On the Border in 1916 and 2025: The 277th Support Maintenance Company

By Maj. William Carraway

Historian, Georgia Army National Guard

 

Soldiers of the 277th Support Maintenance Company mobilized to the Mexican Border in 1916 and 2024. Right photo courtesy of the Wisconsin National Guard.

In October 2024, the Georgia National Guard’s 277^th Support Maintenance Company mobilized to the southern border nearly 108 years to the day after its predecessor unit mobilized to El Paso, Texas with the Georgia Brigade. In addition to its two mobilizations to the border, the company mobilized Soldiers for the Spanish American War, both world wars, and supported overseas combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

 

Captain James Hollis.

Organization and Early Years

The 277^th Support Maintenance Company perpetuates the lineage of the Atlanta Zouaves, which was organized July 14, 1887, under the command of Capt. J. B. Hollis.[1] With an initial strength of 34 Soldiers, the company assembled for drill at their armory at 24 ½ North Broads Street. Within a year of their organization, the Zouaves had established themselves as a quality unit winning first prize in competitions in Opelika, Ala. In August 1888 and Selma, Ala. In December 1888.[2]

 

On Memorial Day, 1889, the Atlanta Zouaves made their first public appearance in their new uniform. The Zouaves wore dark blue jackets trimmed with gold silk braid with red trousers with gold silk ornaments. Buff sashes, white leggings, and a light buff vest with blue silk braid accented the uniforms which were completed by red silk plush fezzes.[3]

 

The Zouaves were designated Company A of the 4^th Battalion of Infantry, Georgia Volunteers. April 16, 1890. On November 8, 1893, the company was redesignated Company A of the Atlanta-based 5^th Infantry Regiment.

 

Captain Asa Baker

The Spanish American Border

During the Spanish American War, the Atlanta Zouaves and other units of the 5^th
Infantry Regiment volunteered for federal service. Captain Amos Baker, commander of the Zouaves, was appointed to command Company E, 3^rd Georgia Volunteer Infantry Regiment which was the only regiment of Georgia National Guard troops to see overseas service during the war. Baker was accompanied by several Soldiers of the Atlanta Zouaves; however, the Zouaves did not mobilize overseas as a unit.

 

The Mexican Border

In July 1916, units of the Georgia National Guard were activated for federal service and mobilized to the Mexican Border in October. The Atlanta Zouaves, under the command of Capt. John Glover Crane Bloodworth Jr., was stationed at Camp Cotton near El Paso Texas where they manned outposts and conducted patrols along the border.

 

Markings on a haversack carried by a Soldier of the Atlanta Zouaves to the Mexican Border in 1916. Private collection.

World War I

Captain John Bloodworth Jr. in 1939.
Georgia National Guard Archives.

Returning to Georgia in March 1917, the Zouaves remained on active duty due to the U.S. declaration of war on Germany. In October, the 5^th Infantry Regiment was redesignated the 122^nd Infantry Regiment, with the Zouaves continuing to serve as Company A. The 122^nd trained at Camp Wheeler near Macon, Ga. with other units of the 31^st Division until mobilized to France in October 1918. The 245 Soldiers of Company A, under Capt. Bloodworth, departed for France from Hoboken, N. J. October 7, 1918, aboard the SS Kroonland. The Soldiers of the 31st Division arrived too late to take an active part in combat operations. Returning to Georgia in 1919, the Zouaves and 122^nd Infantry Regiment were mustered out of federal service.

 

Interwar and World War II

Nearly five years would pass before the post reorganization of the Georgia National Guard was complete. The Atlanta Zouaves was organized and federally recognized in Atlanta March 5, 1924, in the Georgia National Guard as Companies A and B, 200th Infantry.[4] The companies were redesignated June 9, 1924 as Companies A and B of the Atlanta-based 122nd Infantry Regiment.[5] On July 1, 1939, the companies were converted and redesignated as Batteries A and B of the 179th Field Artillery Regiment.[6]

 

A Howitzer assigned to Battery A, 179th Field Artillery Regiment. Photo by Pfc. Matthew Starnes.

