If you are in the Army Reserve in one of the upper Midwest States, you are probably familiar with the 88th Regional Support Command. This Army Reserve Command has an interesting history, and in today’s post, I am going to provide you with 9 things you should know about the 88th Regional Support Command. If you happen to have any questions or more information about the 88th RSC, please do so in the comments section at the end of this post.
1: The 88th’s Roots
The 88th Regional Support Command has roots that go back to 1917. In that year, the 88th Infantry Division was instituted at Camp Dodge, Iowa. The Division fought gallantly in World War I and were sent back to Camp Dodge in 1919. In 1921, the 88th was considered an organized reserve unit in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The 88th Infantry Division were deployed in 1943 to fight in World War II. The soldiers of the 88th were respected by German forces who called the 88th the Blue Devils which became their nickname. The 88th Infantry Division was inactivated in 1947 in Italy.
The 88th Regional Support Command carries the 88th Infantry Division’s insignia with pride. Now of course, all awards and honors given during World War I & II does not carry over to the 88th RSC, but the pride of Blue Devil fearlessness does carry on.
2: 1967
I mentioned the original history of the 88th Regional Support Command in #1, but the actual start cam in 1967. In December of 1967, the 88th Army Reserve Command (ARCOM) was activated. This was the predecessor of the 88th Regional Support Command.
3: 1996
In 1996, the 88th United States Army Reserve Regional Readiness Command was established at Fort Snelling in St Paul, Minnesota. Their mission was to provide control and support to all Army Reserve units in a 6 State geographic area of the upper Midwest United States.
4: 2008
In 2008, The Army renamed it the 88th Regional Support Command. They were also given more responsibilities and moved to a new Headquarters location. Their new home would be Fort McCoy, Wisconsin. The 88th has 7 primary goals. They are:
Readiness
Domestic operations and emergency support
Quality of life via both soldier and civilian care
Community relations and environmental stewardship
Dynamic training
Information management
Resource management
5: States The 88th Regional Support Command Serves
What many people do not understand is: the United States Army Reserves has control over much of the Army equipment during peacetime. The 88th Regional Support Command has a lot of responsibility. This Command controls and supports Army Reserve units in all of the following States:
Michigan
Ohio
Indiana
Illinois
Wisconsin
and Minnesota
So when a person considers that there are well over 2,000 Army Reserve units throughout the United States, the 88th RSC has a lot of responsibility in the region they manage.
6: Leadership Of The 88th Regional Support Command
The 88th RSC has great leadership who has proven themselves in many ways. Here is the Commander and Deputy Commander of the 88th Regional Support Command:
Commander
Major General Karen Ledoux
Major General Ledoux has been commissioned for well over 29 years. She has served in a variety of positions all around the country, and even overseas. Her Commander experience reaches far and wide. She served as Commander in Kuwait of Logistics Civil Augmentation Program Support Unit and the same position in Iraq with the Joint Task Force. Before this position, she was Commanding General of Army Material Command also in Kuwait for the Third Army. Major General Ledoux has various awards. They include:
The Legion Of Merit
A Bronze Star Medal
The Meritorious Service Medal with a Silver Oak Leaf Cluster
A Joint Service Commendation Medal
The Army Commendation Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters
The Army Achievement Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters
Deputy Commander
Brigadier General R.A. Bassford
With much experience in Infantry and Airborne techniques, Brigadier General Bassford rounds off the 88th RSC Command very well. He served in active duty as the Commander of the 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment as well as the 2nd Brigade, 98th Division (IET). Awards gained by Brigadier General Bassford include:
The Meritorious Service Medal with 5 Oak Leaf Clusters
The Army Commendation Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster
The Army Achievement Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster
The Ranger Tab
A Senior Parachutist Badge
and the Expert Infantryman’s Badge
7: Subordinate Units
There are a variety of subordinate Commands under the 88th Regional Support Command. They include:
88th Reserve Support Command at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin
0088 Regional Support Command at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin
0338 AG BND Army Band at Whitehall, Ohio
0451 AG BND Army Band at Fort Snelling, Minnesota
0204 AG BND Army Band at Vancouver, Washington
0484 AG BND Army Band at Milwaukee, Wisconsin
0085 AG BND Army Band at Arlington Heights, Illinois
0312 AG BND Army Band at Lawrence, Kansas
8: Insignia and Slogan
In respect and honor of their roots, members of the 88th Regional Support Command wear the insignia first worn by the 88th Infantry Division. It is a blue quatrefoil. The Division’s slogan is fitting. It is Veritas Caput which is Latin for True Head. Since the 88th RSC is the True Head of this region of Army Reserve Units, it fits perfectly. The 88th also has a Crest with the slogan at the top. It has the blue quatrefoil and a fleur-de-lis that remembers the Unit’s service in France in World War I. The Italian colors of green, white and red, along with the Halberd represent the hard actions of the 88th in World War II.
9: Contacting The 88th Regional Support Command
If you need to contact the 88th Regional Support Command, the address is: 60 South “O” Street, Fort McCoy, Wisconsin 54656.
For General Inquiries, you can call 1-877-560-3086
For Media Inquiries, the phone number is 1-608-388-0336
Final Thoughts
These are the important items I could find on the 88th Regional Support Command. Do you have anything you can add? We value your comments and questions. Feel free to do so below. If you serve with the 88th, please tell us more that we should know.
A huge thank you to all who serve, or have served in the 88th. Have a great day!
Chuck Holmes
Former Army Major (resigned)
Publisher, Part-Time-Commander.com
Email: mrchuckholmes@gmail.com
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