2nd COSCOM
The 2nd Corps Support Command have provided support forward to VII Corps units for more than 20 years. The command provided combat service support to units spread over 30,000 square miles of fields and forests from 76 installations in Southern Germany.
When the unit, commanded by BG Robert P. McFarlin, deployed to Saudi Arabia, only the terrain changed. Throughout Desert Shield and Desert Storm, the "Champions" provided the Jayhawk corps with logistical support.
In Mid-November, COSCOM units flew from Germany and the United States to Saudi Arabia, spearheading the corps deployment. They deployed early to ensure the corps' combat units had their "beans and bullets" as they marched off the runway. Throughout Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Jayhawk soldiers had food, fuel, ammunition, water and parts enough to carry the fight to the enemy.
Stateside units join COSCOM
Germany-based 2nd COSCOM units didn't do the job alone. With the addition of stateside active duty, Reserve and National Guard forces, COSCOM tripled in strength from its pre-war size of nearly 8,000 to a peak strength of more than 26,000. Soldiers from northern Germany to Italy, Montana to Texas, blended into the team supporting the massive logistics operation.
To support the corps commander's operational scheme, the COSCOM pulled together five corps support groups, a medical brigade, two separate battalions and two "centers of excellence," specialized cells which oversaw some aspects of the effort.
Forming task forces
The 7th Corps Support group, headquartered in Crailsheim, Germany, represented the only CSG in the peacetime COSCOM lineup. Desert Storm saw the 7th grow to 26 companies from active, National Guard and Reserve units. These were tailored into multifunctional, logistics task forces supporting the 1st and 3rd Armor Divisions, the 2nd Armored cavalry regiment and associated non-divisional units. During the 100 hour ground war, 7th Group trucks logged more than 150,000 miles moving supplies to the front. In one 48-hour period, the 7th pumped 860,000 gallons of fuel to keep the divisions rolling through Iraq.
The 16th Corps Support Group headquarters came to the 2nd COSCOM from Hanau, Germany. Its Desert Storm organization included more than 60 companies. Among other missions, the group built and operated the logistical bases the corps relied upon. Log Base Alpha was the first of these bases which provided supply support, maintenance facilities, field services and transportation to VII Corps units.
Providing support forward
With Alpha completed, the 16th moved forward and built Log Base Echo, which grew to more than 20,000 soldiers spread among 18 different base clusters. Two more bases, Buckeye and Nellingen, provided forward logistics support to the attacking VII Corps units. Nellingen alone, built some 32 miles inside Iraq, had the capability to store almost two million gallons of fuel and 400,000 gallons of water.
The 30th CSG joined the COSCOM from the North Carolina National guard and grew to 18 companies. As Desert Shield transitioned to Desert Storm, the 30th moved to Log Base Echo and established a General Support Supply Base providing rations, water, POL and a host of other supplies and equipment. Following hostilities, the 30th established and operated a captured enemy equipment collection point.
Supporting 1st Cavalry
The 43rd CSG began its Desert Shield operations in October as part of the 1st COSCOM, XVIII Airborne Corps. Headquartered at Fort Carson, Colorado, The group's 13 companies provided logistical support to the 1st Cavalry Division.
With the onset of Desert Storm, the 30th transferred to 2nd COSCOM. While its headquarters changed, its mission did not. During its time in Saudi Arabia, the group pushed more than 30 million gallons of fuel and more than one million gallons of water to the division. The group also performed 1,400 direct support maintenance jobs monthly.
The 159th CSG joined the command from its home station in Helena, Montana, and soon grew to 12 companies. Its mission brought it into position to support the 1st Infantry Division (Mech) and associated nondivisional units-sometimes up to 30,000 soldiers. At times they pushed more than 125,000 meals daily to units in Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait.
Medical support
BG Michael Strong, a reservist, commanded the 332nd Medical Brigade from Nashville, Tenn. At 7500 soldiers and 61 subordinate units, the brigade comprised the largest medical unit in theater. While not heavily needed, the 332nd was ready with five evacuation hospitals, five combat support hospitals, five mobile army surgical hospitals and a medical support unit.
The job of keeping VII Corps aviators flying fell to the 7th Battalion, 159th Aviation. At the end of Operation Desert Shield, the unit had completed more than 2500 work orders. During Desert Storm, they recovered 49 aircraft, drove some 20000 accident-free miles and flew 215 hours in support of the mission.
Two centers of excellence contributed to the effort. The 229th Transportation Center (Movement Control) coordinated all movement within the corps area and the 800th Material Management Center provided integrated supply and maintenace support.
Summing up
In all, the COSCOM grew to 215 companies, stored more than 500 defferent types of ammunition in storage sites covering 10 square miles of desert and pushed ammo to units at an average rate of 4930 short tons daily during the four-day offensive. On average days, the COSCOM issued 200 major end items. Average weeks saw nine million gallons of fuel pumped by COSCOM fuelers.