The 179^th FA was inducted into federal service February 24, 1941, in Atlanta and mobilized to Camp Blanding Florida for initial training.[7] The 179^th conducted training during maneuvers in North Carolina and Mississippi before reaching Fort Sill in March 1943 where the 179^th was reorganized with Company A and B continuing in service with the 179^th Field Artillery Battalion. The 179^th mobilized to the European Theater of the war, landing at Utah Beach August 12, 1944. The 179^th FA provided fire support from the Normandy campaign to Germany. Returning home following World War II, the 179^th was inactivated December 9, 1945, at Camp Patrick Henry, Va.[8]

 

Post-WWII Reorganization and Service

On July 5, 1946, the 179^th was reorganized and assigned to the division artillery of the 48^th Infantry Division.[9] The unit was federally recognized in Atlanta May 2, 1947.

FORT STEWART, Ga.  1959 - Two M55 self-propelled howitzers of the 1st Rocket/Howitzer Battalion, 179th Field Artillery during annual training
of the 48th Armored Division at Fort Stewart, Ga.  .National Guard Educational Foundation, Washington D.C.

In 1955, the 48^th Infantry Division was reorganized as an armor division, though the organization of the 179^th was unchanged.[10] On July 1, 1959, the 179^th was reorganized and redesignated the 1^st Rocket Howitzer Battalion.[11] The 179^th FA served until January 1, 1968, when it was converted to form the 177^th Engineer Company.[12] The unit was reorganized and redesignated July 1, 1971 as Company B, 878th Engineer Battalion,[13] and on December 1, 1971, received its current designation as the 277^th Support Maintenance Company.[14]

 

Mobilizations and Missions of the 277^th SMC

On September 1, 1997, the 277^th moved to its present location in Kennesaw.[15]

The 277^th was ordered into active federal service February 10, 2003, at Kennesaw for service during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The unit returned to state control June 19, 2004.

 

May 2, 2010: Soldiers of the 277th Support Maintenance Company stand in formation during a departure ceremony before deploying to Afghanistan in support of
Operation Enduring Freedom. Georgia National Guard Archives.

The 277^th was again ordered into active federal service April 29, 2010, for Operation Enduring Freedom and was released from active federal service June 2, 2011. For its efforts in Afghanistan, the 277^th was awarded the Meritorious Unit Citation.

 

In addition to overseas service, the 277^th SMC has supported numerous emergency response operations including multiple hurricane response missions and the state’s COVID-19 response effort. The capabilities of the 277^th have also been called upon to support Army mobilizations and training. In April 2019, the 277^th sent a platoon to the Joint Readiness Center at Fort Polk, La. From February 10 to March 14, 2022, the 277^th mobilized 30 personnel to Camp Shelby, Miss. in support of the premobilization training of an Army Reserve unit. The unit conducted annual training at Camp Dodge, Iowa in August 2023.

 

In October 2024, the 277^th SMC mobilized to the U.S. border with Mexico, nearly 108 years after its predecessor unit, the Atlanta Zouaves, boarded a train in Macon bound for border security duty. Under the direction of U.S. Northern Command and Joint Task Force North, the 277^th SMC supported U.S. Customs and Border Protection operations through fiscal year 2025.

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[1] “Officers Commissioned,” Columbus Enquirer Sun, July 19, 1887, 1.

 

[2] “They Got There,” Atlanta Constitution, December 28, 1888, 88.

 

[3] “The Atlanta Zouaves,” Atlanta Constitution, March 25, 1889, 4.

 

[4] U.S. Army Center of Military History, MB 325.4-Georgia-Feb. 27, 1924, Washington DC: U.S. Army Center of Military History, NP.

 

[5] U.S. Army Center of Military History, MB 325.4-Georgia-June 2, 1924, Washington DC: U.S. Army Center of Military History, NP.

 

[6] U.S. Army Center of Military History, Lineage and Honors, 122^nd Infantry Regiment, Washington DC: U.S. Army Center of Military History, August 1955.

 

[7] U.S. Army Center of Military History, Lineage and Honors, 277^th Maintenance Company, Washington DC: U.S. Army Center of Military History, ND.

 

[8] William Carraway. Historic Georgia Guard Units Join the Fight in France: The 179th and 945th FA Battalions Enter the ETO August 12, 1944. http://www.georgiaguardhistory.com/2019/08/historic-georgia-guard-units-join-fight.html

 

[9] Military Department, State of Georgia, General Orders No. 17, Atlanta, December 31, 1946.

