Military

1st Force Service Support Group

The 1st Force Service Support Group activated March 30, 1976, is a versatile, multi-faceted combat service support organization. The unit provides combat service support for the I Marine Expeditionary Force, while troops are in garrison, employed separately, or as part of Marine Air Ground Task Force operations.

Marine Expeditionary Unit Service Support Groups 11, 13 and 15 provide the same type of combat support but on a smaller scale to their respective MEUs.

The 1st Force Service Support Group is comprised of Headquarters and Service Battalion, 1st Maintenance Battalion, 1st Supply Battalion, 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st Transportation Support Battalion, 1st Medical Battalion, 1st Dental Battalion, Marine Expeditionary Unit Service Support Groups 11, 13 and 15, Combat Service Support Group 1 at Twentynine Palms, and Combat Service Support Detachment 16 at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma. The Group Headquarters is located in the 14 Area, with elements of the group situated throughout Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton. In addition to providing the Group Headquarters, Headquarters and Service Battalion provides disbursing, exchange, postal and military police support to the Fleet Marine Force and communications for the Group.

First Maintenance Battalion provides intermediate-level maintenance support for Marine Corps-furnished tactical communications/electronics, engineer, general support, motor transport and ordnance equipment. Maintenance facilities are located in the Las Pulgas (43) Area, the Del Mar (21) Area and the Chappo (22) Area.

First Supply Battalion supplies all classes of supply, except bulk fuel, required by the Marine Expeditionary Force. The Supply activity Support System Management Unit, which is the heart of this operation, is located with the other functional areas in the warehouse complex in the Chappo (22) Area. Seventh Engineer Support Battalion is organized to provide general engineer support to a MEF. Its services include bath and laundry, water supply, mobile electric power, storage and distribution of bulk fuel, and explosive ordinance disposal support. 7th ESB is located in the 14 Area.

First Transportation Support Battalion was created on 18 December, 1998. It has taken on the rolls of the old 7th Motor Transport Battalion and 1st Landing Support Battalion. The 1st TSB's mission is to provide throughput and distribution of supplies, personnel and equipment, as well as medium and heavy motor transport support to I Marine Expeditionary Force.

The 1st Medical Battalion is organized to provide collection, emergency treatment, temporary hospitalization, specialized surgery and evacuation of battle injuries. The battalion also coordinates preventive measures for control of disease. The battalion is located in the Chappo (22) Area.

The 1st Dental Battalion is charged with the dental health of the MEF and providing specialized care of casualties. The First Dental Company, located in the 22 Area, provides dental services through the 13 Area dental facility. The 13th and the 23rd Dental are located at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro and Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., respectively.

1st Supply Battalion was redesignated as Combat Service Support Group 15, a General Support Group. 1st Transportation Support Battalion was redesignated as Combat Service Support Group 11, a Direct Support Group. Both CSSG-11 and CSSG-15 took part in OIF.

OIF 2

Nearly half of the 1st Force Service Support Group had arrived and was getting settled in to its bases in Iraq by mid-March 2004, as part of the OIF 2 rotation. The main mission of 1st FSSG was to provide supplies and other support to I MEF operating in wester Iraq, though the unit also plans to conduct a variety of humanitarian projects to assist with reconstruction efforts. Slated to officially relieve the Army's 82nd Airborne Division in the spring, I MEF took over Security and Stability Operations in the newly liberated country.

Replacing the 82nd Airborne's support elements, the 1st FSSG was to sustain the 1st Marine Division and 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. Forty percent of 1st FSSG's Marines left staging areas in Kuwait for Iraq via convoys and flights with its numbers totaling approximately 5,000. The Group began transporting its forces into Iraq as early as Feb. 9, in preparation for the transfer of authority. Headquartered at Camp Taqaddum, the 1st FSSG oversaw the operations of Combat Service Support Groups 15 and 11. The latter directly supported the 1st Marine Division's Regimental Combat Teams 1 and 7 with Combat Service Support Battalions 1 and 7. CSSG-15 was be responsible for acquiring all supplies and pushing them to the battalions.

While serving in Iraq, 1st FSSG had numerous accomplishments to include operations in Fallujah and supporting the Independent Election Committee of Iraq elections, received, billeted and provided basic life support to more than 1,000 IECI personnel. They also supported approximately 141,000 civilians at humanitarian assistance sites in Fallujah, handing out more than 124,000 humanitarian rations and more than 140,000 bottles of water.

The unit was relieved by the 2nd Marine Logistics Brigade (Forward), at a ceremony at Camp Taqaddumm on March 12, 2005.