43rd Sustainment Brigade

The 43rd Corps Support Group deployed to Southwest Asia as a part of Operation Desert Shield & Operation Desert Storm from October 1990 to April 1991.[4]

43rd Corps Support Group, Mogadishu, Somalia July 1993

In December 1992, a UN-sanctioned, U.S.-led deployment of more than 30,000 troops began, to ensure delivery of food aid. These troops were gradually reduced and in large part replaced early in 1993 by a UN peacekeeping operation in which the 43rd CSG played a smaller role. United Nations mediators attempted to bring together the various Somali faction leaders to restore peace to the country. On 26 March 1993, the United Nations passed Resolution 814 which considerably broadened its mandate to intervene in another country's affairs. The UN was now intervening militarily in a peacemaking role under Chapter VII of its charter. The (CSG) from Fort Carson, Colorado, was alerted for Somalia[5] in December 1992. The Brigade Staff included: CSM Forrest R. Guess, BDE XO Stephen Strobel, BDE S-1 Major Dan Bandy, BDE S-2 CPT Sherri Rhodus, BDE S-3 MAJ Greg Alderete, BDE SPO Bill Holstun, BDE S-4 MAJ Dona M. Thomas, the Command Chaplain was CPT Duncan Baugh[6] and the Brigade Legal Advisor was CPT Jody M. Hehr. The Headquarters Company was commanded by CPT Tim Garipee and 1SG John L. Elsasser.

Operation Restore Hope ended on 4 May 1993, when the United Nations assumed control of the humanitarian mission from American command. The 43rd CSG deployed to Somalia, under the Command of COL Wade H. McManus Jr., as a part of "Operation Continue Hope" from May 1993 to August 1993 to provide nation building and humanitarian intervention while protecting United Nations efforts. This rapidly escalated into urban warfare after the 5 June 1993 attack on a Pakistani Infantry Company and other citywide assaults. The 43rd CSG Headquarters and Headquarters Company were located at the former University of Mogadishu.[7]

All soldiers of the 43rd CSG were command directed to take a weekly dose of 250 MG of Mefloquine Hydrochloride (also known as Lariam or Mefloquine)[8] an orally administered controversial medication used as a malarial chemoprophylaxis. This drug was recently added to the Department of Veterans Affairs War Related Illness and Injury Study Center (WRIISC) as a "Potential Deployment Exposure." This places Mefloquine in the same category as Agent Orange, Depleted Uranium, Burn Pits and others.[9]

Operation Restore Hope was declared a success in May 1993 and President Clinton celebrated on the White House lawn with Marine Corps Lieutenant General Robert B. Johnston and other Somalia veterans. On 10 May 1993 the 43rd CSG's main body departed Colorado Springs, Colorado on a chartered Boeing 747 from Peterson Air Force Base with layovers in Ireland and Egypt. Operation Continue Hope began that same month with the continued theater service of 4000 servicemen and women. On 5 June 1993, Somali National Alliance forces ambushed and killed 24 Pakistani soldiers assigned to UNOSOM II.[10] Another 44 were wounded. In retaliation, the United Nations Security Council authorized the U.S. and multinational forces to launch ground and air attacks on Aidid's headquarters and strongholds in Mogadishu. The UN's special envoy in Somalia called for Aidid's arrest, but UN forces were unable to accomplish this. On 8 August Somali Guerillas detonated a mine under a passing U.S. Military Police (MP) vehicle on Jialle-Siaad Street in the Medina district of Mogadishu killing four U.S. MPs task organized to the 43rd CGS (Sgt. Christopher Hilgert,[11] 27, of Bloomington, Ind., Specialist Mark Gutting, 25, of Grand Rapids, Mich., and Specialist Keith Pearson, 25, of Tavares, Fla., all of the 977th Military Police Company from Fort Riley, Kan., and Sgt. Ronald Richerson,[12] 24, of Portage, Ind., of the 300th Military Police Company, commanded by Captain Dave Farlow, from Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.) This single, highly effect, attack infamously ushered in a new tactical era of the Improvised Explosive Device (IED).[13] After the death of 18 U.S. soldiers in a firefight with forces loyal to Aidid in October 1993, the United States increased the size of its force in Somalia but withdraw by 31 March 1994. The last remaining U.S. personnel weren't withdrawn until a year later.

The 43rd CSG was awarded the 3rd Army (ARCENT) Shoulder Sleeve Insignia, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (30 Consecutive or 60 Non-consecutive Days) and the United Nations Somalia Service Medal[14] (90 days Service) or the United Nations Medal (mutually exclusive) and four months of combat service to be applied towards a combat service stripe. COL McManus retired from the Army in 2004 as the Commander of US Army Field Support Command, at the rank of major general.[15] For additional information on the 43rd CSG deployment download "The Basement of Hell"[16] by Greg Alderete. The 43rd Corps Support Group was redesignated as the 43rd Area Support Group[17] on 16 April 1994.

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In September 1994, the 43rd ASG deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to participate in support of Operation Sea Signal as the 43rd Joint Logistics Support Group for JTF 160. The 43rd returned from Cuba in February 1995.

In February 2003 the 43rd Area Support Group deployed to Kuwait and various sites in Iraq to support Operation Iraqi Freedom I. The group returned home in August 2004. The Provider team deployed again from October 2004 to September 2005 to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom III.

43rd Area Support Group headquarters at Bagram, Afghanistan in 2007.

The 43rd Area Support Group deployed from January 2007 through January 2008 under Colonel John Howard to coordinate logistics for all US forces operating in Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom VIII. The 147th Personnel Service Battalion (MN ARNG), 450th Movement Control Battalion (USAR), and the 726th Finance Battalion (MA ARNG) were attached to the 43rd for this deployment. The unit was operating primarily in support of the 82nd Airborne Division and the 173rd Airborne Brigade after the redeployment of the 10th Mountain Division. During this deployment, a robust Rear-Detachment provided Command & Control for the units that did not deploy- primarily the 4th Engineer Battalion and the 10th Combat Support Hospital as well as elements of the 68th Combat Support Sustainment Battalion.

Effective 17 July 2008, the 43rd Area Support Group was redesignated as the 43rd Sustainment Brigade. As part of the reorganization, the 43rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion and 230th Financial Management Company (FMCO) were activated and the 10th Combat Support Hospital and 4th Engineer Battalion were reassigned away from the brigade.

The 43rd maintains an active motorcycle safety program and mentoring program. As part of their esprit d'corps building process, Soldier participated in a "Spring Kick Start" ride through Colorado Springs on 3 April 2009.

The brigade conducts a motorcycle ride through Colorado Springs.

Colonel Edward Daly led the 43rd Sustainment Brigade Headquarters into Afghanistan for their second tour in March 2010. While deployed in Kandahar, the unit provided logistics to the United States forces operating in Regional Command South and Regional Command Southwest. They returned to Fort Carson in March 2011. The brigade was awarded its second Meritorious Unit Citation for its efforts.