 

[10] National Guard Bureau, NG AROTO 325.4 (30 Sept 55) -Ga., Washington DC, October 17, 1955.

[11] National Guard Bureau, Reorganizational Authority 73-59, Washington DC: June 10, 1959.

 

[12] National Guard Bureau, Reorganizational Authority 71-67, Washington DC: December 14, 1967.

 

[13] National Guard Bureau, Reorganizational Authority 135-71, Washington DC, July 1, 1971.

 

[14] National Guard Bureau, Reorganizational Authority 190-71, Washington DC, December 1, 1971.

 

[15] National Guard Bureau, Organizational Authority 199-97, Washington DC, August 22, 1997.

 

History of the 170th MP Battalion

By Major William Carraway

Historian, Georgia National Guard

 

Left: The colors of the 170th MP Battalion during a July 16, 2022 change of command ceremony. Right: Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 122nd Infantry
Regiment participate in a machine gun drill with an M1917A1 water-cooled machine gun in 1939. Georgia National Guard Archives. 

Formation and Early History[1]

The predecessor unit of the 170^th MP Battalion was organized and federally recognized March 5, 1924 in the Georgia National Guard in Atlanta as Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion and Company C, 200th Infantry. On June 9, 1924, the unit was redesignated as Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, and Company C, 122d Infantry Regiment.

 

On July 1, 1939, the unit was converted and redesignated as Headquarters Battery and Combat Train, 1st Battalion, and Battery C, 179th Field Artillery. One year later the unit was reorganized and redesignated  July 1, 1940, as Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 179th Field Artillery.

 

Collar discs and unit insignia of the 179th Field Artillery Battalion, and its predecessor, the 122nd Infantry Regiment, are flanked by source books
used in the writing of this chapter. Photo by Maj. William Carraway.

World War II[2]

The 179^th FA was inducted into federal service February 24, 1941, in Atlanta. After one week at home station, the 179th was sent to Camp Blanding near Jacksonville, Fla. along with their newly issued 155 Schneider Howitzers to begin initial training.[3] Upon arrival at Camp Blanding, the 179th, under the command of Col. Thomas Alexander, was assigned to the 74th Field Artillery Brigade, IV Corps.[4] Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the 179th was employed as part of the coastal defenses near Jacksonville.

 

The 179th remained at Camp Blanding through the winter of 1941, and in March 1942, moved by truck to Camp Shelby, Miss. The trip took the battalion three days to complete.[5] During their stay at Camp Shelby, the 179th participated in the Louisiana Maneuvers and conducted firing drills.

 

Technical manual that belonged to Staff Sgt. Charles
Turner, 179th FA. Georgia National Guard Archives.

On February 8, 1943, the 179th Field Artillery Regiment underwent its most dramatic transformation since its conversion from the 122nd Infantry Regiment four years previous. The second battalion was designated the 945th Field Artillery Battalion while the 1st Battalion was designated the 179th FA Battalion. The former regimental headquarters constituted the 179th FA Group.[6] The predecessor units of the 170th MP Battalion were reorganized and redesignated as Headquarters Battery and Battery C, 179th Field Artillery Battalion.

 

On March 7, 1943, the 179th FA relocated to Fort Sill, Okla. with the 945th FA arriving the next month. Shortly after arrival, the battalions participated in the Tennessee Maneuvers. At the conclusion of the maneuvers in March 1944, the battalions returned to Camp Gruber where their howitzers were upgraded to the M1 155 mm Howitzer.[7] Shortly thereafter, the units received their mobilization alert.

 

After a four-day train ride, the battalions reached Camp Myles Standish, Mass. In the last days of June.[8] On July 2, the battalions boarded the USS Brazil, a converted luxury liner, and set sail for Scotland the next day.[9]

 

After ten days sailing over rough seas, enduring cramped quarters, the Soldiers arrived in Gourock Scotland, the same port in which the Georgia National Guard’s 230th FA Battalion had arrived nearly five months earlier.[10] The next day the battalions travelled by train to Warwickshire, England. There, the battalions received their full allotment of combat equipment and vehicles and calibrated their howitzers for accurate fire. In preparation for movement to France, the battalions were assigned to the Third Army, 182nd Field Artillery Group.

