The pentagonal shape of the 55th Sustainment Brigade’s Shoulder Sleeve Insignia-Military Operations in Hostile Conditions (SSI-MOHC) insignia recalls the unit’s location near the Pentagon (Fort Belvoir) when it was redesignated from the 55th Material Management Center to the 55th Sustainment Brigade as the Global War on Terrorism raged in 2006.
Inside the pentagon is a the letter “V” and inverted chevron. The letter stands for “Victory” and, as the Roman numeral for “5,” denotes the unit’s numerical designation when combined with the insignia’s five sides. The chevron is a longtime heraldic symbol indicating support and in tandem with the letter “V” is a symbol of Sustainment to maintain the victory.
The lineage of the 55th Sustainment Brigade—which is an Army Reserve unit—can be traced back to 1954 when the 435th Highway Transport Command was formed. The 435th was redesignated as the 300th Transportation Group in 1963 and then became the 300th Field Army Support Command in 1969. In 1977, the unit was reorganized into the 55th Material Management Center and was assigned to the 310th Logistical Command and moved to Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Upon arrival, the 55th participated in the dedication of their new building, the John Singleton Mosby United States Army Reserve Center.
For the next three decades the 55th Material Management Center supported the 200th Theater Army Material Management Center in Zweibruecken, Germany with training and soldiers for deployment overseas. The 55ths soldiers were present when the Berlin Wall fell, and many served with distinction in Operation Desert Storm and Operation Desert Shield in the Persian Gulf, as well as in Operation Restore Democracy in Haiti. On September 16, 2006, the unit was converted to the 55th Sustainment Brigade.
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