Active 1942 Branch US Army Size Battalion | Country United States Type Support | |
Part of 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division | ||
The 64th Brigade Support Battalion, nicknamed "Mountaineers," is a United States Army Support Battalion, currently assigned to the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
History
The 64th Forward Support Battalion was constituted in 1942 as the 64th Quartermaster Battalion. In August 1942, it was activated as the 64th Quartermaster Laundry Battalion, and was then separated in 1943 into Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 64th Quartermaster Battalion, and four separate companies. In 1948, the Headquarters Detachment was allotted to the Regular Army. It was inactivated in 1949 at Camp Lee, Virginia along with the separate companies.
From 1950 to 1953, the unit activated for services in Europe during the cold war. In 1963, the 64th Quartermaster Battalion was activated for services in Vietnam, where it was inactivated in 1970. Redesignated 1 December 1975 as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 64th Support Battalion. Together with its companies, the unit was reactivated and assigned to the 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized) and served in Germany until its deactivation in 1984. It deployed as a unit, with 550 personnel to Wiesbaden FRG, as part of Brigade 76 in April 1976. This deployment was a forward brigade to be used as a rapid deployment unit with a combat brigade made up of units from Fort Carson, all of which were on a rotational assignment basis; with the exception of the HQ company of the brigade and the support battalion. On 15 May 1987, the 64th Support Battalion was reactivated at Fort Carson, Colorado.
The 64th Support Battalion is authorized 13 campaign streamers for use with organizational colors. The streamers were earned for action in World War II and in the Vietnam War.
The distinctive unit insignia worn by the soldiers of this battalion is the primary buff and scarlet, colors symbolic of support units. Black refers to the petroleum capability of the battalion. The fleur-de-lis and the three battlements allude to the three campaigns credited to the battalion in France and Europe in World War II. The original rice motif symbolized service in Vietnam. The turned down inner blades of the wreath, crossing diagonally simulate the Roman numeral X and refer to participation in the ten campaigns in Vietnam. The two red areas allude to the two meritorious unit commendations awarded to the battalion during service in Vietnam.
The 64th BSB deployed with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team in 2003 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 1. The unit deployed to Iraq again in support of OIF 5 in 2005 and OIF 07-09 in 2007. The 64th returned in March 2011 from a year-long deployment to Southern Iraq in support of OIF 10–11.