 

In the late hours of August 12, 1944, while German armor was withdrawing from Mortain, the 179th FA arrived off the coast of Utah Beach along with the Georgia National Guard’s 945th Field Artillery Battalion. Although their landing occurred more than two months after the D-Day Landings of June 6, 1944, the night sky was alive with tracer fire and artillery. From the landing ships, the Soldiers could observe a U.S. Navy destroyer engaging some inland target which was illumined only by the impact of rounds against the black mass of the French countryside. The Artillerymen would soon send their own rounds against German targets in the effort to liberate the continent.

 

Headquarters Battery, 179th FA. Georgia National Guard Archives.

The battalions moved off the beach and encamped near St. Mere Eglise on August 13 where they spent a jittery first night in a war zone. The battalions continued on to Le Mans where they rendezvoused with XII Corps. Having linked up with Patton’s Army, the battalion had its first brush with the enemy when German stragglers, attempting to reach their own line, blundered into contact with the battalion. Though shots were fired, no casualties were reported on either side.[11] were poised to participate in the campaigns of the Third Army crossing France, participating in the Battle of the Bulge and proceeding on to Germany.

 

After their brush with the enemy, the 179th was attached to the Fourth Armor Division, XII Corps, 177th Field Artillery Group which had just wrapped up operations in the St. Lo breakthrough. Rendezvousing with the Fourth Armor at Chevilly, the battalion continued on to Montargis where, on August 22, they established firing positions and fired their first shots of the war. In their first action, the 179th accounted for 14 enemy artillery pieces and more than 400 German casualties.[12]

 

The 179th continued its eastward drive with the Fourth AD through Vaucoulers, where the Georgia National Guard’s 151st Machine Gun Battalion trained before its employment in the trenches of the Western Front in 1918. Resupplied, the division continued eastward on September 10 and established a bridgehead over the Moselle River. Effecting the crossing, the 179th advanced to Luneville, France, where the 151st had entered the trenches in March 1918. Turning west, the division met stubborn German resistance at Fresnes en Saulnois where the 179th traded artillery fire with the enemy for five days.[13] For their actions, the 179th was recommended for the Presidential Unit Citation.

 

Battery C, 179th FA. Georgia National Guard Archives.

From September 28 to November 1, the 179th was held in a defensive position to await the buildup of combat power for an offensive operation. Moving out, the battalion reached Lanfroicourt where a tremendous artillery barrage occurred along a 55-mile front.[14] The ensuing infantry assault drove the German lines back and the 179th pursued with the 4th AD to Fenetrange where they linked up with the Seventh Army.

 

By December, the division had reached Rimling where the battalion fired on objectives across the border in Germany.

 

Reassigned to the Third Army, the battalion rushed to Belgium December 20 following German advances. By the 24th of December, the 179th, in support of the 26th Division, had established firing positions near Nagen, Belgium where they engaged German forces on the left flank of the enemy breakthrough.

 

On January 1, 1945, then assigned to the III Corps in support of the 35th Division, the battalion continued to hammer German forces near Boulaide, Luxembourg firing up to 1,000 shells a day despite desperately cold weather. On January 8, the battalion, following the 4th AD moved to relieve the 101st Airborne Division at Bastogne.

 

After establishing holding positions in Luxembourg, the 179th was again attached to the 4th AD on February 24 and crossed into Germany at Vianden. Breaking the Siegfried Line defenses, the division drove on to Bitburg and Coblenz. Bypassing Coblenz, the division maneuvered south through Worms nd reached the Rhine, where the 179th FA became the first unit of Third Army to fire a shot across the river preparatory to crossing the Rhine March 24.  Advancing on the Main River, the 179th fired on Frankfurt before crossing the river five days later. Reaching the Autobahn, the division’s advance accelerated. Attached to the 90th Division, the 179th reached Leipzig. On May 4, again attached to the 4th AD, the 179th advanced to Berchtesgaden. Ordered to proceed to Prague, the 179th was in motion when the cease fire was announced.

 

In 266 days in Europe, the 179th fired nearly 49,000 rounds earning seven Silver Stars and 118 Bronze Star Medals. After serving in the European Operations, the 179^th FA was inactivated December 9, 1945 at Camp Patrick Henry, Va.

