FORT EUSTIS, Va. –
Beneath a brilliant azure sky, flags and campaign streamers rippled in the breeze off the James River, as the 6th Transportation Battalion cased its colors in a waterfront ceremony at Fort Eustis' 3rd Port Aug. 28.
The battalion, a subordinate unit of the 7th Sustainment Brigade, inactivated after 33 years of consecutive service at Fort Eustis, having been most recently activated March 16, 1979. The unit first activated at Fort Eustis 60 years ago, standing up Aug. 15, 1952.
The unit, nicknamed the "Doers," boasts a storied history, tracing its roots to World War II, where it served on the famed "Red Ball Express," the massive truck convoy system built to supply Allied forces in their advance across Europe following D-Day.
According to Col. Lawrence Kominiak, the 7th Sus. Bde. commander, the 6th Trans. Bn. has activated and inactivated several times, meeting the operational needs of the Army when called upon. In addition to WWII, the unit's service record includes campaigns in Vietnam, Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield, Operation Restore Hope in Somalia, Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Most recently, the battalion returned from a one-year deployment in Kuwait in support of Operation New Dawn.
"This unit is truly great, with a long history and legacy at Fort Eustis. The battalion lineage mirrors the history of our great nation," Kominiak said. "Undoubtedly in the future, the great 6th Transportation Battalion will once again answer the call and be brought back into our nation's service."
"Each time the unit was called upon, the battalion call answered, the battalion made another deposit into the trust fund of American liberty, because freedom isn't free," said Lt. Col. Curt Stewart, the 6th Trans. Bn. commander.
In his remarks, Stewart said he was proud to have led the unit, and while he was sad to see the battalion case its colors, it was "one of the most memorable assignments" in his career.
"I stand before you today honored to have had he privilege of leading this superior truck battalion for the last year and a half," Stewart said. "I know that having been a "Doer" will stay with me longer than today."
"While I hold no certainty that to the 'Doer's Battalion' will be stood back up in my time, it is something of a comfort that the 'Doer' spirit remains, [and] to know that the memory of those Soldiers who have given their lives under this guidon, writing with their blood, sweat, and a lot of diesel fuel the first half century of the battalion's history will not be relegated to a dusty warehouse in the Institute of Heraldry, but instead inspire us to all move out smartly, get those trucks out on the road, and perpetuate the legacy of the 'Doers' in our future endeavors," the commander said, closing the ceremony and placing his unit back on the shelf until the Army calls upon them again.