The 99th Regional Support Command has a unique and interesting history. The system has changed and developed over the years into a support command that works like a well oiled piece of machinery.
In today’s post, we are going to review 14 neat facts about the 99th Regional Support Command. Scroll down and learn about this Command, and if you have questions or comments, please post them at the end.
1: History of the 99th
The 99th started at Camp Wheeler, Georgia in 1918. At that time it was just the 99th Division. In 1921, the 99th Division was assigned to the Army Organized Reserves. In 1942, the Division became the 99th Infantry Division. They performed great service during World War II. In 1945, the 99th Infantry Division was inactivated.
In 1967, the 99th was reactivated, but not as an Infantry Division. It became the 99th U.S. Army Reserve Command or ARCOM for short. This was the start of what the 99th has become now. It is still attached to the Army Reserves, but much bigger and better.
2: Base Operations Support
The 99th Regional Support Command is the primary base operations support for all aspects of United States Army Reserves in the Northeast area. This includes Army Reserve units and soldiers in the States of:
New Hampshire
Pennsylvania
Connecticut
West Virginia
Maine
Virginia
Rhode Island
Maryland
Massachusetts
District of Columbia
Vermont
Delaware
New York
New Jersey
3: Headquarters
The 99th Regional Support Command has its Headquarters at Joint Base McGuire/Dix in Lakehurst, New Jersey.
4: Unit Insignia
The 99th Regional Support Command has recognized where it came from by maintaining the original insignia of the 99th Division. It is a black shield with 5 sides. There is a band in the center that has a “checkerboard” of white and blue squares. Many of the original soldiers were from Pennsylvania, so the black shield represents the mills of Pittsburgh. The blue and white checkerboard represents the Coat of Arms for William Pitt. Lastly, there are 9 white squares and 9 blue squares representing 99, the number of the Division.
5: Leadership
The 99th Regional Support Command has great leaders. They are:
Commanding General
Major General Margaret Boor
Major General Boor has commanded:
Headquarters Company, 171st Corps Support Group
362nd Quartermaster Battalion
642nd Area Support Group
171st Area Support Group
The Major General also has many distinguished awards including:
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with 2 Silver Oak Leaf Clusters
Army Commendation Medal with 1 Silver Oak Leaf Cluster
Army Achievement Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters
Senior Parachutist Badge
Deputy Commanding General
Brigadier General Greg Mosser
Brigadier General Mosser has held various commands including:
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 302nd Maintenance Battalion
376th Finance Battalion
Brigadier General Mosser has these awards:
Meritorious Service Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Army Commendation Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters
Army Achievement Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters
Command Sergeant Major
Command Sergeant Major James Wills
Command Sergeant Major Wills has an extensive and interesting Army history. It would take pages upon pages to list all this man’s accomplishments. You can read more about him at this link.
Command Chief Warrant Officer
Command Chief Warrant Officer Vincent Giordano
This man has a colorful history also. He fits well in this leadership position. Read more about CW5 Giordano here.
6: Subordinate Units
As I said earlier, the 99th Regional Support Command, Headquarters and Headquarters Company are located at Joint Base McGuire/Dix in Lakehurst, New Jersey. The 99th also has various subordinate units at various locations. They are:
361st Public Affairs Operations Center at Fort Totten, New York
318th Press Camp Headquarters at Forest Park, Illinois
314th Public Affairs Operations Center at Birmingham, Alabama
78th Army Band at Joint Base McGuire/Dix
380th Army Band at Richmond, Virginia
94th Army Band at East Windsor, Connecticut
198th Army Band at Rochester, New York
319th Army Band at Fort Totten, New York
7: Invasion Of Kuwait By Iraq
After Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, the 99th ARCOM deployed 22 units to the area including Saudi Arabia, Europe and other areas to help with support.
8: Slight Change
After the Gulf War, there was a slight change. The 99th was given a more detailed mission of providing control, command and full support for all assigned units. The name was changed from 99th ARCOM to 99th Regional Support Command (RSC).
9: Operation Joint Endeavor
In 1996, when the Balkans erupted in war, the 99th RSC deployed 6 units to Bosnia. The main objective of the 99th was to provide refuge for those civilians who were escaping Kosovo while they searched for recovery in the mainland United States.
10: 9/11
On that terrible day….September 11th, 2001, the 99th mobilized a large amount of their personnel. Preparations were being made for a possible super war. During this mobilization, the 99th also moved their Headquarters to Coraopolis, Pennsylvania.
11: Another Change
In 2003, after the large mobilizations for war in Iraq, the emphasis for the 99th was put on training, mobilization and readiness. Their name was changed again, and they became the 99th Regional Readiness Command.
12: BRAC
In 2005, due to the Base Realignment And Closure (BRAC) directive, the 99th was chosen to be inactivated. The Army believed there were too many RRCs and had to cut them down to 4 instead of 10. Would the 99th be one of the 4?
13: The New 99th
In 2008, the 99th was reactivated at their new home of Fort Dix, New Jersey. They would now be the 99th Regional Support Command and have the new mission of base operations of the 13 States in the Northeast.
14: Contacting The 99th
If you have more you would like to know, the 99th does have contact information at the Army Reserve website. Their address is 5231 South Scott Plaza Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey 08640, and phone options are:
Final Thoughts
The 99th Regional Support Command has huge responsibilities to the Army Reserve in the Northeast.
We would love to hear from any of you who have been a part of the 99th. Tell us more, and if you have any questions or comments, please post them below.
To all who work in the 99th, thank you for the jobs you do holding the Northeast sector of the Army Reserves together.
Chuck Holmes
Former Army Major (resigned)
Publisher, Part-Time-Commander.com
Email: mrchuckholmes@gmail.com
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Does anyone know what the 99th Arcom Engineer Bn was in the Ohio Valley in 1979? I served in it briefly and was in the Reserve unit in Weirton WVA. I was in Co. B and I remember one of the companies was down in Belair Ohio which I think was Co. C. I know the unit is now called the 336th Engineer Co. but can not remember the unit name it carried back then.
I served in the 339th gen Hosp. of the 99th ARCOM from 1966 to 1972 and consider these some of my better lifetime memories. At the time of my service, my next door neighbor recognized the insignia and related his service in the 99th infantry division during WWII. Each time he saw my uniform he would pause, reflect, smile and flex his chest muscles with pride in service. I agree with him, it was an honor to serve with the 99th and to this day I still have many great friends who served with me.
Thank you for your service and making a neighbor reflect.