3rd Sustainment Command ( Expeditionary ) The 3d Sustainment Command ( Expeditionary ) is an American military unit . It derives its lineage from the 3rd Logistical Command , which was activated in Japan on 19 September 1950 for service in Korea . In garrison , the 3d Sustainment Command ( Expeditionary ) provides command and control ( Training and Readiness Authority - TRA ) of two sustainment brigades and one transportation company as well as administrative support for an engineer battalion . The 3d ESC also mentors other ESCs and sustainment brigades as they seek to improve their capabilities and / or prepare to deploy . Meanwhile , the headquarters is constantly working to prepare itself to deploy and provide command and control , sustainment and distribution management anywhere , in any environment , against any adversary . Korea . Meanwhile , the 3d Logistical Command arrived in Korea just 11 days after MacArthur ' s invasion and was assigned to X Corps . The command , just activated on September 19 under the Japan Logistical Command which was supporting the Eighth Army in Korea as the Far East Command requisitioning agency , assumed the task to unload , receive , store , and forward supplies for the X Corps . It established an initial supply level of 15 days and provided anti - aircraft and beach defense of the Inchon area . The concept of using a logistical command was a new one evolving from experiences during World War II . Korea marked the first use in combat of a logistical command organized under an approved table of organization . The attached corps combat service support structure was capable of providing high quality , timely support to units and included ordnance , quartermaster , transportation and medical units . Prior to its inactivation on March 20 , 1953 , the 3d Logistical Command participated in eight Korean campaigns including the first United Nations Counter Offensive and three Korean winter campaigns . The command received two Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation s for its meritorious service during the conflict . Germany . Reactivated After the experience in Korea , the consensus of those concerned seemed to be that the logistical command concept was sound . The great advantage of such an organization was that it represented an approved voucher against which a commander could set up a logistics support organization . The command was reactivated on June 15 , 1958 , in France and supported the U . S . Army Europe Communications Zone . In the spring of 1967 , the unit left France and moved to Worms , Germany . On June 2 , 1969 , the command was again inactivated , with the majority of the soldiers and units joining existing support units already in Germany . Before the corps support command - or COSCOM - concept was adopted in the United States Army Europe , V and VII Corps received combat service support from support brigades . When Seventh Army was reduced to token representation , V and VII corps became separate commands subordinate to USAREUR . To operate independently , each required a corps support command . The second and third support brigades were assigned to V and VII corps , respectively , and became COSCOMs . On June 25 , 1969 , 5th COSCOM was released from seventh army support command and was assigned to V Corps . 5th COSCOM was redesignated on September 23 , 1974 , as the 3rd Support Command ( Corps ) , with its headquarters in Frankfurt , Germany . The designation " ( Corps ) " was dropped in late 1979 . During the Cold War , the 3d Support Command stood in defense of Western Europe along with other forces . During the annual REFORGER ( Return of Forces to Germany ) exercises the command sustained V Corps during intensive tactical operations and deployment and redeployment operations . A typical REFORGER found the command supporting well over 70 , 000 troops and 20 , 000 vehicles during some of the most arduous winter conditions in Europe . On November 3 , 1976 , the distinctive badge for the 3d COSCOM was authorized . The Korean taeguk within the octagon shape represents the unit ' s eight campaigns in the Korean War . The red , white , and blue interlaced chevronel s symbolize the strong support offered by the command ; three chevronels further distinguish the designation of the 3d Corps Support Command . Buff ( gold ) and scarlet are colors used for support units . 3d COSCOM adapted its official motto " Sustaining the Line ! " in the fall of 1977 . The command sponsored a contest for soldiers to provide a motto for the unit crest . In a meeting in early October , a dozen possible mottoes from soldiers across the command were selected . Warrant Officer Richard Jones of the 881st Maintenance Battalion , received a $ 25 savings bond for his contribution of " Sustaining the Line ! " Nijmegen road march . In 1985 the 3d Support Command headquarters moved from Frankfurt to Wiesbaden , West Germany , after being next to V Corps HQs in Frankfurt for 16 years . In 1986 the command was selected to sponsor USAREUR ' s involvement in the 70th annual Nijmegen Road March in the Netherlands . The command handled its duties in such an outstanding manner that the CG , USAREUR and 7th Army , established the command as the permanent sponsor of the international road march . The command was redesignated as the 3d Corps Support Command in October 1988 . More recently , 3d COSCOM has been a key participant in several critical support missions throughout the world . Besides playing a major role in the deployment and redeployment of USAREUR soldiers in support of operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm , over 1 , 600 soldiers deployed from the 3rd COSCOM to southwest Asia , including soldiers from the 181st Transportation Battalion and the 16th Corps Support Group . Balkans . Elements of the 3d COSCOM deployed to Zagreb , Croatia , in support of Operation Provide Promise from November 1992 to November 1993 . Aviation support soldiers were deployed to Somalia from December 1992 through May 1993 in support of Operation Restore Hope . From July through December 1993 , 3d COSCOM soldiers deployed to southwest Asia in support of Operation Provide Cover . Soldiers from every unit in the COSCOM deployed to the Balkans in 1999 in support of Task Force Hawk and Task Force Falcon , participating in the NATO - led air campaign in Kosovo to bring stability and peace to the region . Global War on Terror . In February 2003 , the 3d COSCOM headquarters deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom . The Command assumed control of over more than 17 , 000 Soldiers providing logistical support to US and Coalition forces . COSCOM units participated in every OIF rotation since 2003 as well as deploying to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom . The headquarters deployed a second time to Iraq in 2005 assuming control of over 20 , 000 Soldiers while continuing to provide sustainment and distribution to Coalition Forces . Upon returning to Germany in September 2006 , 3d COSCOM personnel began preparations to relocate the unit colors for the sixth time in its history . The unit moved to Fort Knox , Kentucky in June 2007 and on September 16 , 2007 the 3d COSCOM transformed into the 3d Sustainment Command ( Expeditionary ) . After relocating to Fort Knox , the unit received personnel , equipment , and the mission to redeploy for a third - time to Iraq . From June 20 , 2008 until August 7 , 2009 , the 3d Sustainment Command assumed responsibility for sustainment and distribution support for all Coalition Forces in the Iraqi Theater of Operations . The command provided logistical support and base life support to over 300 , 000 soldiers and civilians across Iraq every day , while working with the Iraqi Army to improve their logistics capability and make them self - sufficient . Operation Unified Response - Haiti . Soldiers from the 3d ESC began deploying to Haiti within a week of the earthquake that devastated the country in January 2010 . From January 19 to February 3 , the 3d ESCA ' s formation grew to a Joint Logistics Command supporting over 18 , 000 Soldiers , Sailors , Airmen , Marines , Coast Guardsmen , Civilians , USAID , NGO , DVO and other governmental agencies . Before redeploying on March 9 , 2010 , the 3d ESC provided humanitarian aid and medical support to the Haitian people as well as transportation , field services and sustainment for U . S . forces deployed in and around Haiti . LSOC - East . Leveraging Sustainment Organizations in CONUS West duties involve coordination with all Sustainment Brigades , Support Brigades , and Army Field Support Brigades in the Continental United States , East of the Mississippi river . These Brigades are : Current leadership . Command Group :