 

Post WWII Reorganizations

Upon the reorganization of the Georgia National Guard in July 1946, the 179^th FA Battalion was assigned to the 48th Infantry Division.[15] The 179^th was reorganized and federally recognized May 2, 1947, in Atlanta.[16] On November 1, 1955, the 48^th was reorganized as the 48th Armor Division and the 179^th was redesignated as Headquarters Battery and Battery C, 179th Armored Field Artillery Battalion.[17]

 

ATLANTA, April 21, 1955 Two- and-1/2-ton trucks of the 179th Field Artillery, 48th Armor Division, move out from
the Atlanta Armory during Operation Minuteman. Georgia National Guard Archives.

Subsequent reorganizations in 1959[18] and 1963 established the unit as Headquarters Battery and Battery C, 1st Rocket Howitzer Battalion, 179th Artillery and Headquarters and Service Battery and Battery D, 1st Battalion, 179th Artillery, respectively.

FORT STEWART, Ga.  1959 - Two 8-inch self-propelled howitzers of the 1st Rocket/Howitzer Battalion, 179th Artillery from Atlanta, Ga.
during annual training of the 48th Armor Division at Fort Stewart, Ga.  Image courtesy of the National Guard Educational Foundation, Washington D.C.

 

A reorganization of the 48^th Armor Division January 1, 1968, consolidated Headquarters and Service Battery and Battery D. The consolidated unit was redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 170th Military Police Battalion.[19]

 

Unit Insignia of the 170^th MP Battalion.

On February 24, 1971, the US Army Institute of Heraldry approved the distinctive unit insignia of the 170^th Military Police Battalion. The colors green and yellow represent the Military Police. The gothic arch symbolizes the areas comprising the Ardennes-Alsace, Rhineland, and Central Europe campaigns and is used to represent the unit's participation there as the 179^th Field Artillery Regiment during World War II. Red and green refer to the French Croix de Guerre awarded the unit for action along the Moselle River represented by the wavy beam. The fleur-de-lis is symbolic of France and refers to both the Normandy and the Northern France campaigns. The black disc simulates a cannon ball and together with the colors scarlet and gold (yellow) alludes to artillery, the unit's former designation. A doorway implies protection and barrier, and with the scale of justice, refers to the overall mission of the organization. The unit motto, first in peace and in war is inherited from the 122nd Infantry Regiment which was redesignated the 179^th Field Artillery Regiment in 1939.[20]

 

The 170th MP Battalion was initially comprised of a headquarters detachment and the 178^th and 190^th MP Companies.. The 178^th was organized in Monroe where it is currently stationed. Originally organized in Atlanta, the 190^th relocated to Kennesaw in 1997 after a brief stationing at Dobbins Air Reserve Base.[21]

On September 30, 1999, Headquarters Detachment, 170^th MP Battalion was consolidated with the 190^th MP Company. The 190^th MP Company carried forward the lineage and heritage of the 170^th.[22]

 

Soldiers of the Monroe-based 178th Military Police Company march onto the parade field during the opening ceremony for Agile Spirit 19
at Vaziani Training Area on July 27, 2019. Photo by Spc. Isaiah Matthews.

Modern Era

The 170th was reorganized in Decatur September 1, 2007,[23] and on September 1, 2019, the 190^th MP Company was consolidated with Headquarters Detachment. The lineage of the original 170^th MP Battalion was thus restored to the 170th.[24] As of this date, the 170th MP Battalion with the 178th and 179th MP Companies were assigned to the Marietta-based 201st Regional Support Group.

Georgia National Guard Infection Control Teams from the 265th Chemical Battalion and the 170th Military Police Battalion assist personnel
of the Saide G. Mays Health and Rehabilitation Center in Atlanta, Georgia, to disinfect the facility in an effort to stop the spread of coronavirus,
April 5, 2020. Photo by Major Charles W. Westrip.

