407th Forward Support Battalion

The 407th Light Support Battalion is part of the U.S. Army and based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina part of the 82nd Airborne Division. The battalion was formed during World War I and has fought in many conflicts and has helped countries damaged by disasters since.

Originally designated the 407th Supply Train (Motor), the unit was activated on 5 August 1917 at Camp Gordon, Georgia as the country was building up for World War I. The unit was part of the 82d Infantry Division, which was assigned to the American Expeditionary Force on the Western Front in France. The supply train served during the American offensive on the St. Mihiel Salient and during the severe fighting in the Argonne Forest.

After the Armistice, the unit was demobilized in 1919, and reorganized two years later in the organized reserves as the 82d Division Train, Quartermaster Corps. After several other changes in designation, the Supply Train finally received its present-day numerical designation as the 407th Quartermaster Regiment on 1 July 1936.

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the 82d, along with the 407th, was called to active duty on 25 March 1942 at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana. On 15 August of that same year, the 407th became the 407th Airborne Quartermaster Company. The 407th then supported the division in both Sicily and Italy.

When the division went into Normandy, the 407th arrived there with the glider forces and the seaborne forces. The 407th also participated in the glider assault into the Netherlands. For these two operations, the 407th is credited with two arrowheads (initial assault) on its battle streamers.

In the years after World War II, the 407th finally became a full battalion.

On 1 September 1957, the unit reorganized as the 407th Supply and Transportation Battalion. In this configuration, the 407th served in the Dominican Republic for Operation POWER PACK in Grenada for Operation URGENT FURY, in Panama for Operation Just Cause, and in Saudi Arabia and Iraq for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

On 22 October 1993, the unit took its present-day form as the multi-functional 407th Light Support Battalion. In this configuration, the unit provides all direct support logistical needs as part of the Division's 2d Brigade Task Force. During Operation Restore Democracy in Haiti, the 407th was ready to deploy with Task Force Falcon, only to be stood down at the last minute.