CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait -- The Army Field Support Battalion -- Southwest Asia has a short but distinguished history dating from August 2004 to July 2014. AFSBn-SWA was instrumental in the success of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation New Dawn; with operations based in Iraq from 2004 to 2011 and then in Kuwait where the unit remained until its inactivation July 8.
The AFSBn-SWA was originally formed at Logistics Support Area Anaconda, Joint Base Balad, Iraq, in August 2004 as the Equipment Support Activity-Iraq Zone. The ESA-IZ fell under the command and control of the Army Material Command Logistics Support Element-Iraq, whose mission was to provide lifecycle maintenance and property book accountability support to AMC and stay behind equipment.
In March 2005, the Combat Equipment Battalion-Luxemburg, from Europe, set up a forward-deployed command post in Iraq to establish brigade level command and control for equipment.
Following that move, the ESA-IZ was officially re-designated as the Army Field Support Battalion-Iraq May 26, 2005. Also in May 2005, AFSBn-IZI began plans to standup two remote add-on-armor sites; one on Forward Operating Base Marez in the Mosul area, and one on FOB Speicher in the Tikrit area. Both sites were fully operational by late July 2005.
On Oct. 1, 2005, AMC LSE-Iraq was re-designated as the Army Field Support Brigade-Iraq and the AFSBn-IZI was officially assigned to the AFSB-Iraq.
The unit was a force multiplier to those serving in the Iraq theater of operations from 2005 to 2011, as the main support element for the Warfighter in Iraq through its sustainment maintenance, armoring and new equipment fielding.
Elements of the battalion included both the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command and Tank-automotive and Armaments Command Life Cycle Management Command activities, as well as the U.S. Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology programs. This merger of AMC and ASA(ALT) program managers, called the Materiel Enterprise, provided the core enablers who protected and sustained the Warfighter.
In addition, the battalion led the Mobile Redistribution Property Assistance Team and Materiel Retrograde Equipment-Iraq operations in support of the Department of State/Office of Security Cooperation -- Iraq normalization mission.
Another significant battalion accomplishment was the implementation of new technologies, such as the Common Remotely Operated Weapons System, a system that allows the Warfighter to engage hostile targets from inside an armored vehicle. The Armored Security Vehicle was introduced to the battalion in February 2005. The CROWS and the ASVs greatly enhanced mission readiness of OIF units.
One of the unit's most important accomplishments in 2005 was the introduction of the Add on Armor program. The armor was installed on thousands of vehicles. The battalion managed this program throughout Iraq and this program was instrumental in protecting vehicles and passengers from improvised explosive device explosions; ultimately saving the lives of our Soldiers.
The battalion's Mobile Parts Hospital was a new and unique combination of advanced technologies. The MPH provided the capabilities to quickly and efficiently produce repair parts on demand. The MPH retrieved manufacturing data via satellite from an extensive solid model database of parts. In the event that there was a communications failure or data was unavailable, the MPH was capable of gathering its own geometric data through the use of a 3-D laser scanning system.
While the mission remained the same from 2005 to 2011, the unit's name did not. In August 2011 the 402nd AFSB was brought into the alignment with standard Army Sustainment Command's naming conventions and the 1st Battalion was renamed Army Field Support Battalion-SWA.
In August 2011, as OND was ending, the battalion relocated from Joint Base Balad to Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, to support the Responsible Drawdown of Forces. The battalion supported every FOB closure in Iraq with force protection enablers, communication systems support and route clearing equipment maintenance.
In October 2011, the battalion redeployed from Al Asad Air Base to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, to assume mission command of seven Forward Repair Activities and provide support to 37 ASA(ALT) program executive officers/program managers. In addition, the unit also assumed mission command of the CECOM Electronic Sustainment Support Center, Test Measurement and Diagnostic Equipment Lab and the Hawker Battery Repair Facility.
The AFSBn-SWA's mission was to provide one-stop, single integration fielding for new technology systems and sustainment maintenance to units in Southwest Asia. In Kuwait, the battalion provided centralized mission command for AMC's LCMC's forward repair activities, ASA(ALT) PEOs/PMs and logistics sustainment for Army Central Command, the U.S. Mission-Iraq, and Operation OEF.
Concluding the move to Kuwait, the mission continued in Iraq with AFSBn-SWA performing split-based operations from 2011 to 2013. Two units were under tactical control to AFSBn-SWA; the 574th Quartermaster Company and the 171st Movement Control Team. With the help of the 574th Quartermaster Co., and the 171st MCT, the last six OSC-I sites were closed down as the Iraq drawdown mission was completed Dec.15, 2013, with the closure of Umm Qasr, Iraq.
With the completion of the Iraq mission and the closure of several programs, AFSBn-SWA exceeded expectations and fulfilled the purpose for which it was originally stood up. The unit inactivated on July 8, 2014, and all heraldry items were retired to the Army Sustainment Command historian at Rock Island Arsenal, Ill. The Soldiers, civilians and contractors of AFSBn-SWA earned the right to be proud of its achievements and have one great claim to fame -- the AFSBn-SWA was the last U. S. Army battalion operating in Iraq.
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