142nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion

The Pittsburgh Press - Oct 20, 1951[10] Missing 'Epistle' Bronze Star Clue

Capt. Thomas H. Westermann is a letter writer with a system. First of all, he has written his wife, Mary, of 104 W. Steuben St., Crafton, every day since he left Pennsylvania Station and home last Dec. 27. Every day, that is, except one. This day has gone down on the family calendar as an eventful day. Capt. Westermann copped the Bronze Star on this occasion for heroic deeds in Korea proved his undoing. Try as he did to conceal his exploits from the family, his letter-writing system proved his undoing. Seems he numbers every letter he writes. When Mrs. Westermann last heard from him on Oct. 8, he had been away from home 285 days. Thus the note that day was labeled "Daily Epistle No. 285." Capt. Westermann, a native of Carnegie, is plans and operations officer of the 142nd Quartermaster Battalion in Korea. His outfit operates one of the largest supply depots on this side of the 38th Parallel. The supply dump bulges with ammunition, shells, food, and vital fuel. On Feb. 11, a train loaded with ammunition and high explosive shells caught fire at the depot. In a matter of minutes, it seemed the whole dump was going to blow up. Rations, arms, and fuel which had been lugged overseas for months to put a muscle in the U.N. punch were being destroyed. Capt. Westermann refused to quit the supplies although explosions were rocking the area a mile around the dump. He and a small band of GIs braved the flying shell fragments and exploding ammo to save 43 carloads of supplies and several hundred tons of ammunition. They battled the fire 24 hours. Capt. Westermann missed writing Letter 46 that night. Next evening, before he sank into his bed, he wrote: "Dear Mary: Sorry I couldn't write last night. We had a little fire here." At the top of the note, he scribbled Nos. 46-47. "I didn't worry," Mrs. Westermann explained, "but I knew something serious had happened." A few weeks ago, she received a small box mailed from Korea. Inside was the Bronze Star. The accompanying citation, describing Capt. Westermann's bravery revealed for the first time what had happened to "Daily Epistle No. 46."

Pusan, South Korea, December, 1957: The picture to the right shows Master Sgt. Robert S. Boyd, left, and Pvt. Allen G. Ladwig check a mountain of boxes containing stored meals at the 142nd Quartermaster Battalion's Plant No. 1. The giant supply operation was responsible for, among other things, receiving, storing and issuing all perishable foods arriving at Pusan port from the U.S., Japan and Okinawa. The 142 used 100 tons of ice and 1.5 million pounds of salt to keep everything fresh during the summer; a bakery unit attached to the battalion baked about 45,000 one-pound loaves of bread per month for troops in the Pusan Area Command.[11]

142nd Soldiers in Korea inventory rations

1 May 1955, the 55th Quartermaster Base Depot was relocated to Bupyong (ASCOM city), subsequently named Camp Market. The 142nd Quartermaster Battalion was moved from Masan and assumed the mission of providing Quartermaster support to US/UN Forces in the Southern area plus Class I perishable support for all US Forces in Korea.

The Battalion was deployed to Iraq from 6 April 2003 to 8 April 2004. Crossed LD ISO 3d ACR providing DS CSS to Corps units within 3d ACR task organization. Occupied Forward Log Base PECAN and supported 3d ACR and 2/3 ID throughout Al Anbar Province (MND-W). Supported the relief in place of 3d ACR and 82d ABN DIV by providing direct support to 82d combat forces until closure of the 82d Division Support Command (DISCOM). Supported non-divisional forces in 82d Task Organization, provided reinforcing support to 82d DISCOM and provided DS CSS on an area basis upon closure of the 82d DISCOM. Provided initial support to 1 MEF & 1 FSSG (USMC) during the TOA with TF 82.

Bulk Fuel Operations

• Served as liaison to COSCOM for all bulk fuel storage and distribution issues in MND-W sector
• Operated 350,000 gal bulk fuel facility on FOB RIDGWAY
• Average daily issues = 30,000 gal
• Deployed Fuel System Supply Point (FSSP) to two locations in support of 82d ABN DIV RSOI
• Supported 1/1 IN w/ fuel distribution (5K tankers) to Junction City
• Supported 82 ABN DIV CA initiatives with captured Iraqi fuel
• 5,375,213 total gallons distributed

Bulk Water Operations

• Served as liaison to COSCOM for all water production and storage issues in MND-W sector
• Potable water production operations at Al Asad and FOB RIDGWAY
• Average daily water production at FOB RIDGWAY = 140,000 gal
• Storage capacity = 300,000 gal
• 12,777,080 total gallons produced
• Transitioned to LOGCAP water production & storage

Field Service Operations

• Sole provider of military shower, laundry and clothing repair (SLCR)in MND-W sector
• Had 3 additional SLCR detachments at one time
• Conducted SLCR operations at 8 locations
• Transitioned to LOGCAP laundry and bath operations
• Completed 120,171 bundles of laundry and provided 265,213 showers

Ammunition Operations

• Operated the only two ASPs in Iraq
• Operated Ammo Support Activity at TAJI ISO 1AD CLV Retrograde
• Ammo Support Activity established at RIDGWAY in mid-Feb ’04
• Established and operated regional CEA depot until transition to contract
• Supported CEA reduction efforts at FOB RIDGWAY – clearing 1,210 st
• Managed over 800st CLV at RIDGWAY ASP

