45th Sustainment Brigade
45th Corps Support Group (Forward)
"Lightning Support"

As part of the transformation of the US Army as a whole to the modular force structure, the 45th Corps Support Group was inactivated in late 2005. It was reorganized, redesignated, and reactivated in 2006 as the 45th Sustainment Brigade and was assigned to the 8th Theater Sustainment Command.

Previously, the mission of the 45th Corps Support Group (Forward) was to prepare for worldwide deployment, and when directed, provide combat support and combat service support for military operations.

The 45th Sustainment Brigade was first constituted on 1 May 1936 in the Regular Army as the 45th Quartermaster Regiment (Truck). It was activated on 9 May 1942, at the Oakland sub-port of embarkation, California.

Elements of the Regiment separated on 1 December 1943, and received new designations. The Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment became HHD, 45th Quartermaster Group. The Headquarters and Headquarters Detachments, 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions became Headquarters and Headquarters Detachments, 45th, 68th, and 120th Quartermaster Battalions (Mobile) respectively. Companies A through M were redesignated as numbered quartermaster truck companies. Following the end of the Second World War, the Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 45th Quartermaster Group was inactivated at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey on 26 November 1945.

On 30 March 1966, the Group was redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 45th Support Group. Activation followed on 4 May 1966 at Fort Lee, Virginia. The Group was inactivated on 15 December 1970, at Fort Lewis, Washington.

On 15 September 1972, the 45th Support Group was reactivated at Fort Shafter, Hawaii. In August 1986, the 45th Support Group was reorganized to include command and control of the 7th Maintenance Battalion, the 124th Transportation Battalion, the 84th Engineer Battalion (Combat) (Heavy), the 29th Engineer Battalion (Topographic), and the 125th Finance Battalion.

On 16 October 1993, the 45th Support Group was redesignated as the 45th Corps Support Group (Forward), the 7th Maintenance Battalion was reflagged as the 17th Corps Support Battalion, and the 124th Transportation Battalion was reflagged as the 524th Corps Support Battalion.

In late 2005, as part of the Army's Transformation Initiative and the transformation to the modular force structure, the 45th Corps Support Group (Forward) was inactivated. It was reorganized and redesignated as the 45th Sustainment Brigade and reactivated in 2006. As part of the reorganization, a special troops battalion was activated as part of the Brigade. The 29th Engineer Battalion, 84th Engineer Battalion, and 125th Finance Battalion were reassigned to the the 8th Theater Sustainment Command. The 17th and 524th Corps Support Battalions remained assigned to the new Brigade. The 524th Corps Support Battalion was subsequently inactivated, reorganized, redesignated and reactivated as the 524th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion. In 2008, the 17th Corps Support Battalion went through a similar change, and was reassigned to the 3rd Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, US Army Alaska.

The 45th Sustainment Brigade deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom on 21 January 2009. The 45th Sustainment Brigade was in charge of the Joint Logistics Command which provided support operations for the war fighrers throughout the Cobmined Joint Area of Operations. Immedieately after arriving into the theater, the 45th Sustainment Brigade began to reset the logistical posture by revamping stockage objectives and instituting new distribution methods to better support all US service members and coalition partners throught Afghanistan.

During their tour, the Brigade synchronized the movement of critical sustainment supplies to the warfighters on the ground throught Afghanistan. Their job was made more difficult due to the rough and treacherous terrain and the inaccessibility of many of the nation's roads. The Brigade assisted with the fallen comrade ceremonies of 155 Americna service members and 57 coalition service members who paid the ultimate sacrifice. On 31 December 2009, the 45th Sustainment Brigade successfully conducted a transfer of authority ceremony with the 82nd Sustainment Brigade, ending their rotation in Afghanistan.