BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan--A significant chapter of 401st Army Field Support Brigade history closed Dec. 15 as it cased its colors in order to relocate the brigade headquarters to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. Army Field Support Battalion-Afghanistan will remain Army Materiel Command's single face to the field in the Combined Joint Operational Area -- Afghanistan and the brigade will begin to resume its role providing the same capability to the Central Command area of responsibility.
During its tenure in Afghanistan the brigade fielded, sustained and retrograded hundreds of thousands of pieces of equipment ranging from small hand-held devices to MRAP vehicles weighing more than 50,000 pounds. Brigade elements also provided training for Warfighters who would use the latest in vehicles and other technology on the battlefield.
"Thousands of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles were fielded with the support of the 401st AFSB," said Col. Matthew J. Ferguson, 401st AFSB commander. "Soldiers survived their tour in combat because of the work accomplished by this dedicated team of AMC Soldiers, Department of the Army Civilians and contractors."
"It's a historic day, as today marks not only the colors casing of the 401st in Afghanistan, but marks the end of a seven year run where the AFSB has served as Army Materiel Command's single face to the Warfighter for all activities in Afghanistan supporting U.S. Forces Afghanistan and the International Security Assistance Forces -- Afghanistan," said Maj. Gen. Darrell K. Williams, 1st Theater Sustainment Command commanding general. "For more than 12 years of sustained combat, the 401st has been a source of continuity, stability and reliability for our Warfighters."
Williams went on to say that the brigade will continue to be the on-the-ground link back to Army Materiel Command and will 'play a crucial role in sustaining the fight by providing steadfast logistical and maintenance support to our men and women on the ground'.
Ferguson observed that since January 2012 the 401st retrograded nearly 25,000 pieces of rolling stock valued at nearly $23 billion and slightly more than 381,000 pieces of non-rolling stock worth more than $10 billion.
"The AMC Depots in the United States owe 71 percent of their 2015 workload to retrograde from Afghanistan," said Ferguson.
He said the 401st Team of Teams 'had effectively done their part to build future readiness for our Army'.
"The finish line for Operation Drum Beat was crossed last week, about three weeks ahead of schedule," Ferguson said. "Never before have U.S. Forces exited a combat theater so well and so responsibly."
He added that the 401st is a proud member of a larger team including 1st TSC and 3rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) 'who together moved mountains of steel' in an historic effort.
The brigade traces its history to 1997 with the establishment of the Combat Equipment Group -- Southwest Asia in Qatar and AMC's Logistics Assistance Program and Logistics Support Element in Kuwait. In 2002 AMC began pulling elements together that would result in the formation of Army Field Support Brigade -- Southwest Asia in Kuwait. In early 2006 the brigade was re-designated as 401st Army Field Support Brigade and had battalions in Qatar, Kuwait and Afghanistan before the end of the fiscal year. A brigade tactical operations center was established at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan in early 2007 and the headquarters was moved forward to support increased operations in Afghanistan in 2010. At its peak, the 401st had battalions in Bagram and Kandahar, Logistics Support Teams and Logistics Support Elements and smaller Maintenance Support Teams totaling more than 56,000 military, civilians and contractors located throughout the CJOA-A to support troops and equipment. As missions in the CJOA-A evolved, so did the 401st and at the time of its return to Kuwait the footprint contains one battalion, two LSEs and smaller MSTs positioned to support the Resolute Support mission.
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