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58th Transportation Battalion

The 58th Transportation Battalion continuously conducts and supports multi-level and interservice transportation training; to produce combat ready, disciplined, highly motivated, physically fit, values based, entry-level motor transport operators for the Department of Defense.

Soldiers assigned to A Company train alongside United States Marines in the Motor Transport Operators Course taught by both services here at Ft Leonard Wood. Student drivers receive the basic skills needed to qualify them for the Military Commercial Drivers License (MCDL). The first phase consists of the general knowledge needed to pass the written testing involved for the MCDL. Students spend one week in the classroom learning these general skills. Once past the written tests, student are introduced to the primary vehicle used during training; the M900 series 5 ton truck or the 10 ton Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMMT), depending upon the soldier's military occupational specialty (MOS). The hands-on portion of the training culminates with the students demonstrating their ability during a thorough evaluation of their driving skills during an actual road test. Course length for the 88M MOS is six weeks; for the H7 additional skill identifier (ASI) the length is five weeks. The company runs three 88M MOS and three H7 ASI classes on a continual basis, each class being two weeks apart.

Soldiers assigned to B Company train alongside United States Marines in the Motor Transport Operators Course taught by both services here at Ft Leonard Wood. Student drivers receive the basic skills needed to qualify them for the Military Commercial Drivers License (MCDL). The first phase consists of the general knowledge needed to pass the written testing involved for the MCDL. Students spend one week in the classroom learning these general skills. Once past the written tests, student are introduced to the primary vehicle used during training; the M900 series 5 ton truck or the 10 ton Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT), depending upon the soldier's military occupational specialty (MOS). The hands-on portion of the training culminates with the students demonstrating their ability during a thorough evaluation of their driving skills during an actual road test. Course length for the 88M MOS is six weeks; for the H7 additional skill identifier (ASI) the length is five weeks. The company runs three 88M MOS and three H7 ASI classes on a continual basis, each class being two weeks apart.

The 58th Transportation Battalion was formed as the 2d Battalion of the 27th Quartermaster Regiment (Truck) at Camp Shelby, MS, in July 1942. The 2d Battalion of the 27th Regiment provided support during mobilization for World War II at Camp Shelby, MS, and Camp Forrest, TN, before deploying overseas to Algiers through Hampton Roads, VA, in May 1943.

In October 1943, while serving in Italy, the 27th Quartermaster Regiment was divided into three separate battalions. The 2d Battalion evolved as the 58th Quartermaster Battalion, Mobile and participated in three World War II Italian campaigns (Naples Foggia, Rome Arno, and North Apennines). After the war, the battalion served briefly with the occupation forces before being deactivated in October 1945.

The battalion was later redesignated the 58th Transportation Corps Truck Battalion and remained in inactive status until November 1965 when it was reactivated at Fort Benning, Georgia, as an Aircraft Maintenance and Support Battalion and deployed to Vietnam in March 1966. The 58th Transportation Battalion earned fourteen campaign ribbons and five unit commendations during the Vietnam conflict before again being deactivated at Oakland Army Base, CA, on April 1972.

On 15 July 1986, the 58th Transportation Battalion was reactivated at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, to assume the training missions of the retired 5th Battalion, 4th Training Brigade.