Photo By Capt. Monika Comeaux | Col. Timothy Luedecking, commander of the 4th Sustainment Brigade, 13th Sustainment...... read more read more
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KILLEEN, Texas - The soldiers of the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) and 4th Sustainment Brigade took a break from their busy operational schedule to celebrate the unit’s 48th birthday and remember its fallen Sept. 23-27.
Soldiers started off the week with an esprit de corps run and competition, with the company whose soldiers showed the highest motivation and finished the run with the highest percentage of runners earning the 13th SC(E) Commander’s Run Streamer for display on their guidon.
Thursday, the 13th Corps Support Command (COSCOM) Association hosted the Brig. Gen. Terry Hildner Memorial Golf Tournament at the Clear Creek Golf Course and the annual 13th COSCOM Association Alumni Dinner in Temple.
On Friday, the unit and the association hosted a 13th SC(E) Memorial Rededication Ceremony at Hildner Field, followed by a luncheon and a cake cutting at the Freeman Café dining facility.
During the ceremony, Brig. Gen. Clark W. LeMasters Jr. and Command Sgt. Maj. Terry E. Parham Sr., the command team for 13th SC(E), along with Robert Crouch, president of the 13th COSCOM Association, laid a wreath at the memorial wall which was rededicated after the names of four fallen soldiers were added to the wall – Brig. Gen. Terence J. Hildner, Capt. Aaron D. Istre, Staff Sgt. Robert A. Massarelli, and Sgt. Michael J. Strachota.
“This memorial stands as a tribute to the 110 soldiers of the 13th COSCOM/13th Sustainment Command who have fallen in a combat zone since 9/11/2001,” said Crouch during his speech following the wreath laying. “Paraphrasing Maj. Gen. Mike Terry (commanding general of United States Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command Life Cycle Management Command), the sun has not set on Central Texas since 9/11 without a soldier of the 13th being deployed in harms’ way somewhere in the world. Unfortunately, soldiers of the 13th (SC(E)) have paid also the price of freedom since the very start of the war on terror.”
“Today, as part of this rededication, we honor our four most recently-fallen soldiers by revealing their names on the wall of honor,” he continued. “It is our duty to memorialize them - we will never forget their courage and their sacrifice.”
Also during the ceremony, LeMasters spoke of how the memorial is not only a solemn reminder of the soldiers who have fallen, but also a representation of the hard work and determination of the soldiers within the 13th SC(E) to accomplish their missions.
“Around the central column it reads, ‘We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail,’” said LeMasters. “It is a symbol of how this unit strides each and every day to do the absolute best it can, at whatever the task is. The patch facing the sky symbolizes the unlimited potential of you, the soldiers of this unit.”
The 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) was activated at Ford Hood as the 13th Support Brigade in September 1965. As the nation's involvement in Vietnam was increasing, this brigade was formed and tasked with training technical services units to assume combat service support missions in Southeast Asia.
The command continued to evolve due to increased missions and changing roles, and, along with similar units, was redesignated as the 13th Support Command (Corps) in 1980, then as the 13th COSCOM in March 1989. As part of Army Transformation, the 13th SC(E) was lastly reflagged in its current configuration Feb. 16, 2006.
The command’s primary missions are to provide command and control of assigned, attached and operational control units, and to plan for and provide sustainment (supply, maintenance, and field services), distribution, and health service support for full spectrum operations.
Currently, the 13th SC(E) is Fort Hood's third largest unit with a local strength of more than 3,500 soldiers. The command is comprised of the 4th Sustainment Brigade and the 13th Financial Management Center.
Overall, the events of the week, culminating with the memorial rededication ceremony, were an opportunity for the soldiers of 13th SC(E) to break from their standard routines and missions to reflect on the lineage of the unit and also pay respect to their fallen comrades.
“It’s extremely important for us as a unit to take a break and remember something other than the normal day to day turmoil,” said LeMasters. “It’s one of our traditions and keeps the heritage growing. We had tremendous participation throughout the week from both our soldiers and our community partners in Temple, Belton and the 13th COSCOM Association. It speaks volumes to the quality of this organization to have great soldiers, both past and present, and great community support.”
| Date Taken: | 09.27.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 09.30.2013 17:10 |
| Story ID: | 114497 |
| Location: | KILLEEN, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 100 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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