I was fortunate to serve in the 729th Brigade Support Battalion (BSB), previously known as the 729th Forward Support Battalion (FSB) while part of the Maryland Army National Guard. I was affiliated with the battalion for about five years, from 2005 until 2010. During that time, I was assigned to Bravo Company (Maintenance). I served as the Maintenance Control Officer and Company Executive Officer. Several years later I served as a Company Commander.
My experience with the battalion was wonderful. Most of the soldiers in our battalion were from western Maryland (the Hagerstown are). The Battalion Headquarters was located in Hagerstown, Maryland and we also had one company in Catonsville, MD.
Some soldiers traveled an hour or two to get to the unit. These soldiers were from the Cumberland, MD area and from the greater Baltimore area. I would describe most of the soldiers as good old country boys (and gals). They were hard working, took pride in their job, and loved their country. These were the type of soldiers you would want to serve with.
When I joined the battalion in 2005, our battalion was part of the 29th DISCOM. Sometime around 2006, our Battalion transitioned from DISCOM to be part of the 58th Brigade Combat Team. This was part of a major transition across the Army to form modular brigades. From that point forward, we no longer worked with the 29th DISCOM.
When I served with the 729th Forward Support Battalion, there were three companies.
- HSC/A – This was the Headquarters and Supply Company combined into one unit
- B – The Maintenance Company
- C – Medical Company
After the 729th Forward Support Battalion transformed to the 729th Brigade Support Battalion, the unit grew from approximately 300 soldiers to approximately 700. I do not have the exact numbers, so this is my best guess. Most of the growth was from the addition of the Forward Support Companies. After the transition we had units in several states, including Maryland and New Mexico. I was fortunate to command one of those Forward Support Companies.
Unfortunately, the 729th Brigade Support Battalion was deactivated in October 2009. Hopefully, the battalion will be ‘reactivated’ in the future. It was a great battalion with a strong and proud history.
If you have ever served with the 729th Brigade Support Battalion (BSB) or 729th Forward Support Battalion (FSB) please share your story. Tell us which unit you were assigned to, what your job was, and when you served in the unit. I look forward to hearing your story.
If you have any questions, you can also ask them here and I will do my best to provide an answer. Thanks for visiting.
Chuck Holmes
Former Army Major (resigned)
Publisher, Part-Time-Commander.com
Email: mrchuckholmes@gmail.com
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I served in the 729th FSB in company B from 96- June 05. Mr. Holmes, it looks like I just missed you. I was apart of a small group that belonged to the electronics section in company B. I was fortunate in that our missions took us to parts of the world that some may never get to experience. Sharing those experiences with great group of soldiers made it even better.
Great, great unit. Looks like we missed each other by a month or two. Are you still in?
Modular combat brigades will be self-contained combined arms formations. They combine smaller units such as medical, artillery, infantry, or maybe supply, right? I have never personally been in the military, but I hope to read more about the history of the 729th Brigade Support Battalion (BSB) or 729th Forward Support Battalion (FSB). Charles, I’ve read almost a hundred of your posts and enjoy reading your military history to the point of being Company Commander. My husband and I thank you for sharing your job history and for your obvious passion toward your service. It is more than a timeline of jobs.
The Army’s transition to modular brigades must have been stressful to the units impacted by the changes. It is great to see soldiers holding onto the history surrounding their units as you have. That way those who served the units in the past will live on. May we never forget any of the military forces that faithfully served the United States throughout history.
I’ve found that most people are resistant to change, Neil. I don’t think changing from a FSB to a BSB was a bad thing, but it sure did shake things up for a while. When you’ve been doing things a certain way for a long period of time, change can be awfully hard.
On a side note, my service with the 729th FSB and later 729th BSB was equally as good. I enjoyed the unit before and after the transition.