1297th Support Battalion

1297th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion 729th Maintenance Battalion 729th Ordnance Company
Battalion Coat of Arms
Active	3 May 1937 – 17 January 1946 20 June 1946 – present
Country	United States
Allegiance	Maryland
Branch	United States Army
Type	Combat Sustainment Support
Size	Battalion
Part of	58th Troop Command
Headquarters	Havre de Grace, Maryland
Motto(s)	"Support the Battle"
Ordnance colors	Or  and  Crimson
Engagements	World War II Normandy (with arrowhead) Northern France Rhineland Central Europe War on Terrorism Afghanistan: Transition I Iraq: Transition of Iraq Iraqi Governance
Insignia
Distinctive Unit Insignia

The 1297th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion (1297 CSSB) is a combat sustainment and supply unit of the Maryland Army National Guard. The battalion traces its lineage to the first maintenance and light maintenance companies formed in the Maryland National Guard before the Second World War.

History

The 1297th Support Battalion can trace its lineage back to Company D, 104th Quartermaster Regiment. This company was organised and federally recognised on 3 May 1937 in the Maryland National Guard, based at Camp Ritchie. The company, part of the 104th Quartermaster Regiment formed part of the 29th Division, an infantry formation of the National Guard comprising the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia National Guards. Previously, the division had the 29th Division Train, Quartermaster Corps of the Maryland National Guard, however the headquarters was not organised, and was inactive unless mobilized. On 1 April 1939, the company was redesignated as Company E, 104th Quartermaster Regiment, part of the newly organised 3rd Battalion which was raised on 30 June 1939 in Baltimore, Maryland. The battalion consisted of two companies (E and F, which was formed from the 104th Motorcycle Company based in Richmond, Virginia). During the interwar period, the Quartermaster Corps was reorganised several times. The last of which was on 1 November 1940, under Table of organization and equipment (T/O) 10-271 established the structure of a division quartermaster regiment. Each regiment consisted of three battalions: 1st and 2nd were truck transportation battalions, the 3rd was light maintenance and car transport, and a service company. Each battalion consisted of two companies, with Company E forming part of the 3rd battalion. Company E was responsible for light maintenance.

For its annual summer training camp, the 104th Quartermaster Regiment was deployed to Plattsburgh, New York where it took part in the First Army Maneuvers of that year from 13 – 27 August 1939. For its annual camp in 1940, from 4 August to 25 August 1940 the battalion was again part of First Army Maneuvers in the Plattsburgh–Watertown–Canton–Ogden areas of New York. The final training exercise was during the summer camp of 1941, which lased from 6 October to 1 November 1941 at the Carolina Maneuver Area, again with the regiment supporting the 29th Division under the First Army General Headquarters Maneuvers.

On 16 September 1940, the battalion was inducted into Federal service, and on 23 September transferred to Fort Dix in New Jersey. It was then enroute to the Carolina Maneuver Area when the Attack on Pearl Harbor began. On 12 March 1942, the company was reduced to a platoon, now as Maintenance Platoon, Headquarters Company, 104th Quartermaster Battalion with the same role as it had previously. On 1 August 1942, it was redesignated as the Ordnance Maintenance Platoon, but raised back to company size and numbered on 27 September 1942 as the 729th Ordnance Company (Light Maintenance), now directly subordinated to the 29th Infantry Division. Through the remainder of the Second World War, the company was granted campaign participation credit for all major engagements of the 29th Division. These included: Normandy (with arrowhead), Northern France, Rhineland, and Central Europe. On 17 January 1946 the company was inactivated at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey.

On 20 June 1946, the company was redesignated as 729th Ordnance Company (Maintenance), and on 6 January 1947 was reorganised and Federally recognised at Camp Richie. In the early 1950s, the Korean War taught the army that it needed more ordnance self-sufficient units. As such, each division's ordnance company was expanded into a battalion. Therefore, on 6 April 1953 the company was redesignated as the 729th Ordnance Battalion, moved to Havre de Grace and its subordinate companies activated. Further changes to divisional structure in the 1960s known as the ROAD Division saw the ordnance battalions redesignated as maintenance battalions, now coming under a dedicated division support command. As a consequence of this, on 1 March 1963 the battalion was redesignated as the 729th Maintenance Battalion. On 21 January 1968, the battalion headquarters and Company A were relieved from assignment to the 29th Infantry Division (remainder of the battalion now has separate lineage). On 7 April 1968, they were ordered into Federal service during the Baltimore riot of 1968, and later released on 12 April 1968. During this time, the battalion formed part of Task Force Oscar's Task Force Emergency Headquarters Brigade, centered around the 3rd Brigade, 29th Infantry Division.

