On 23 February 1943, the 180th Transportation Battalion was originally constituted in the U.S. Army as the Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 3rd Battalion, 519th Quartermaster Regiment. It was then activated at Camp Joseph T. Robinson, Arkansas on 26 April 1943 and broken up 20 December 1943. It was reorganized and redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 180th Quartermaster Battalion, Mobile and Companies I, K, L, and M were redesignated as the 3989th, 3990th, 3991st, and 3992nd Quartermaster Truck Companies, respectively. The companies followed separate lineages. On 20 December 1943, the battalion was reorganized and redesignated as the 180th Quartermaster Battalion, Mobile. During World War II, the 180th participated in the campaigns of Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe. The battalion was inactivated shortly after the end of the war on 12 December 1945 at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey.
On 1 August 1946, the unit was reorganized and redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarter Detachment, 180th Transportation Corps Truck Battalion. The 180th was then redesignated 7 December 1966 as Headquarters and Headquarter Detachment, 180th Transportation Battalion and allotted to the Regular Army
By 23 January 1967, the battalion was activated at Fort Hood, Texas. It fell under the 13th Support Brigade. As the nation's involvement in Vietnam was increasing, consequently this brigade was formed and tasked with training technical services units to assure combat service support missions in Southeast Asia.
On 11 August 1971, the 180th Battalion consisted of the following units:
The 13th Support Brigade evolved due to its increased missions and changing roles and was redesignated as the 13th Support Command (Corps) in 1980 then as the 13th Corps Support Command (COSCOM) in March 1989.
When Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990, the 180th was part of the 13th Corps Support Command based out of Fort Hood, Texas. Shortly after the unit deployed as part of Operation DESERT SHIELD. During Operation DESERT SHIELD/STORM the battalion consisted of the following:
The 406th provided operational control and maintenance of the battalion’s flatbed semi-trailer fleet, which consisted of nineteen M871s, 22 ½-tons, four M872A3 34-ton, and two M127A2C 12-ton trailers. The company performed its mission with the assistance of three M878 yard tractors and a 6,000-pound rough terrain forklift.
The 628th provided transportation for the movement of personnel and general cargo. During Operation DESERT SHIELD they provided transport to all non-divisional units and the 101st Airborne Division. Their mission then switched to support of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment with the start of Operation DESERT STORM. During its deployment the 628th drove over one million miles, hauled 2.5 million gallons of fuel and 1.2 million gallons of water.
The 418th mission was to move bulk petroleum products. They were tasked with the resupply of bulk petroleum to the First Cavalry Division and during their deployment in Southwest Asia the company drove in excess of 230,000 miles and transported 5.6 million gallons of fuel. The company was made up of three medium POL platoons and is allotted a total of sixty 5-ton tractors and sixty 5,000-gallon fuel tankers.
The 96th Transportation Company was originally deployed with the 27th Support Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division. They were then assigned to the 169th Corps Support Battalion. The 96th’s main task was to move heavy equipment to Northern Saudi Arabia but they also aided the division by moving fuel to Iraq. During the deployment the 96th drove over 147,000 miles and hauled 490 pieces of heavy equipment.
On 22 June 1991, the 180th Transportation Battalion personnel redeployed at Fort Hood, Texas. In October 1991, the 180th was inspected by 13th COSCOM. They underwent a III Corps major subordinate command (MSC) level I emergency deployment readiness exercise (EDRE) and received the highest rating.
On 23 September 1993, the 180th became one of four battalions attached to the 7th Corps Support Group when it was activated.
In 2003, the 180th Battalion consisted of the following units:
In March 2003, the 180th Transportation Battalion, commanded by LTC David G. Cotter, deployed to Kuwait as part of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. The Battalion ADVON had arrived in Kuwait on 27 March 2003 right after the war began. The main body closed on 1 April and deployed to Camp New York. It initially provided command and control to the SPOD for port clearance, and on 9 April, it received the warning order to become the Army’s first HET battalion in Iraq. It began receiving HET companies on 11 April and ended up with the following companies attached:1
On 12 April, 13 HETs of the 287th HET lined up in a serial to load M1 Abrams tanks from the 1st Brigade Combat Team (BCT), 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized) and deliver them to Objective Saints just south of Baghdad. The convoy completed its 700-mile round trip in 72 hours. After completing the move of the 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized), the 287th HET hauled the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Division and 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment to Objective Rifles near Al Fallujah. The advance party of the 287th HET linked up with the main body at Camp New York adding 24 more HETs, bringing the fleet up to 96. The 287th completed the move of the 3rd and 4th Brigade Combat Teams of the 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized) and then began hauling the 1st Armored Division to BIAP.2
On 15 May, the 180th Transportation Battalion moved to Forward Logistics Base (FLB) Sycamore, near Tikrit, Iraq to collocate with its main customer, the 4th Infantry Division’s DISCOM. There the 180th Battalion fell under the control of the 64th Corps Support Group. The 287th HET arrived on 9 June and a few days later, the 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized) renamed the Camp Speicher, in honor of Navy Lieutenant Michael Scott Speicher, the first pilot shot down in the first Gulf War and his remains had not yet been recovered. There the 180th Battalion provided direct support transportation support to the 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized). Its HET companies had the mission of battlefield repositioning of V Corps’ heavy equipment. In June, LTC Glenn K. Grothe assumed command of the 180th Transportation Battalion from LTC Cotter and by then it had assumed control of the following companies:3
In February 2004, the 232nd Corps Support Battalion (CSB), National Guard from Springfield, Illinois, assumed responsibility for the delivery of all classes of supply to the units in that area from the 180th Transportation Battalion.
In July 2009, the 180th Transportation Battalion once again deployed to Kuwait in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. It replaced the 6th Transportation Battalion at Camp ARIFJAN, Kuwait with responsibility for all HETs in Kuwait.
The 180th Transportation Battalion was inactivated Fort Hood, Texas on 12 October 2013. It was the last truck battalion to be inactivated. LTC Stephen Riley and CSM David Jarvis case the colors in a ceremony at Sadowski Field,
World War II: Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait; Cease-Fire
Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for SOUTHWEST ASIA
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180th Transportation Battalion Casing of the Colors Ceremony.
180th Transportation Battalion Casing of the Colors Ceremony, and 287th Transportation Company “Events Data.”
180th Transportation Battalion Casing of the Colors Ceremony, and 287th Transportation Company “Events Data.”