Maintenance Operations

• 602d OD Co provided DS maintenance support to non-DIV units VIC FOB RIDGWAY and back-up support to 82d DISCOM
• Deployed 5 MSTs ISO 3d ID, 82d ABN DIV, and 1st AD
• Provided recovery support as required throughout AO
• Conducted convoy security missions for contracted trucks

Transportation Operations

• Provided back-up transportation to TF 82
• Provided GS transportation support as directed by 16th CSG
• Routinely operated at over 75% of capability
• Averaged 4-6 convoys per week
• Long-term support of light forces w/ M923 5 ton cargo trucks
• Supported early retrograde of equipment to Kuwait ISO of TF82 forces
• Over 750,000 miles driven in Iraq

The 142nd Corps Support Battalion deployed to LSA Daimondback Mosul Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 05-07 between 23 July 2005 and 7 July 2006. The unit preceded the arrival of the 101° Sustainment Brigade by one month and immediately established command relationships with the 917" Corps Support Group and the I" Corps Support Command. Over the course of the deployment over 1,400 Soldiers fell under the 142nd command and control in 15 different units spread across five locations in MND-N. The 142nd became an integral team player and provided unmatched support to Task Force Freedom in Multi-National Forces-North West (MNF-N W) and its highly-diversified subordinates, including the 3s Armored Cavalry Regiment and 1/25 SBCT. The unit launched on average 7 Combat Logistical Patrols every night along the IED-infested roads of northern Iraq constantly, ranging from downtown Mosul to remote sites. The unit orchestrated incredibly detailed, comprehensive combined-arms mission sets which set the standard for Combat Service Support conduct of Combat Logistics Patrols[12] (CLPs). It supervised the movement of Combat Logistics Patrols escorting 106,623 TCN Commercial Trucks traveling 1,746,812 miles, transporting 5,844 20 foot containers of various supplies throughout the theatre. The 142nd accomplished this with a varied unit set of Active Component (AC) and Reserve Component (RC), including two AC artillery batteries serving in lieu of transportation companies. Besides the more traditional reinforcing Direct Support (DS) to an Armored Cavalry Regiment (ACR), two consecutive Stryker Brigade Combat Teams (SBCTs) and a mechanized Brigade Combat Team (BCT), these missions also involved the daily escort of up to two 90-white-truck Third Country National (TCN) CLPs each way from the Iraqi-Turkish border with its rugged mountainous approaches to the General Support (GS) Hub for MND-N as well as the DS Hub. The unit relentlessly and meticulously sought ways to harness the latest technology in the counter-IED fight. In the process, the 142nd leadership became the Subject Matter Expert (SME) in the most effective placement and utilization of Electronic Counter-Measures (ECM). The 142nd also provided battalion-level command and control of both the internal and external Military Transition Teams (MiTTs) for the Iraqi Army (IA) 3s Division's Motorized Transportation Regiment (MIII). Under the mentorship of the 142nd the 3" MTR became the premier MTR of the Iraqi Army, a living symbol of Iraqi Soldiers serving brother Soldiers and civilians, including support during the historic 15 October 2005 Referendum and the 15 December 2005 Election. The unit lost two soldiers during the deployment, one to a HMMWV roll over accident and another to enemy small arms fire. After the roll over incident the 142nd worked to mitigate the risk by unveiling the first and only HMWVV Egress Assistance Trainer, or HEAT,[13] in Iraq June 14, 2006, giving the Soldiers another weapon in the safety arsenal to combat HMWVV rollovers, which claimed 13 lives throughout Iraq in 2006 alone.

Logistical Statistics

• Management of 19.5 million gallons of Bulk fuel
• 676,189 gallons of water distribution
• 64,000 cases of various Class I products
• 61,717 receipts processed within the Supply Support Activity
• 7.6 million pounds of mail,
• 101 remains processed
• 45,000 Showers and
• 144,000 bundles of laundry
• 5,632 flights bringing in and out more than 10,740 pallets and 77,641 passengers
• 3,317 Direct Support maintenance job orders
• 82 off-FOB recovery missions

• The Battalion deployed to Afghanistan 11 May 2011 to 3 May 2012. The multifunctional Battalion consisted of six Combat Service Support companies from multiple Army components deployed to Afghanistan consisting of 1,268 Soldiers and contract oversight of over 300 civilians. Provided direct support logistics, during the most austere challenging environments on earth; battling the harsh winters, demanding terrain, and relentless enemy; to more than 50,000 U.S. and Coalition Forces assigned to CJTF-I operating in Regional Command East (RC-E/C) to enable joint efforts in Counter Insurgency Operations. Managed 450 combat patrols, multiple company-level transitions, was responsible for the largest ammunition point in Afghanistan, thousands of containers and Host-Nation Trucks uploaded and downloaded. The Battalion was the most complex of three Battalions in the 10th Sustainment Brigade; five transportation companies moving supplies daily to sustain the momentum of the campaign, helping to grow ANSF capability and facilitating the start of retrograde of the US Army’s excess property to CONUS. Supported Operation Devil Hammer, a surge brigade build-out for an Airborne Task Force, at the height of the winter season while enduring freezing temperatures, treacherous road conditions, and heavy snowfall. Set the right conditions for success during the 2012 spring and summer fighting seasons.
• The Battalion Deployed to Kandahar AB Afghanistan 1 May 2014 to 14 October 2014