USARSUPTHAI ASSOCIATION

501st Sustainment Brigade

(Currently an active Army unit)

About the Brigade

The 501^st SBDE is a multifunctional sustainment brigade, headquartered on Camp Carroll, South Korea, providing logistics support to US Army units in Korea.

 

Unit History

The 501^st Sustainment Brigade traces its history to the activation of the 501^st Quartermaster Battalion. The Battalion was activated on 29 July 1944 in England. On 28 October 1944, the Battalion was moved to France and later Germany, where it earned campaign participation streamer with inscription for the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater. The 501^st returned to the United States on 18 July 1945 where it was stationed at Camp Lee, Virginia.

 

On 20 February 1950, the 501^st Quartermaster Battalion joined the Eighth United States Army in Korea. For its action in the Korean War the Battalion earned a Meritorious Unit commendation, a Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, and campaign participation streamers for the second Korean Winter, Korean Summer-Fall 1952, Third Korean Winter, and Korean Summer 1953.

 

On 21 February 1958, the unit was inactivated in the Republic of Korea. It was redesignated on 7 April 1966 as the 501^st Field Depot and activated 1 June 1966 at Granit city Army Depot, Illinois.

 

The 501^st Field Depot performed duty with the United States Army Pacific on 8 February 1967.

 

The 501^st Field Depot was assigned to the 9^th Logistical Command under the United States Army Support, Thailand.

 

The mission of the 501^st Field Depot was assigned to Camp Friendship in Korat to assume the supply mission for Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Malaysia and to maintain stock to equip one infantry brigade in humidity controlled warehouses.

 

On 18 March 1967 the 501^st Field Depot moved to Camp Friendship in Korat. The following units were placed under the control of the 501^st Field Depot: the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, the 331^st Supply & Service Company (Forward Repair Parts), the 511^th Supply Company (General Support), 558^th Supply & Service Company (Heavy Material Support) and the 590^th Supply and Service Company (Direct Support) all units were stationed at Camp Friendship in Korat.

 

The 501^st Field Depot and all of its assigned units were inactivated on 20 December 1968 in Thailand.

 

The unit was reactivated as the 501^st Support Group before being redesignated as the 501^st Corps Support Group on 16 April 1986 at Yongsan, Korea. On 28 February 1991, the 501^st Support Group (Corps) moved to Camp Red Cloud, Korea.

 

In December 2005, the 19^th Theater Support Command was reorganized and redesignated as the 19^th Expeditionary Support command, both because of the transformation in the US Army to the new modular force structure and as a product of the drawdown of US forces in Korea. As a result, the Area Support Groups were inactivated and many of their units inactivation. The Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 501^st Corps Support Group was reorganized and redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 501^st Sustainment Brigade. The 498^th Corps Support Battalion was reorganized and redesignated as the 498^th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion and the Brigade also gained the 194^th Maintenance Battalion, previously part of the 23^rd Area Support Group, which was reorganized and redesignated as the 194^th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion.

 

Prior to this reorganization, the 501^st Corps Support Group had the mission of providing trained and ready forces to conduct sustainment operations in direct support of non-divisional units and back-up direct support to the 2^nd Infantry Division which included: Maintenance, supply, transportation, field services, logistics planning, integration of RC/AC logistics units, and force reconstitution as required. The 501^st Corps Support Group was headquartered at Camp Red Cloud, located 20 miles north of Seoul in Uijongbu.

 

The 501^st Corps Support Group consisted of 7 units: Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 501^st Corps Support Group; 498^th Corps Support Battalion, 46^th Transportation Company, 61^st Maintenance Company, 293^rd Quartermaster Detachment, 305^th Quartermaster Supply Company, 473^rd Field Service Company, and 595^th Maintenance Company. Each had its own role as part of the Group.

 

The Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 501^st Corps Support Group provided command and control, administrative, training and life support for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Corps Support Group. The 46^th Transportation Company provided responsive line-haul transportation support throughout the USFK Theater. Additionally, it provided backup transportation support to the 2^nd Infantry Division.  The 61^st Maintenance Company provided direct support maintenance and repair parts to non-divisional units operating in, or passing through Area I. It also provided direct backup support to other DS maintenance units, divisional units, and separate brigades. The 293^rd Quartermaster Detachment provided direct support for Class III (bulk), water purification and storage support for non-divisional units in Area I. The 305^th Quartermaster Supply Company provided direct support for Classes I, II, III (package and bulk), IV, and VII; water purification and distribution; and, mortuary affairs support to non-divisional units on an area basis. It also provided backup support to the 2^nd Infantry Division. The 473^rd Field Service Company provided shower, laundry, delousing, and renovation support to divisional and non-divisional units. The 595^th Maintenance Company provided DS maintenance and class IX repair parts to non-divisional US forces in Area II. It also operated the ALOC distribution drop point for Area II and the K-16/Songnam NEO assembly point.

 

Following the reorganization and redesignation of the 19^th Theater Support Command as the 19^th Expeditionary Support Command in December 2005, in June 2006, the 501^st Corps Support Group was reorganized and redesignated as the 501^st Sustainment Brigade. This transformation was part of both the transformation in the US Army to the new force structure and the by product of the draw-down of US forces in Korea. The 501^st Sustainment Brigade gained some of the units not inactivated with the inactivation of the various Area Support Groups during the transformation.

 

Unit Patch

The fleur-de-lis and Taeguk signify the unit’s service in France during WWII, just after D-Day and the Korean War respectfully. The chevron is a symbol of the brigade’s support mission. The light blue top section refers to the unit’s origin and lineage as a Quartermaster Battalion. The crossed swords highlight cooperation, strength and combat readiness. Scarlet is the color for zeal and sacrifice in battle. The gold stands for excellence and high ideals.

 

Timeline

1944 – Activated 501^st Quartermaster Company in England, participates in WWII

1945 – Stationed at Camp Lee, VA

1950 – 1953 – Korean War participation

1958 – Inactivation

1966 – Reactivation 501^st Field Depot at Granite City, IL

1967 – Stationed at Camp Friendship in Korat, Thailand

1968 – Inactivated at Camp Friendship in Korat, Thailand

1986 – Reactivated as 501^st Support Group at Yongsan Garrison, Korea

1991 – Relocated to Camp Red Cloud

2003 – Relocated to Camp Stanley

2006 – Transformed and designated 501^st Sustainment Brigade, and relocated to Camp Carroll

 

Subordinate Units

 

501st Special Troops Battalion

Headquarters & Headquarters Company (Camp Carroll)

176^th Finance Company (Yongsan Garrison)

 

194th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion (Formerly the 194^th Maintenance Battalion)

Headquarters & Headquarters Company (Camp Humphreys)

46^th Transportation Company (Camp Stanley)

61^st Maintenance Company (Camp Stanley)

348^th Quartermaster Company (Camp Humphreys)

520^th Maintenance Company (Camp Humphreys)

 

498th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion (Formerly the 227^th Maintenance Battalion)

Headquarters & Headquarters Company (Camp Carroll)

551^st Inland Cargo Transport Company (Camp Carroll)

595^th Maintenance Company (K-16)

 

94th Military Police Battalion (Yongsan Garrison)

Headquarters & Headquarters Company (Yongsan Garrison)

188^th Military Police Company (Camps Carroll, Walker, Henry)

557^th Military Police Company (Camp Humphreys)

55^th Military Police Company (Camp Casey)

142^nd Military Police Company (Yongsan Garrison)

249^th Military Police Detachment (Camp Humphreys)