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87th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion
87th Corps Support Battalion
"Base of the Pyramid"

In mid-2004 the 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized) began transformation to the US Army's new modular force structure. Part of the transformation included the changing of relationships between support assets at Corps, Division, and Brigade level. The 87th Corps Support Battalion was inactivated and reactivated as an organic part of the new Division support element, first designed the Division Support Brigade, and the redesignated the 3rd Sustainment Brigade. The 87th Corps Support Brigade was reorganized and redesigned the 87th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion.

The previous 87th Corps Support Battalion deployed as a forward Corps Support Battalion. It operated in the Division Support Area providing direct and backup support to non-divisional units located in or passing through the division area of operations.

The 87th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion was first constituted on 1 May 1936 in the Army as the 87th Separate Quartermaster Battalion (Light Maintenance) at Fort Des Moines, Iowa. In November 1942, the Battalion arrived in North Africa. Assigned to II Corps, it was to provide 3rd Echelon Maintenance and Supply to Corps troops, 1st Infantry, 1st Armored and 34th Infantry Divisions in and around Oran, Algeria.

In early 1943, the Battalion was assigned to Fifth Army and then to the 1st Tank Destroyer Group, which operated south of Oran near Sebban. By September 1943, the Battalion boarded the USS Korea for movement to Salerno, Italy. Between September 1943 and July 1945, the Battalion established a number of ammunition supply points throughout Italy, ranging from Prestum to Monecatini. In addition, the unit was tasked to provide material while working under adverse conditions. The unit handled 89,499 tons of ammunition during a 30 day period.

The Battalion earned 6 battle streamers for participating in 6 major campaigns in North Africa and Italy. It also received a Meritorious Unit Commendation with streamer embroidered "EUROPEAN THEATER".

On 2 December 1990, the Battalion Advance Party arrived in Saudi Arabia and on 15 December 1990, the Battalion began its movement to the desert in support of Operation Desert Shield. Immediately following Operation Desert Shield, the unit, then designated the 87th Maintenance Battalion, began preparation to reorganize from Wertheim, Germany to Fort Stewart, Georgia as part of the Army European draw down. The unit completed this mission on 1 January 1992.

On 30 September 1992, the Battalion deployed troops to Homestead AFB, Florida for Operation Hurricane Andrew Relief, to help support the citizens after a major national disaster. The troops returned on 6 November 1992. In 16 October 1993, the Battalion was officially redesignated as the 87th Support Battalion (Corps) with the motto: "Base of the Pyramid."

On 11 September 1994, the Battalion deployed to Operation Vigilant Warrior in Kuwait. While deployed, the Battalion provided all classes of support to the 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized) deployed in theater. When the 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized) was reflagged as the 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized in 1996, the 87th Corps Support Battalion began a support relationship with the new unit.

From August to October 1994, the 87th Corps Support Battalion's 396th Transportation Company (Medium Truck) at Fort Stewart, Georgia, replaced its aging M915 tractors and M872 semitrailers with a fleet of 48 palletized loading system (PLS) trucks. After that the company had been at the forefront of the Army's PLS testing program.

Exercise Mojave Strike was held at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California, from 26 April to 30 May 1995. During this rotation, the 396th Transportation Company used the PLS and its enhancements to support the 1st Brigade, 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized). The 87th Corps Support Battalion support operations maintenance section coordinated with the task force S4 and forward support battalion (FSB) support operations section for spare parts needed by the task force. The FSB supply support activity (SSA) deployed with a limited combat authorized stockage list, so Fort Polk SSA's, AMC liaison officers, the AMC contingency SSA, and local vendors assisted in providing the parts. The 226th Quartermaster Company transported parts, and sometimes major assemblies such as engines and transmissions, from outlying base camps to customers at other base camps when needed.

During Exercise Bright Star '97, the US Army operated under challenging conditions. The 226th Quartermaster Company, 87th Corps Support Battalion, operated a 100,000 gallon Fuel System Supply Point (FSSP) in the desert at the Pyramid Log Base. They received Jet A-1, blended in additives, and ultimately issued 500,000 gallons of JP-8.

In 1999, the 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized) at Fort Stewart, Georgia, was tapped by the Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) to provide troops for Stabilization Force (SFOR) 8 and 9 in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Division immediately set in motion specific training plans to prepare Task Force Eagle for the peacekeeping operation. These training plans included theater-specific individual readiness training, platoon and company lanes training, weapons qualification, driver certification, and other training required by soldiers entering the theater. The training began in July 2000, when the 3rd Infantry Division and elements from FORSCOM, the Army Reserve, and various Army National Guard units converged on the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana, to participate in the SFOR 8 Mission Rehearsal Exercise, or MRE 00-09.

Combat service support (CSS) units supporting peacekeeping operations often had to interpret emerging CSS doctrine and embrace nondoctrinal support techniques to meet constantly changing support requirements. During MRE 00-09, the 226th Supply Company (Direct Support), 87th Corps Support Battalion, 24th Corps Support Group, did just that. Using both emerging CSS doctrine and nondoctrinal support techniques, the 226th Quartermaster provided support to 3 outlying base camps that supported battalion-level task forces and Eagle Base, the main base camp that sustained the Division Headquarters (-) and other slice elements that comprised Task Force Eagle.

In 2004 as part of the transformation of the 3rd Infantry Division to the US Army's modular force structure, the 87th Corps Support Battalion was inactivated. It was reorganized, redesignated, and reactivated as the 87th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, an organic element of the 3rd Infantry Division's Support Brigade (later redesignated the 3rd Sustainment Brigade in 2006).

In 2005 the 559th Quartermaster Battalion (Water Supply) was inactivated. Personnel had been reassigned starting in 2004 to both the 87th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion and the 260th Quartermaster Battalion. The 94th Maintanence Company was reassigned to the 87th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion.

From January 2005 to February 2006, the Battalion deployed to Camp Taji, Iraq where they provided all classes of support, convoy security, force protection, and division distribution to the 3rd Infantry Division. The Battalion drove over 2 million miles transporting multiple classes of supply, supporting election operations, and moving several combat units within the divisions' area of responsibility. The Battalion also supported port operations as part of the Division's redeployment.