Units of the 170th have mobilized repeatedly in support of overseas operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and have supported training missions overseas, most recently in the country of Georgia. The 170th has assisted with security operations following natural disasters such as Hurricanes Irma, Michael, Dorian, Ida and Helene. In 2020 and 2021, the 170th MP Battalion was heavily involved in the state’s coordinated response to the Coronavirus pandemic and in civil unrest responses in Georgia and Washington DC. In January 2023, the 170th was mobilized to Atlanta in anticipation of possible civil unrest.

 

Soldiers of the 170th Military Police Battalion stage in Atlanta in anticipation of possible civil unrest January 27, 2023. Photo by Capt. Robbie Russell.

2024 was a busy year for the 170th MP Battalion. The 178th MP Company mobilized to Kuwait in October 2023 and returned August 6, 2024. The 179th Military Police Company, 201st RSG mobilized 160 personnel to Drawsko Pornorskie, Poland for Exercise Immediate Response 24 from April 27 to May 21, 2024. In August 2024, Soldiers of the 170th MP Battalion assisted the 3rd Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment with civil response training. The unit was activated in response to Hurricanes Debby and Helene in September and October 2024. 

Composite: Left to right: The command team of the 170th MP Battalion visits Soldiers of the 179th MP Company in Poland May 23, 2024. The 178th MP
Company returned from Kuwait August 6, 2024. Soldiers of the 179th MP Company, 170th Military Police Battalion, partner with the Augusta Fire
Department to distribute cases of water and bags of ice in Augusta, Georgia October 1, 2024. Photo by Sgt. Thomas Norris.

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[1] Center for Military History. “190^th MP Company Lineage and Honors Certificate.”

[2] Center for Military History. “190^th MP Company Lineage and Honors Certificate.”

[3] Historical and Pictorial Review 179th Field Artillery. The Army and Navy Publishing Company, Nashville 1941, 18.

[4] 74th Field Artillery Brigade, U.S. Army, Camp Blanding, Fla., 1941.

[5] History and Battle Record of 179 F.A. Bn., 1857-1945, (Regensburg, Germany: Frederich Putset, 1945), 1.

[6] War Department, General Order #1, March 3, 1943.

[7] William M. Cosgrove, Time on Target: the 945th Field Artillery Battalion in World War II, (W. M. Cosgrove III, 1997), 39.

[8] History and Battle Record of 179 F.A. Bn., 1857-1945, (Regensburg, Germany: Frederich Putset, 1945), 4.

[9] History and Battle Record of 179 F.A. Bn., 1857-1945, (Regensburg, Germany: Frederich Putset, 1945), 4.

[10] William Carraway, “First to Fire: The Georgia National Guard’s 230th Field Artillery in Normandy” June 27, 2019 http://www.georgiaguardhistory.com/2019/06/first-to-fire-georgia-national-guards.html

[11] History and Battle Record of 179 F.A. Bn., 1857-1945, (Regensburg, Germany: Frederich Putset, 1945), 11.

[12] History and Battle Record of 179 F.A. Bn., 1857-1945, (Regensburg, Germany: Frederich Putset, 1945), 11.

[13] History and Battle Record of 179 F.A. Bn., 1857-1945, (Regensburg, Germany: Frederich Putset, 1945), 13.

[14] History and Battle Record of 179 F.A. Bn., 1857-1945, (Regensburg, Germany: Frederich Putset, 1945), 14.

[15] Center for Military History. “190^th MP Company Lineage and Honors Certificate.”

[16] Center for Military History. “190^th MP Company Lineage and Honors Certificate.”

[17] National Guard Bureau, NG AROTO325.4 October 17, 1955.

[18] National Guard Bureau, RA 73-59 10 June 1959.

[19] National Guard Bureau, RA 71-67 December 14, 1967, effective January 1, 1968.

[20] The Institute of Heraldry. “Distinctive Unit Insignia of the 170^th MP Battalion.” https://tioh.army.mil/Catalog/Heraldry.aspx?HeraldryId=7011&CategoryId=3937&grp=2&menu=Uniformed%20Services&from=search.

[21] National Guard Bureau, OA 199-97 August 22, 1997, effective September 1, 1997.

[22] National Guard Bureau, OA 252-90 October 11, 1990 effective September 30, 1990.

[23] National Guard Bureau, OA 97-05 October 28, 2005, effective September 1, 2007.

[24] National Guard Bureau, OA 337-19 November 18, 2019 effective September 1, 2019.