The 103rd

Expeditionary Sustainment Command The Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), commonly referred to as an "ESC", is a United States Army logistics headquarters. Sustainment is "the provision of logistics, Finance Corps, financial management, United States Army Adjutant General's Cor ...

(ESC) is a subordinate command of 79th Theater Sustainment Command (United States). The 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) is located on the Fort Des Moines Joint Reserve Complex in Des Moines, Iowa. The command comprises 62 subordinate units and has command and control of almost 6,000 Army Reserve Soldiers throughout the midwestern United States to include locations in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois. The 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) provides trained and ready forces in support of global contingency operations. On order, the 103rd ESC is prepared to deploy and provide command and control to all assigned, attached, and operationally controlled units and will provide sustainment planning, guidance and support to forces in the area of operations.army.mil
Welcome to the 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)

Subordinate units

As of 2018 the following units are subordinated to the 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary): * 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) (103rd ESC), in

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Iowa, most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is the county seat of Polk County, Iowa, Polk County with parts extending into Warren County, Iowa, Wa ...

** 206th Regional Support Group (206th RSG), in

Springfield, Illinois Springfield is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Illinois. Its population was 114,394 at the 2020 United States census, which makes it the state's List of cities in Illinois, seventh-most populous cit ...

644th Regional Support Group The 644th Regional Support Group (644th RSG) is a subordinate command of 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary). The 644th RSG was formerly called the 644th Area Support Group. under the 88th Regional Support Group prior to being transferred t ...

(644th RSG), in

Fort Snelling, Minnesota Fort Snelling is an unorganized territory of Hennepin County in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is named after historic Fort Snelling, which is located within its boundaries. The district also includes Coldwater Spring park, Fort Snelling ...

645th Regional Support Group 645th Regional Support Group is a United States Army Reserve The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a Military reserve force, reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the ...

(645th RSG), in

Southfield, Michigan Southfield is a city in Oakland County, Michigan, Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. An inner-ring suburb of Detroit, Southfield borders Detroit to the north, roughly northwest of downtown Downtown Detroit, Detroit. As of the 2020 Uni ...

** 646th Regional Support Group (646th RSG), in

Cedar Rapids, Iowa Cedar Rapids is a city in Linn County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. The population was 137,710 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Iowa, second-most populous city in Iowa. The city lies o ...

** 649th Regional Support Group (649th RSG), in

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is the List of municipalities in Wisconsin by population, second-most populous city in the state, with a population of 269,840 at the 2020 Uni ...

History

The 103rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command initially formed as the

103rd Infantry Division (United States) The 103rd Infantry Division ("Cactus Division") was a unit of the United States Army that served in the U.S. Seventh Army of the 6th Army Group during World War II. It was variously assigned to the VI Corps, XV Corps, and XXI Corps. By war' ...

, organized as a reserve division on 9 September 1921, in Denver, Colorado. It was ordered into active service on 15 November 1942 at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana. The 103rd Infantry Division was activated as a reserve division on 7 May 1947 in Des Moines, Iowa. In February 1963, its combat elements were redesignated and reorganized as the 205th Infantry Brigade and the 103rd Operational Headquarters. In June of that year, that headquarters was redesignated 103rd Command Headquarters (Divisional). In December 1965, it was reorganized as the 103rd Support Brigade. The 103rd Support Brigade was redesignated and reorganized as the 103rd Corps Support Command (COSCOM) in September 1977. The 103rd COSCOM was the first corps support command in the U.S. Army Reserve. On 15 September 1993, the 103rd COSCOM inactivated. Out of the inactivation of the 103rd COSCOM was the birth of two new reserve units: the 19th Theater Army Area Command (CONUS) and the 3rd COSCOM (CONUS). On 14 February 2006 the 103rd was redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 103rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command. The 103rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command re-activated as a reserve command effective 16 September 2006. Although the division was officially relocated to the Iowa and Minnesota area in 1947, its Cactus Patch still reflects the unit's original geographic locations. The 103rd has transformed from an infantry division, to a support brigade, to a corps support command, to an Expeditionary Sustainment Command.

Operation Iraqi Freedom

In April 2010, the 103rd ESC deployed to Iraq in support of operations Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn and provided logistics and support to forces throughout the country. 103rd ESC's first deployment as an expeditionary sustainment command. The 103rd ESC's mission in Iraq was to reduce the footprint of the U.S. military presence in Iraq by providing logistical support and assistance with the responsible drawdown of equipment while simultaneously sustaining troops in theater. More than half the soldiers currently assigned to the 103rd ESC have been deployed previously to Iraq or Afghanistan with different units in support of other missions.http://www.dvidshub.net/news/49286/hail-and-farewell-mighty-103rd News: Hail and Farewell, Mighty 103rd!

Operation Enduring Freedom

On 16 June 2013, Soldiers from the 103rd ESC were deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and provide Combat Service Support capabilities within Regional Command East (RC East) and Regional Command North (RC North), in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The deployed Soldiers came from the 203rd Transportation Company (Inland) to participate in this deployment as the 203rd Inland Cargo Transportation Company.

Unit Insignia

Shoulder Sleeve Insignia (SSI)

On a yellow disc in diameter, a blue horizontal base, overall a green giant cactus, all with a Army green border. The cactus represents the home area of the unit in the Southwest when it was first organized and is symbolic of the unit's nickname. The shoulder sleeve insignia was originally approved for the 103d Division on 14 October 1922 and the approval specified the segment at the bottom of the disc to be the color of the branch of service. On 18 June 1935, the authorization was amended to standardize the design with the segment at the bottom of the disc to be blue. It was redesignated for the 103rd Command Headquarters (Divisional) on 23 October 1963. It was redesignated for the 103rd Support Command on 29 March 1978. The insignia was redesignated effective 16 September 1993, for the 103rd Infantry Division. It was redesignated effective 16 September 2006, for the 103rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command and updated to add a symbolism.

Distinctive unit insignia (DUI)

A gold color metal and enamel device in height overall consisting of a gold heraldic millrind supporting a gold arrow, point up, and bearing upon its crossbar a blue fleur-de-lis between two blue five pointed stars; all upon a scarlet field and above a blue concave scroll, with ends white and folded vertically terminating at the outer edge of the crossbar, inscribed on the blue portion "WE SUCCEED" and on the white portion a cactus on the left side and a Yale key on the right, both vertical and gold. Buff (gold) and scarlet are the colors associated with US Army Support units. The millrind is symbolic of strength and support; the stars denote military leadership and the arrow suggests combat readiness. The cactus refers to the unit's early history as the Cactus Division and the key to its later redesignation to a Support Brigade. The fleur-de-lis and two stars represent World War II combat service in the Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace and Central Europe campaigns. The colors blue, white and scarlet also refer to the flag of Iowa, location of the unit's headquarters. The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 103d Support Command (Corps) on 10 August 1982. It was redesignated effective 16 September 2006, for the 103d Sustainment Command with the description updated.

Combat Service Identification Badge (CSIB)

A gold color metal and enamel device in diameter consisting of a design similar to the shoulder sleeve insignia.

References

External links

103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) Home Page

The Institute of HeraldryThe Cactus Patch: The official magazine for the 103rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command