The 348th Brigade Support Battalion

By Maj. William Carraway

Historian, Georgia Army National Guard.

Soldiers of the 348th Brigade Support Battalion  at Fort Stewart in 2011. Right: Unit insignia of the 348th BSB. Georgia National Guard Archives.

On February 4, 2011, the US Army Institute of Heraldry approved the distinctive unit insignia of the 348^th Brigade Support Battalion.

 

Symbolism

The colors and images depicted in the 348^th BSB unit insignia have distinct symbolism. Blue is the color of loyalty and trust. Black represents consistency and confidence. Scarlet represents service and sacrifice and is one of the colors traditionally used by Support. Gold symbolizes high ideals and excellence. The griffin embodies diligence and courage. The sword it holds signifies justice and military readiness. The gauntlet highlights the qualities of leadership and strength while the lightning bolts in its grasp represent swiftness and power. The unit motto translates to “Deliver the Strike.”

Background

The 348^th BSB was organized Sept. 1, 2009 with Headquarters and Company A based in Forsyth County and Company B in Hinesville.[1] Federal recognition was granted to Headquarters and Company A June 3, 2010 while Company B carried on the lineage and honors of Detachment 1, Company B, 148^th BSB.[2] Headquarters and Company A relocated to Ellenwood, Ga in September 2013.[3]

Georgia Army National Guard Sgt. Martika Carter, a water treatment specialist with Company A, 348th Brigade Support Battalion trains Soldiers on
water quality testing while operating her unit’s tactical water purification system during annual training at Fort Stewart, Ga. April 20, 2016.
Photo by Capt. Charles Emmons.

Company A served as the distribution company providing transportation and supply support. Water treatment specialists of Company A successfully fielded a Tactical Water Purification System capable of purifying 1,500 gallons of fresh water per hour.[4] 

Pfc. Michael Murphy, an allied trades specialist
with Company B, 348th Brigade Support Battalion
operates a plasma cutter during a metal fabrication
project. at Fort Stewart in April 2016.

Company B served as the BSB’s maintenance company providing field-level maintenance support to the 648^th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade and its supported units. Within the maintenance company, an allied trades section was capable of welding and fabricating custom field work.[5]

The 348^th held its first annual training at Fort Stewart in 2010[6] and provided support to the Georgia and Florida National Guard XCTC rotation the following year.[7] In 2013, Soldiers of the 348^th supported the 648^th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade and 2^nd Infantry Division during the largest exercise conducted on the Korean Peninsula since the Korean War.[8] Mobilizing to Camp Dodge Iowa in 2014, personnel of the 348^th trained alongside the 148^th BSB during a Warfighter exercise. Soldiers of the 348^th again supported the 648^th MEB overseas during Operation Saber Guardian 2017 in Mihaesti, Romania.[9] In 218, the 348^th provided logistical support to the 48^th Infantry Brigade Combat Team during its rotation at the Joint Readiness Center at Fort Polk, La.[10]

As the organic support battalion to the 648^th MEB, the 348^th was in high demand for overseas training missions and provided personnel and equipment to multiple emergency responses at home. Vehicles and personnel of the 348th assisted in the response to two winter storms in January and February 2014.The 348^th also supported the citizens of Georgia following Hurricane’s Matthew, Irma and Dorian. During Vigilant Guard 2017, a hurricane response exercise, the 348^th demonstrated its water filtration capability to first responders by providing clean water to the Augusta Fire Department as part of simulated response scenario.

The Ellenwood, Ga. headquarters of the 348th Brigade Support Battalion in June 2018. Photo by Maj. William Carraway

The 348^th BSB was inactivated during a ceremony at the Clay National Guard Center August 22, 2020. The lineage and honors of Headquarters and Company A passed on to Headquarters Company, 648^th MEB while the lineage and honors of Company B were carried on by the Hinesville-based 1788^th Quartermaster Company.[11]

 

Lieutenant Colonel Charles Newton and Command Sgt. Major William Scaggs case the colors of the 348th Brigade Support Battalion during the unit’s
inactivation ceremony at the Clay National Guard Center in Marietta, Ga. Aug. 22, 2020. To the right, Capt. April Johnson and 1st Sgt. Eric Yates case the colors of
Headquarters Company, 348th BSB. Photo by Maj. William Carraway

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[1] OA 250-09 May 3, 2010.

[2] OA 217-10 July 15, 2010.

[3] OA 191-13 Sept. 13, 2013.

[4] William Carraway. Something Cool to Drink.” The Georgia Guardsman. May 2016, 3-4.

[5] William Carraway. “348^th BSB Conducts Annual Training.” The Georgia Guardsman. Summer 2015, 17.

[6] Georgia Department of Defense 2010 Annual Report, 15.

[7] Georgia Department of Defense 2011 Annual Report 15.

[8] Georgia Department of Defense 2013 Annual Report, 15.

[9] Georgia Department of Defense 2017 Annual Report, 18.

[10] Charles Emmons. “Georgia Guard Trains at JRTC. The Georgia Guardsman. Q2 2018, 12-14.

[11] OA 215-20 Nov 13, 2020.