Military Zippo Lighter The 10th Mountain Division

Type

Military memorabilia

Soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division Sustainment Brigade, also known as the “Muleskinners,” can trace their heritage directly back to the Alpine infantrymen and their pack mules that formed the Mountain Medical, Quartermaster, and Ordnance Maintenance Battalions that supported the 10th Infantry Division during World War II. The Division Trains, as they were called, were organized and assigned to the 10th Infantry Division on June 14, 1957, and they were activated in Germany on July 1, 1957. Moving forward, they exchanged their stubborn mules for wheeled ambulances, trucks and forklifts, and upon unit replacement in Germany, were inactivated at Fort Benning, Georgia, on June 14, 1958. When the division was officially reactivated as the 10th Mountain Division (LI) on Feb. 13, 1985, at Fort Drum, New York, the Division Trains found a new home. Redesignated as the 10th Division Support Command, the headquarters element organized with the 10th Supply and Transportation Battalion, the 10th Medical Battalion, and the 710th Maintenance Battalion (which became the 10th Forward Support Battalion, the 210th Forward Support Battalion, and the 710th Main Support Battalion, respectively), all committed to supporting the Mountain Soldiers in this new light infantry division. On Aug. 16, 1987, the 548th Supply and Services Battalion was moved from Fort McClellan, Georgia, and was assigned to the Fort Drum Garrison. On Nov. 16, 1993, the battalion was reorganized as the 548th Corps Support Battalion and became part of the 10th DISCOM. Since its reactivation, the 10th DISCOM earned a reputation of supporting the climb to glory. In September 1990, the 548th CSB deployed to Southwest Asia for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, providing critical combat service support to units operating in Saudi Arabia and Iraq. In 1992, elements of the 10th DISCOM were called upon twice for critical missions. In August, Muleskinners deployed to Florida in support of Hurricane Andrew relief operations, armed with a high level of expertise in providing desperately needed supply, maintenance, and medical support that rendered their services invaluable to the communities and lives they helped to rebuild. In December, the 10th DISCOM deployed again, this time to Somalia in support of Operation Restore Hope. The ranks and responsibilities of the Muleskinners grew dramatically as they sustained, maintained, and cared for several rotations of division Soldiers while supporting humanitarian assistance to the local population. In September 1994, Soldiers of 10th DISCOM were called upon again and deployed with the division to Haiti in their traditional role as providers and sustainers, while also supporting humanitarian operations as part of Operation Uphold Democracy. In August 1999, elements of the 10th DISCOM deployed to the Balkans in support of peacekeeping operations as part of Task Force Eagle in Bosnia. In November 2001, elements from the DISCOM deployed to Kosovo in support of Task Force Falcon. But the climb didn’t end there. Since October 2001, 10th DISCOM units repeatedly deployed to both Afghanistan and Iraq in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. They set new standards for combat service support and exceeded every one, to include providing support to the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), the 3rd Infantry Division, and the newly constituted Afghan National Army. During this period, the 10th DISCOM Headquarters itself deployed to Afghanistan for OEF IV to serve as the Joint Logistics Command-180. Upon return, the 10th DISCOM immediately began to transform to meet the new Army requirements. In 2004, the 10th DISCOM transformed to 10th Support Brigade, and the 10th Support Brigade Special Troops Battalion was activated. The brigade later adopted 10th Sustainment Brigade as its name. The 10th Sustainment Brigade was reorganized as the 10th Mountain Division (LI) Sustainment Brigade, 10th Mountain Division (LI) Special Troops Battalion, and 548th Division Sustainment Support Battalion during a conversion ceremony Aug. 25, 2021, at Division Hill on Fort Drum, N.Y. The brigade reorganized as part of the Army's Structure Memorandum 2022-2026 to meet division requirements for large-scale combat operations. On Oct. 13, 2023, the 33rd Financial Management Support Unit, which fell under 10th DSTB, was inactivated. Throughout a wide range of operations over the course of many years and in every climate, the Muleskinners have provided support to combat units by pack mule or truck, ice axe or forklift. During their short history, Soldiers of 10th Mountain Division Sustainment Brigade have excelled at providing, sustaining, and treating division Soldiers with world-class logistics support in supply, maintenance, medical, and transportation operations while being able to step back from the "Trains" to fight and win alongside the division. Today, the Muleskinners of 10th Mountain Division Sustainment Brigade co