On 16 September 2011, the 451st Expeditionary Sustainment Command was activated in the Army Reserve, making it the newest Command of its type in the Army. Plans for the activation of the Command were first announced on 27 May 2009, with the Army Reserve placing the unit—which had been created through the conversion and redesignation of the long-inactivated 451st Field Depot—in what it called “carrier status” for two years as the Army recruited soldiers and equipped the unit.
Serving the role of an operational command post for a Theater Sustainment Command, the 451st Expeditionary Sustainment Command plans, synchronizes, monitors, and controls sustainment operations for Army Service Component Commands and Joint commands (Joint Task Forces and Joint Forces Commands). In total, the 451st exercises command and control of numerous Army Reserve units based throughout the Midwest comprising more than 4,000 Soldiers.
The 451st Expeditionary Sustainment Command Shoulder Sleeve Insignia, commonly called a unit patch, was delivered to the Soldiers of the Command on 7 January 2012. A chevron indicates the unit plays a support role in warfare, and the national colors of red, white, and blue have distinct meanings in the insignia: red is for courage, blue is for loyalty, and white signifies devotion. The circular arrow in the chief symbolizes the “Transportation Cycle of Logistics” and alludes to the Command’s movement around the globe and back again in order to complete a mission. An unsheathed, upward-pointing sword illustrates the willingness of the Command’s personnel to engage in the fight, and its gold color indicates excellence.