On 1 August 1972, the battalion's headquarters moved to Glen Arm, and was redesignated as the 297th Maintenance Battalion on 1 June 1986 as part of the Army of Excellence reforms. On 1 February 1990, the headquarters moved back to Havre de Grace. During the 1990s, the battalion was reorganised several times, the first of which start in 1993. On 1 September 1993, the 1729th Maintenance Company which had been organised on 1 December 1971 in Havre de Grace merged with the Battalion. Then, on 1 September 1994, the battalion was reorganised and redesignated as the 1297th Support Battalion (Corps). Finally, on 1 October 1996, the battalion consolidated with the 1729th Quartermaster Company (ANNEX 1). In 2004, the battalion's organisation was as follows:

• Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment
• Company B, 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), in Glen Arm

On 9 September 2004, the battalion was ordered into active Federal service and deployed to Iraq. The battalion was deployed for two years as part of the Iraqi Transition period and Iraqi Governance. On 8 March 2006 they returned and reverted to state control. Start in 2004, the United States Army began a modular transformation, which among many things reorganized many support battalions into Combat Sustainment Support Battalions. As such, on 1 September 2007, the battalion consolidated with the 2729th Transportation Detachment (ANNEX 2) and became the 1297th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion. On 19 May 2011, the battalion was ordered into Federal service and deployed to Afghanistan during the transition phase. They returned on 21 June 2012 and reverted to state control.

Annex 1

The 1729th Quartermaster Company traces its lineage to Battery C, 3rd Missile Battalion, 70th Artillery which was organised and Federally recognised on 5 April 1959 in the Maryland Army National Guard based at Groom Station. On 27 July 1962, the battalion became Battery C, 1st Missile Battalion, and moved to Waldorf. On 23 May 1972 the battery was converted into the 70th General Supply Company and subsequently moved from the Field Artillery Branch to the Quartermaster Corps. On 1 December 1971, the company moved to Pikesville, but on 1 December 1971 moved to Woodstock. On 16 September 1987 the company was renamed as the 70th Supply Company, and on 1 December 1991 moved to Baltimore. Finally, on 2 September 1993 they became the 1729th Quartermaster Company (Supply), and merged into the 1297th on 1 October 1996.

As of 2025, the company's number has been taken over by the 1729th Maintenance Company based in Havre de Grace in the 1297th Support Battalion.

Annex 2

The 2729th Transportation Detachment was organised and Federally recognised on 22 May 1992 in the Maryland Army National Guard based in Baltimore. On 1 January 1992, they moved to Havre de Grace. On 13 January 2004 the detachment was ordered into Federal service and deployed, returning on 10 July 2005 and reverted to state control. Finally, on 1 September 2007 the detachment was absorbed into the 1297th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion.

Structure

The battalion's current structure as it appears in April 2024 is as follows:

• Headquarters and Headquarters Company, in Havre de Grace
• 1229th Transportation Company (Light-Medium Truck), in Baltimore
• 729th Quartermaster Company (Composite Supply), in Middle River
• 1729th Maintenance Company, in Havre de Grace
• 104th Medical Company (Area Support), in Reisterstown
• 224th Medical Company (Area Support), in Gaithersburg

Awards

Campaign Participation Credit

Campaign Participation Credit granted to the 1297th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion include:

• World War II
  • Normandy (with arrowhead)
  • Northern France
  • Rhineland
  • Central Europe
• War on Terrorism
  • Afghanistan:
    • Transition I
  • Iraq:
    • Transition of Iraq
    • Iraqi Governance

Decorations

Decorations awarded to the 1297th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion or predecessors:

