Photo By RYAN SHARP | U.S. Army Combined Arms Support Command Soldiers wear period U.S. Army uniforms during...... read more read more
FORT GREGG-ADAMS, Va. – U.S. Army Combined Arms Support Command/Sustainment Center of Excellence commemorated 250 years of the Army as well as three sustainment corps birthdays – Quartermaster, Finance and Adjutant General - with a Sustainment Tattoo June 13 at the Ordnance Training Support Facility.
The “tattoo” originated over 300 years ago as a British military call signaling troops to return to barracks and taverns to close. The phrase evolved into “tattoo” and, by the late 19th century, inspired ceremonial military music performances – a tradition honoring our nation and its service members.
The Sustainment Tattoo recognized achievements of Sustainers and Soldiers throughout the history of the Army and the nation. CASCOM Commanding General Maj. Gen. Michelle Donahue said, “our history isn’t just about dates and battles; it’s about the people – the Soldiers, civilians, and thinkers – who shaped who we are today and forged our enduring traditions.”
On June 14, 1775, the Continental Congress called for 10 companies of expert riflemen to be organized and sent to Boston to assist the militia facing the British. This was the birth of the United States Army. Two days later, on June 16, Congress established the Quartermaster Corps, Finance Corps, Adjutant General Corps, and the Commissary General of Subsistence to support this new Army -- to clothe and house them, to pay them, to manage them, and to feed them. To arm the men, the Continental Congress’ Board for War and Ordnance created the Commissary General of Military Stores - the forerunner of the Ordnance Department to harness the munitions necessary for the Revolutionary War.
With the onset of the Civil War in 1861, massive mobilizations challenged the Army’s logistical systems in ways not previously imagined. Unprepared for the hundreds of thousands of troops, the sustainment branches initially struggled to adapt to and equip the Union Army. Yet, it did adapt through victory and defeat on the battlefield to become one of the principal reasons for the ultimate success of the Union cause.
When the United States entered World War I in April 1917, the U.S. Army was unprepared for large-scale overseas deployment. The war spurred rapid modernization and growth, fundamentally reshaping the Army and its support systems. The Quartermaster Corps expanded to establish a comprehensive logistical network in France, including ports, depots, and salvage operations, and embraced new necessities like petroleum and vehicle repair parts. Recognizing the importance of hygiene, they also introduced laundry and bath operations. Simultaneously, the Ordnance Department created a tiered maintenance system, establishing repair base shops in France and deploying mobile repair units to support troops in the field. To train personnel for these new roles, the Ordnance Department established training schools in diverse locations, including universities and factories.
World War II presented unprecedented logistical challenges for the U.S. Army, requiring support for 8 million personnel across diverse environments – from deserts to jungles. Gen. George C. Marshall appointed Gen. Brehon B. Somervell to lead the Army Service Forces, overseeing a massive expansion of all logistical branches. This war also saw the large-scale integration of women into the military through the Women’s Army Corps, exemplified by Lt. Col. Charity Adams and the 6888th Postal Battalion. Recognizing the critical need for specialized transport, the Transportation Corps was established as a distinct branch in July 1942, managing vital maritime, rail, and vehicular networks, including the crucial Burma Road and Persian Corridor, and supporting every amphibious operation.
Unlike WWII, the Vietnam War was a decentralized counter-insurgency conflict where logistics often lagged behind rapidly deployed combat units. Initial efforts were hampered by a surplus of supplies, duplicate requisitions, and outdated accounting methods. The establishment of the 1st Logistical Command in 1965 aimed to address this fragmentation, and by 1967, a fully automated inventory control center began to streamline supply management. Transportation units were crucial for deploying personnel and establishing logistics hubs along the coast, often modifying trucks for self-defense against ambushes. Ordnance units faced challenges maintaining dispersed equipment due to limited resources and the constant threat of sabotage, yet still improved equipment readiness rates by 1969 to exceed those of previous wars.
The 1980s saw a shift toward multi-functional logistics in the Army, preparing for the Airland Battle doctrine. This culminated in the formation of forward support battalions and redesign of logistics structures. Operation Desert Storm provided the ultimate test, deploying the 18th Airborne Corps and 7th Corps to Saudi Arabia. Transporters executed the largest deployment since WWII, opening seaports and building up supplies for the invasion of Iraq, and discreetly repositioning forces for the “Left Hook” maneuver. Quartermaster units faced unprecedented demands due to high fuel consumption – exceeding two billion gallons and requiring new facilities and the need for extensive water purification. Ordnance units managed massive ammunition stockpiles and vehicle maintenance in harsh conditions, establishing the 1st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group to handle ordnance disposal.
With the end of the Cold War, the Army was called upon to conduct numerous humanitarian and peace-keeping operations from Somalia to Bosnia to Kosovo. Following the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001, the Global War on Terror brought the Army into a focus on brigade-centric combat and sustainment operations in Iraq and Afghanistan for almost 20 years.
The focus for today’s Army is preparing for large-scale combat operations against a near-peer adversary - a return to the objective of moving and sustaining a large number of units in offensive operations using innovative technology to support Soldiers in the field.
To achieve this goal, the Army has established exercises to build this capability. Operation Pathways has become a proving ground for the logistical and sustainment enterprise to confront and work-through the myriad of issues associated with the deployment and sustainment of units across the Indo-Pacific theater. Operation Defender tests the same capability, but in the other direction, toward the European theater and our allies in NATO. These and other technologies and capabilities will enable the best logistical and sustainment possible for today’s Army as well as the future Army.
As is evident in the past 250 years of Army history, Army Sustainment has always risen to the challenges, overcame the challenges, and provided for the American Soldier to win our nation’s wars and will continue in the next 250 years.
“The Sustainment Center of Excellence embodies this evolution, serving as a critical training center to guarantee our lethality and warfighting readiness,” said Donahue. “We will carry forward our proud legacy as we embrace a future of leadership, innovation, and service.”
Editor’s Note: Karl Rubis, CASCOM History Office, contributed to this article.
| Date Taken: | 06.13.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.13.2025 17:13 |
| Story ID: | 500614 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 111 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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