The 113th Sustainment Brigade, nicknamed “Steel Horses,” was formed on 5 October 2008 from units that had comprised the 113th Field Artillery Brigade, but it did not carry on that unit’s lineage and honor; those passed to the C Battery of the 5th Battalion, 113th Field Artillery Regiment.
As a Sustainment unit, the Steel Horses have helped many North Carolina National Guard units mobilize for deployment in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, as well as for service with the Multinational Force and Observers. In 2011, the Brigade’s 1452nd Heavy Equipment Transportation Company, 113th Special Troops Battalion managed the withdrawal of the last men and materiel and materiel to leave Iraq; the Company had deployed in support of Iraqi Freedom previously in 2003 – 2004. And in 2012, the Brigade deployed to Kuwait to replace the 230th Sustainment Brigade as the only Sustainment unit in that country.
The 113th Sustainment Brigade Shoulder Sleeve Insignia, often called a unit patch, was approved for wear on 22 October 2010. The color version is currently worn with the Army Green Service Uniform (AGSU); prior to October 2015, it was designed for wear with the now-discontinued Class A/B Army Green Uniform. Two subdued versions are available, one designed for wear on the current Army Combat Uniform (ACU) and other uniforms manufactured with the Operational Camouflage Pattern and another designed for uniforms made with the Universal Camouflage Pattern that was discontinued in 2016 (though authorized for wear through September 2019). The color version of the insignia is used for the Brigade’s Combat Service ID Badge; click the CSIB link below to learn the symbolism of the insignia’s images. Use the Unit Crest link to view and/or read about the Brigade’s Distinctive Unit Insignia.
Related Items
113th Sustainment Brigade Unit Crest (DUI)
113th Sustainment Brigade Combat Service ID Badge (CSIB)