What was designated the 15th Sustainment Brigade from October 2005 to May 2015 can trace its history back to two different forebears: the 1st Cavalry Division Support Command and the 15th Support Brigade. The latter was activated in July, 1966 at Fort Hood (now Fort Cazavos) and inactivated a little over a year later after providing support to units serving in Vietnam. It was activated again in 1968, and during the five years leading up to its 1973 inactivation, it earned official credit for participation in two campaigns in Vietnam.
The 1st Cavalry Division Support Command, on the other, started out as a Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 1st Cavalry Division Trains—the “ole timey” designation for division support units—activated in Korea in 1957. The unit took on its Division Support Command, or DISCOM, status in 1963 (along with a consolidation with the 1st Cavalry Division Band that lasted eight years).
During its five-year role of support of 1st Cavalry Division while in Vietnam, the Command earned official credit for participation in ten campaign, as well as a Presidential Unit Citation, Valorous Unit Award, four Republic of Vietnam Crosses Gallantry, and three Meritorious Unit Commendations. The DISCOM’s support of 1st Cavalry continued in Operation Desert Storm, where it garnered another Meritorious Unit Commendation, and it earned a second one for actions in Southwest Asia for its support of the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
As of Summer 2023, the 15th Sustainment Brigade is stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas.
Related Items
15th Sustainment Brigade Unit Patch (SSI)
15th Sustainment Brigade Unit Crest (DUI)
It was in 2005 that the then-inactive 15th Support Brigade was consolidated with the 1st Cavalry’s DISCOM to form 15th Sustainment Brigade. In 2006, the newly formed brigade became the first element of the 1st Cavalry Division to deploy back to Iraq, where it took control of logistics in the area of operations around Baghdad. The Brigade was redesignated as the 1st Armored Division Sustainment Brigade in May 2015, a move eliminated the wear of the 15th Support Brigade unit patch.
The brigade’s long affiliation with the 1st Cavalry is reflected in the designs of both its Combat Service Identification Badge (CSIB) and its unit crest, known officially as a Distinctive Unit Insignia. On the CSIB, a black horse’s head is featured prominently above two arches emblazoned with five stars, which represent the five areas of support the brigade provides: field services, human resources, maintenance, supply, and transportation. Taken in toto, the cross (a Roman numeral “X”) and five stars add up to the unit’s numerical designation. The CSIB lacks the unit motto of “Support The Action,” which instead is displayed on the unit crest.