The 275th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion became the first unit of its type in the Army Reserve when it was formed in 2006. At the time the Battalion's HHC and Headquarters were alerted of their pending mobilization, the 275th was unproven and untested. There were many who doubted the new logistics battalion would be able to handle the rigors and demands of complex combat sustainment and retrograde operations - much less be able to provide mission command to the various Active Duty, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard units that would be assigned to the 275th once they deployed. Most members of the Battalion were newly assigned and over half had never deployed to a combat environment before. In September 2010 I had been pulled from command of another battalion to lead the 275th CSSB in both its train-up and deployment. Together, we only had a few short months to fill out our manning roster and prepare for the demands of combat logistics. When we first deployed to Contingency Operating Base Speicher in early April 2011, we assumed the traditional mission of the outgoing CSSB - providing sustainment to U.S. bases in Northern Iraq. Within a month of our arrival our mission became infinitely more complex, as the demands of combat retrograde began to take priority. We were just getting started.There was no way any of us could have predicted how much our mission and battalion would grow over the remainder of 2011. What we accomplished was logistics history. The 275th CSSB played a leading role in the closure of every U.S. base remaining in Iraq. Our Battalion changed location three times as we completed retrograde from north to south. Each time we "jumped TOC" our battalion mission increased in size. At the same time, the 275th CSSB grew from its original strength of just over 600 Soldiers to an eventual size of over 1,400. This made the 275th the largest logistics type battalion in the history of the Iraq War. The ultimate honor was when the 275th CSSB was chosen over three other sister units in Iraq to be the backbone of the final retrograde of forces required by Operation New Dawn. On 18 December 2011, Soldiers from the 275th became some of the final personnel to leave when they shut down the bulk fuel farm, convoy support center, and the cargo receiving and shipping point at Camp Adder. I could wax eloquent with great pride for every one of my Soldiers. Our numbers speak for themselves.
Trucks from the 275th CSSB completed 1,024 convoys that covered 3,423,128 miles throughout Iraq and into Kuwait. These convoys, all under the threat of hostile enemy action, safely transported 361,072 short tons of retrograde and sustainment cargo.
The 275th CSSB sustainment U.S. Forces in Iraq with 1,822,170 cases of bottled water, 10,429,000 rounds of ammunition, and 16,114,865 gallons of fuel.
Soldiers of the 275th CSSB operated and closed each of the Cargo Receiving and Shipping Points (CRSP) in Iraq. These vital hubs successfully processed 39,253 shipping containers (20' and 40'), 22,965 vehicles, 8,982 "463L" pallets of cargo, and 48,442 skid-mounted pieces of equipment.
Field Service Maintenance facilities manned by the 275th CSSB completed 2,115 work orders in direct support of various US Forces-Iraq units.
275th CSSB provided direct support to various operational moves of multiple combat units in Iraq that ensured the security of the various stages of the final retrograde out of the country.
Operations of the 275th CSSB spanned the entire country of Iraq and ranged into Kuwait. Every single U.S. base remaining in Iraq as of April 2011 was eventually closed through either the direct or indirect support of the Battalion.
Operating as part of the 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, the 275th CSSB reported to the 77th Sustainment Brigade until 15 October 2011. After that, the 275th CSSB reported to the 4th Sustainment Brigade for the duration of Operation New Dawn. Together, we completed the largest combat retrograde of United States Forces since World War II. The Battalion proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that we were ready for every challenge, every mission, and every task. We proved the Total Army Concept in combined logistics using a mix of units from every component of the Army. The following list comprises each subordinate unit of the 275th CSSB during Operation New Dawn:
275th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, Fort Lee, Virginia (Army Reserve)
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 275th CSSB "Mad Dawgs"
89th Transportation Company, Fort Eustis, VA (Active Army) "Road Masters"
22 April 2011 - 18 December 2011
370th Transportation Company, Brownsville, TX (Army Reserve) "Border Bandits"
22 April 2011 - 31 August 2011
196th Transportation Company, Orlando, FL (Army Reserve) "Blue Devils"
15 August 2011 - 18 December 2011
68th Transportation Company, Fort Bliss, TX (Active Army) "Road Warriors"
15 October 2011 - 18 December 2011
941st Transportation Company, Charelston, SC (Army Reserve) "Sand Sharks"
15 October 2011 - 18 December 2011
238th Field Service Maintenance Company (One Platoon), San Antonio, TX (Army Reserve)
22 April 2011 - 31 August 2011)
403rd Inland Cargo Transfer Company (One Platoon), Fort Bragg, NC (Active Army)
22 April 2011 - 31 May 2011
372nd Inland Cargo Transfer Company, Fort Campbell, KY (Active Army) "Deuce Train"
01 June 2011 - 22 December 2011
305th Quartermaster Company, Fort Campbell, KY (Active Army) "No Slack"
15 October 2011 - 22 December 2011
1729th Field Service Maintenance Company, Havre de Grace, MD Army National Guard) "Ravens"
15 October 2011 - 22 December 2011
24th Ordnance Detachment, Fort Stewart, GA (Active Army) "Dragons"
The accomplishments of the 275th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion can best be summarized by the citation on the units Meritorious Unit Commendation. The words summarize an appropriate conclusion to a fantastic deployment. "Mission First! Soldiers Awways!"
"FOR OUTSTANDING MERITORIOUS PERFORMANCE FROM 05 APRIL 2011 TO 31 DECEMBER 2011 IN SUPPORT OF OPERATION NEW DAWN AT CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, VICTORY BASE COMPLEX AND CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, IRAQ. THE 275TH COMBAT SUSTAINMENT SUPPORT BATTALION DEMONSTRATED THE ABILITY TO INNOVATE AND ACCOMPLISH EVERY ASSIGNED MISSION. THE BATTALION'S ABILITY TO PROVIDE THE WARFIGHTER WITH SUSTAINMENT AND RETROGRADE CAPABILITY ENSURED MISSION SUCCESS AND REPRESENTS AN OUTSTANDING EFFORT AT ENABLING A DECISIVE VICTORY. THEIR DEDICATION AND EXEMPLARY PERFORMANCE ARE IN KEEPING WITH THE FINEST TRADITIONS OF MILITARY SERVICE AND REFLECT GREAT CREDIT UPON THEMSELVES, THE 310TH EXPEDITIONARY SUSTAINMENT COMMAND, THE UNITED STATES FORCES-IRAQ, AND THE UNITED STATES ARMY."
