RICHMOND, Va. –
Approximately 70 Soldiers assigned to the Virginia National Guard’s Virginia Beach-based 529th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion Headquarters, 329th Regional Support Group will enter federal active service for duty in Poland in January 2024, according to an announcement made Oct. 18, 2023, by Maj. Gen. James W. Ring, the Adjutant General of Virginia.
The unit was alerted to prepare for a possible mobilization more than a year ago and just recently received their official notification to deploy. The troops will serve under the command of U.S. Army’s 3rd Division Sustainment Brigade to provide sustainment command and control and support to forward-stationed U.S. and allied forces in the region. Their mission will be part of a rotation of forces conducting multinational training and operations with allies and regional security partners to increase military interoperability, build contingency response capabilities and deter adversaries in Europe.
“Once again, the experienced logisticians of the 529th are answering the call to deploy overseas and provide world-class sustainment support to critical operations supporting the interests of the United States and our allies,” Ring said. “The 529th is one of our most deployed formations, and I have full confidence the outstanding officers, noncommissioned officers and Soldiers will meet and exceed any challenges they face and make sure all their units receive the support they need to accomplish their mission.”
A combat sustainment support battalion is a multifunctional logistics headquarters exercising mission command for assigned companies, teams and detachments to provide maintenance support as well as distribution of food, fuel, ammunition and other vital supplies. They expect to have supply, transportation and maintenance companies under their command, but additional units could be assigned to meet mission requirements.
Soldiers of the 529th gained valuable experience for the upcoming mobilization when they supported Joint Readiness Training Center rotation 23-8.05 July 6 to Aug. 6, 2023, at Fort Johnson, Louisiana. Conducted in support of the Hawaii Army National Guard’s 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, the 529th was in charge of running the division support area, where they provided command and control of more than 400 National Guard Soldiers from five different units from five different states providing food, water, fuel, ammunition and other supplies.
“The Soldiers of the 529th have built a strong, cohesive foundation by going through our JRTC rotation and feel ready and excited to perform this mission in Poland and continue the storied lineage of this unit,” said Lt. Col. Carlos M. Maldonado, the commander of the 529th.
Read more about the JRTC rotation at
https://ngpa.us/27213.
This is the fourth federal active-duty deployment for the 529th since being federally recognized in 2009, with previous deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait. The mobilization order is for a period of 365 days, but could be extended if there is an operational need.
The 529th will conduct a departure ceremony in the Virginia Beach area in late January 2024, then the Soldiers are scheduled to report to Fort Cavazos, Texas, for approximately 25 days of mobilization training before deploying overseas to Eastern Europe.
About the 529th:
Approximately 70 Soldiers assigned to the 529th CSSB returned to the United States Sept. 11, 2019, after serving on federal active duty in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, headquartered in Camp Taji, Iraq since Dec. 2018. During the deployment they planned and coordinated combat sustainment support, managing all commodities, Operational Contracting Support and Counter-ISIS Train and Equip Fund, as well as maintenance support for numerous units operating in the Central Command Area of Responsibility with Soldiers in 14 locations spread across four different countries.
Soldiers assigned to the 529th served in Kuwait and Iraq from July 2014 to April 2015 where they planned and coordinated combat sustainment support for U.S. and coalition forces in Kuwait and the surrounding region to include Afghanistan and Iraq. During their nine months in Kuwait, the 529th adapted to an ever-developing mission set, quadrupled the sustainment capabilities of the battalion and provided ground, sea and air distribution of supplies and equipment, ammunition holding and distribution, maintenance, material handling and supply management by U. S. Army units as well as contracted support. Soldiers from the 529th operated in a forward support element in Iraq that was responsible for the sustainment support that got critical supplies to U. S. and coalition forces conducting combat operations against ISIL as well as advise and assist missions in the region.
The 529th previously deployed in March 2010, when it operated from the remote forward operating base at Shindand Air Base in Afghanistan. While there it pioneered logistical support operations as the first U.S. combat support battalion in the area to conduct operations. The battalion was responsible for building an expeditionary life support complex and infrastructure for the entire airbase while providing seamless sustainment operations for supported units as well as helping improve quality of life and promoting economic development in local Afghan communities. The battalion provided command and control for more than 500 Soldiers from three active duty units: the 104th Transportation Company from Fort Benning, Ga., the 183rd Maintenance Company from Fort Carson, Colo., and the 226th Quartermaster Platoon from Fort Stewart, Georgia. Working directly with Italian, Spanish, Slovenian and Afghan forces, the unit’s mission was to provide supply, maintenance and transportation support to U.S. and coalition warfighters throughout the region.
The 529th CSSB was one of eight units recognized as a Distinguished Unit of the Regiment during the Quartermaster Regimental Honors and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony June 5, 2015, at Fort Lee, Virginia, The Distinguished Unit of the Regiment award was introduced in 1993 to recognize outstanding units, past and present, who have made a significant contribution to the Quartermaster Corps.
In September 2013 the National Guard Association of the United States presented the 529th CSSB with the Milton A. Reckord Award for training excellence during the 135th NGAUS General Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii. NGAUS presents the Reckord Award each year to the Army National Guard battalion that achieves the highest state of readiness in the country. For the Reckord Award, the battalion must have demonstrated superior performance in the areas of personnel strength, retention, duty MOS qualification, individual and crew served weapons qualification, the Army Physical Fitness Test, drill weekend attendance and annual training attendance. The battalion, along with its organic units, must have demonstrated a commitment to the welfare of its members and their families and to its communities during the training year for which being nominated.
Read more about the 529th at
https://ngpa.us/27153