Courtesy Photo | Col. Timothy P. White, commander of the 501st Sustainment Brigade, Camp Carroll, South...... read more read more
CAMP CARROLL, Waegwan, South Korea – The 501st Sustainment Brigade, the “Champions” brigade, was recently recognized with the Distinguished Unit of the Quartermaster Regiment award. The unit was awarded with a streamer, which was pinned to the brigade colors, at a ceremony held at Fort Lee, Va., June 5.
Beginning in 1993, the Distinguished Unit of the Regiment Program recognizes units with a Quartermaster lineage (both active and inactive) that have significantly contributed to the proud heritage of the Army and the Quartermaster Corps. Unit performance is measured by: the unit's history, longevity, campaign and battle streamers, and unit citations. Framed unit lineage and honor statements and unit insignia for all Distinguished Units of the Regiment are prominently displayed in Mifflin Hall, Fort Lee, Virginia. (Courtesy U.S. Army Quartermaster Foundation)
“It was a tremendous honor to have been present at the ceremony in Fort Lee, Va.,” said Col. Timothy P. White, commander, 501st SBDE. “Both myself and Command Sgt. Maj. Jason P. Willett, the 501st SBDE command sergeant major are very appreciative to be part of this accomplishment.”
“Due to our lineage and the brigade mainly being a supply unit, it is very fitting for the Quartermaster Regiment to recognize us, said White.” “The timing was also perfect. Had the brigade been recognized next year, we would have missed the opportunity to share in this great accomplishment while the unit is still active.”
“What a great way to close out this chapter, the Korean chapter, of the 501st SBDE,” said White. “As the brigade transitions into the 2nd Infantry Division’s Sustainment Brigade, we will package-up all the awards and trophies belonging to the Champions brigade, send them to the U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry for safekeeping. When or if the 501st SBDE is reactivated, they will have a legacy to continue and to live up to.”
Since its inception in July of 1944, the 501st SBDE’s list of accomplishments has been growing. From providing support to the European theater of operations and earning a streamer without inscription for the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater, the Champions brigade remains true to its motto of “Service to Professionals.”
On February 20, 1950, then under the name 501st Quartermaster Battalion, the unit joined the Eight United States Army in Korea. That battalion provided a variety of services which greatly enhanced the efficiency and morale of the front line troops during the Korean War. For said support, the unit earned a Meritorious Unit Commendation, a Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, and campaign participation streamers for the second Korean Winter, Korean Summer-Fall 1952, Third Korean Winter, and Korean Summer 1953.
The unit was inactivated in Korea in 1958, was reactivated in the U.S. in 1966 and subsequently was moved to Thailand in 1967 and assigned to the 9th Logistical Command under the United States Army Support, Thailand. It wasn’t until 1986 that the Champions brigade returned to Korea and has been here since. Although, it’s not for very much longer because the 501st SBDE is scheduled to once again inactivate later this summer.
Today, the 501st SBDE participates in multiple annual Peninsula-wide exercises to ensure logistical readiness with all units. With simulation exercises such as Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG) and Key Resolve, the champion brigade maintains logistics support across all areas in the Korean Peninsula.
Additionally, the brigade also participates in an annual Combined Joint Logistics Over the Shore (CJLOTS) exercise that tests the ability of all the units on the Korean Peninsula to deliver and distribute critical classes of supplies in a manageable and efficient manner.
This wide variety of training exercises places a high demand upon the 501st SBDE but they help to ensure the Champions brigade is ready to respond in support of the Eight Army’s “Fight Tonight” concept.
The Champions brigade is a forward deployed multifunction Sustainment Brigade of over 3,200 Soldiers in the Republic of Korea with four battalions and the brigade headquarters geographically dispersed through the Korean peninsula.
Also, over 495 Korean Augmenteees to the United States Army (KATUSAs) call the 501st SBDE their unit, which is unique to this brigade only. The combined amount of assigned personnel makes the 501st SBDE the largest sustainment brigade in the US Army.
Two unique elements that make the Champions brigade different from most sustainment brigades are that this brigade has two Combat Sustainment Support Battalions (CSSBs), the 194th CSSB and the 498th CSSB. Additionally the brigade also has a Military Police Battalion, the 94th MP battalion. The 94th MP BN provides all the military police presence on the Korean peninsula. Other sustainment brigades usually have only one CSSB battalion and almost never an MP battalion.
The 501st SBDE has personnel serving in almost every military post in the Korean peninsula. This makes it both diverse and challenging due to the vast separation between the brigade headquarters, the battalions’ headquarters and the physical location of many of the units that comprise the brigade.
| Date Taken: | 07.01.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 07.08.2015 23:01 |
| Story ID: | 169466 |
| Location: | WAEGWAN, 27, KR |
| Hometown: | CAMP CARROLL, KR |
| Hometown: | BOSTON, MA, US |
| Hometown: | FORT GREGG-ADAMS, VA, US |
| Hometown: | NEWPORT, RI, US |
| Web Views: | 349 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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