Since the beginning of the United States Army, maintenance has been a prime directive to keep equipment operational. In those days, maintenance may have consisted of putting new shoes on horses, or possibly changing a wagon wheel. No matter where or what, maintenance had to be performed. So essentially, Army maintenance has its roots as far back as memory can take us of the United States Army.
Much of the maintenance needed in the days of old was performed either by the soldiers in charge of the equipment, or by private citizens at a cost. As days moved on, Army maintenance was a responsibility of Ordnance units. Ordnance consists of supply troops with arms and ammo, along with maintaining said equipment. With technology increasing, not all maintenance has to do with arms and ammo, so today, we have units that are strictly maintenance units.
So, let’s take a look at Army Maintenance History and 25 cool facts about it.
Units
In the next paragraphs, I will give a brief history of the multiple Army Maintenance units.
1: 326th Maintenance Battalion, Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment
Starting at Camp Cooke, California in 1943, this Battalion was the 326th Ordnance Battalion. In 1967, they were re-designated the 326th Maintenance Battalion. They are now located in Owings Mills, Maryland.
2: 1st Maintenance Company
This company was put together in 1918 in France. They were an element of the 1st Division and were called the 1st Mobile Ordnance Repair Shop. In 1972, they became the 1st Maintenance Company at Fort Riley, Kansas.
3: 5th Maintenance Company
The 5th also began in 1918 at Camp Dodge, Iowa as the 5th Mobile Ordnance Repair Shop. In 1966 during the Vietnam War, they became the 5th Maintenance Company. After being inactivated in Vietnam, they were reactivated in Germany.
4: 115th Maintenance Company
Their start was with the Utah National Guard in 1939. They were the 115th Ordnance Company and based in Ogden, Utah. It was in 1978 when they became the 115th Maintenance Company and based in Draper, Utah.
5: 152nd Maintenance Company
In 1903, the Maine National Guard instituted this unit as Company M, 2nd Infantry Regiment. It was in 1974 that they became the 152nd Maintenance Company after multiple changes. They are based in Augusta, Maine.
6: 164th Maintenance Company
They were activated in 1943 as the 164th Ordnance Platoon. The location was Fort Devens, Massachusetts. In 1972, they were changed to the 164th Maintenance Company as an Army Reserve unit. Now, they are based at Fort Lewis, Washington.
7: 170th Maintenance Company
They started as an infantry battalion. In 1953, the Kansas National Guard created the 287th Infantry Battalion. It was in 1991 that this unit became the 170th Maintenance Company and based at Norton, Kansas.
8: 183rd Maintenance Company
They began in 1943 as the 183rd Ordnance Depot Company at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In 1966, they became the 183rd Maintenance Company at Fort Carson, Colorado.
9: 211th Maintenance Company
The 211th began as Battery F, 135th Field Artillery with the Ohio National Guard at Dresden, Ohio in 1921. In 1972, they became the 214th Maintenance Company and in 1993, the 211th Maintenance company based in Newark, Ohio.
10: 245th Maintenance Company
The beginning of this company was at Camp Gordon, Georgia in 1942 as Company D, 82nd Quartermaster Battalion. In 1972, they were re-designated the 245th Maintenance Company at St Louis, Missouri and made an Army Reserve unit.
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11: 267th Maintenance Company
This is a new unit; they were organized as part of the Nebraska National Guard at Lincoln, Nebraska in 2002.
12: 276th Maintenance Company
Known as the 276th Ordnance Medium Maintenance Company, they were activated in 1942 at Camp Flora, Mississippi. In 1980, they were re-designated as the 276th Maintenance Company at Fort Allen, Puerto Rico. In 2006, they became a Reserve unit.
13: 367th Maintenance Company
In 1965, as part of the Mississippi National Guard, this unit was designated Company A, 1st Battalion, 198th Armor. In 1972, they became the 367th Maintenance Company. They are based at Philadelphia, Mississippi.
14: 417th Maintenance Company
This unit was activated in 1942 at Camp Sutton, North Carolina as Company S, Ammunition and General Supply Battalion, 304th Ordnance Regiment. In 1967, they became the 417th Maintenance Company with home base at Fairbault, Minnesota.
15: 503rd Maintenance Company
Activated at Camp Stewart, Georgia in 1941, they were Company H, 2d Battalion, 53d Ordnance Heavy Maintenance Regiment. In 1966, they became the 503rd Maintenance Company at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
16: 512th Maintenance Company
As Company K, 54th Quartermaster Regiment, they started in 1942 at Fort Devens, Massachusetts. In 1966, they became the 512th Maintenance Company and Germany is home.
17: 514th Maintenance Company
In 1942, Company C, 82d Quartermaster Battalion was activated at Camp Davis, North Carolina. And, in 1967, they became the 514th Maintenance Company. In 1971, they were activated in Fort Knox, Kentucky.
18: 546th Maintenance Company
Activated in 1941 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, they started as Company B, 57th Quartermaster Regiment. It wasn’t until 1972 that they became the 546th Maintenance Company.
19: 584th Maintenance Company
In 1942, they were the 3505th Ordnance Automotive Maintenance Company at Camp Adair, Oregon. They became the 584th Maintenance Company in 1967 at Fort Riley, Kansas.
20: 596th Maintenance Company
The year was 1946 in the Philippine Islands. They were designated the 3586th Ordnance Depot Company. In 1967 at Fort Sheridan, Illinois, they became the 596th Maintenance Company.
21: 598th Maintenance Company
In 1946, this unit was started in the Philippines as the 3590th Ordnance Heavy Automotive Maintenance Company. In 1967, they became the 598th Maintenance Company in Fort Benning, Georgia.
22: 602nd Maintenance Company
The 602nd started as Company B, 1st Maintenance Battalion, 304th Ordnance Regiment in 1942 at Camp Sutton, North Carolina. In 1967, they were re-designated the 602nd Maintenance Company at Fort Hood, Texas.
23: 642nd Maintenance Company
This unit was put into Federal service in 1916 as Company A, 1st Regiment of Infantry in Las Cruces, New Mexico. In 1974, it was designated the 642nd Maintenance Company as part of the New Mexico National Guard.
More
These are just a few of the many maintenance companies.
Other Facts
24: The 4 Levels of Army Maintenance
There are 4 levels of Army Maintenance. They are:
Unit maintenance
Direct support maintenance
General support maintenance
Depot maintenance
25: Important Literature
Here are links to Army literature that every one involved with Army maintenance should read:
Commanders Maintenance Handbook DA PAM 750-1
TAMMS DA PAM 750-8
Guide For Motor Pool Operations DA PAM 750-35
Final Thoughts
I hope you learned something about Army Maintenance you didn’t know. Please provide your thoughts, opinions and questions below. Thank you for visiting.
Chuck Holmes
Former Army Major (resigned)
Publisher, Part-Time-Commander.com
Email: mrchuckholmes@gmail.com
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