Ribbon	Streamer	Name	Service	General Orders
		Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered IRAQ 2004-2005	17 October 2004 to 1 September 2005	DAGO 2009-12 / DAGO 2018-36
		Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered AFGHANISTAN 2011-2012	10 July 2011 to 8 May 2012	DAGO 2013-79
		French Croix de Guerre with Palm, World War II, Streamer embroidered BEACHES OF NORMANDY
		Army Superior Unit Award	1 December 2008 to 31 January 2009	DAGO 2013-17

Heraldry

Heraldry of the 1297th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion as approved by the United States Army Institute of Heraldry is as follows:

Coat of Arms

Coat of arms of the 1297th Support Battalion

Years in use The coat of arms was originally approved for the 729th Ordnance Battalion, Maryland National Guard on 24 June 1954. It was redesignated for the 729th Maintenance Battalion, Maryland Army National Guard on 7 February 1967. It was cancelled on 11 July 1972. It was reinstated and redesignated for the 297th Maintenance Battalion, Maryland Army National Guard on 29 June 1987 and cancelled the same date. The coat of arms was reinstated and redesignated for the 1297th Support Battalion on 17 March 1997. Escutcheon Quarterly, Crimson and Buff, on a fess rayonné to chief Or, a lion passant guardant of the first. That for regiments and separate battalions of the Maryland Army National Guard: From a wreath Or and Crimson, a cross bottony per cross quarterly Gules and Argent. SUPPORT THE BATTLE. Symbolism Crimson and yellow are the colors used for Ordnance. Buff is the color of the Quartermaster Corps and indicates the unit's origin and service as a Quartermaster company. The rayonné partition line signifies the intense fire power produced by the Ordnance material. The lion, suggested by the coat of arms of Normandy, commemorates the organization's special decoration for extraordinary heroism during the Normandy assault landing. The four divisions of the shield refer to the battalion's battle honors for service in Europe during World War II. The crest is that of the Maryland Army National Guard.

Distinctive Unit Insignia

Coat of arms of the 1297th Support Battalion

Years in use The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 729th Ordnance Battalion, Maryland National Guard on 24 June 1954. It was redesignated for the 729th Maintenance Battalion, Maryland Army National Guard on 30 January 1967. It was redesignated for the 297th Maintenance Battalion, Maryland Army National Guard on 29 June 1987. The insignia was redesignated for the 1297th Support Battalion on 17 March 1997. Escutcheon A Gold color metal and enamel device 1 1/8 inches (2.86 cm) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Quarterly, Crimson and Buff, on a fess rayonné to chief Or, a lion passant guardant of the first. Attached below the shield is a Red motto scroll inscribed "SUPPORT THE BATTLE" in Gold. Symbolism Crimson and yellow are the colors used for Ordnance. Buff is the color of the Quartermaster Corps and indicates the unit's origin and service as a Quartermaster company. The rayonné partition line signifies the intense fire power produced by the Ordnance material. The lion, suggested by the coat of arms of Normandy, commemorates the organization's special decoration for extraordinary heroism during the Normandy assault landing. The four divisions of the shield refer to the battalion's battle honors for service in Europe during World War II.

References

• Clay, Lieutenant Colonel (retd) Steven E. (2009). U.S. Army Order of Battle 1919–1941. 1. The Arms: Major Commands and Infantry Organizations. Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, United States: Combat Studies Institute Press. ISBN 978-0984190140. https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Portals/7/combat-studies-institute/csi-books/OrderofBattle1.pdf. 
• Clay, Lieutenant Colonel (retd) Steven E. (2009). U.S. Army Order of Battle 1919–1941. 4 The Services: Quartermaster, Medical, Military Police, Signal Corps, Chemical Warfare, and Miscellaneous Organizations, 1919–41. Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, United States: Combat Studies Institute Press. ISBN 978-1518711442. https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Portals/7/combat-studies-institute/csi-books/OrderofBattle4.pdf. 
• Wilson, John B. (1998). Maneuver and Firepower: The Evolution of Divisions and Separate Brigades. Washington, District of Columbia, United States: United States Army Center of Military History. ISBN 978-0898754988. https://d34w7g4gy10iej.cloudfront.net/pubs/pdf_71912.pdf.