417th in Kitzingen. The group consists of 47,000 training acres, which include 43 local training areas and 30 live firing ranges. The 235th BSB won the ACOE competition for large BSBs while the 279th BSB and 280th BSB achieved honorable mention. The 98th Area Support Group led USAREUR in fiscal years 1995 and 1996 in ACOE and CINC-level employee recognition. Population served: 17,000 soldiers and 24,000 civilians. Size: 37,000 acres and 32 million square feet of building space.
The 98th Area Support Group was first formed under the US Army Europe Community Command Plan. The 98th ASG was activated as a provisional ASG on 7 June 1991, by combining the military communities of Aschaffenburg, Schweinfurt, and Greater Wuerzburg. USAREUR officially activated the 98th ASG on 16 October 1991, and assigned to V Corps.
The 98th ASG subordinate military communities became the 280th Base Support Battalion-Schweinfurt, the 417th Base Support battalion-Wuerzburg and the Aschaffenburg Base Support Battalion (Provisional) which deactivated on 30 October 1992. The 417th BSB was Europe's largest BSB and consisted of four Area Support Teams in Wuerzburg, Kitzingen, Giebelstadt and Wertheim.
The 98th ASG has provided life support and quality of life programs to a population of soldiers, DA civilians and their families that ranged from over 56,000 in June 1991, to nearly 46,000 on 1 October 1993. The 98th ASG supported the redeployment and family support efforts of nearly three brigades equivalent tenant units that participated in Operation Desert Storm. The 98th ASG again provided similar support to Operations Provide Comfort, and Provide Promise.
The 98th ASG is also the Secretary of Defense's action agent for the US Army Humanitarian Assistance Program that supports nations in the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Africa.
