The 16th Sustainment Brigade began the most recent chapter of its 50-plus-years of service in July 2007 when it was reorganized and redesignated as a Sustainment unit. Headquartered in Baumholder, Germany, the 16th Sustainment Command is responsible for providing mission command of forces based in 16 locales throughout Germany and Italy. It is the single Sustainment Brigade to support U.S. European Command, as well as U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Central Command.
Originally formed as the 16th General Support Group, the unit was activated in the Dominican Republic in 1965 as one of the final moves in Operation PowerPack (the Group won an Armed Forces Expedition Medal for its service). It would also earn campaign streamers for all three of the campaigns in the Southwest Asia conflict (First Gulf War). Before receiving its current designation, it was deployed on two tours to Iraq, picking up a Meritorious Unit Commendation for its 2003 – 2004 service.
Between 2010 and 2014, the Brigade made two trips to Afghanistan, the first as the Command-and-Control element for a training mission to prepare Coalition forces in Sustainment of the International Assistance Forces in Afghanistan. In 2012, the Department of the Army called upon the Brigade to assist Afghan National Security Forces in building and maintaining a logistics system ahead of the planned American troop drawdown in 2014, living out its motto of “LOGISTICS THE KEY TO WIN.”
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16th Sustainment Brigade Unit Crest (DUI)
16th Sustainment Brigade Combat Service ID Badge (CSIB)