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MANNHEIM, Germany — The griffin mascot and the gold and buff colors of the 28th Transportation Battalion have long been a common fixture in Germany as the unit’s trucks have logged thousands of miles across the country’s roads and autobahns.
Now, after 74 years of service, the 28th Trans. Bn. is closing a chapter in its history and saying its final farewell to Germany.
The 28th Trans. Bn. cased its colors June 4 at an inactivation ceremony here in front of the battalion headquarters on Coleman Barracks. A legacy of dedication and service to the Soldiers of Europe and their communities has come to an end.
Reaching Europe in 1944 between the shores of Toulousse and Nice, France, the battalion has called Mannheim its home for 57 of the 66 years it has been in Europe. In fact, much of the battalion’s history is intertwined with Germany’s history.
The crowd of guests who gathered to send off this historic battalion included Maj. Gen. Patricia McQuistion, 21st Theater Sustainment Command commanding general, Col. Thomas Evans and Command Sgt. Maj. Brenda Curfman, commander and command sergeant major of the 18th Military Police Brigade, officials from the city of Mannheim, former 28th Trans. Bn. commanders Col. Stephen Farmen and retired Col. James Veditz, former 28th Trans. Bn. command sergeant major, retired Command Sgt. Maj. Arthur F. Peete, along with Soldiers, family members and friends of the battalion.
Colonel Evans expressed his pride in being a part of the En Temps history and noted that the inactivation of a unit as exceptional as the 28th Trans. Bn. touched not only the battalion, its Soldiers and the community, but also the transportation corps and the Army as a whole. Yielding his speech to former battalion commander Col. Stephen Farmen, the praise for the battalion and its Soldiers continued.
“From pre-World War II to present day, the En Temps battalion has served with a high level of honor, courage, character and distinction in every major campaign and war,” Colonel Farmen said. “You can see that clearly in the Soldiers on parade here today.”
The battalion has earned multiple campaign streamers and served with distinction throughout Europe.
In one of its most notable missions in Germany, the battalion supported one of the biggest operations of the Cold War and one of the largest humanitarian missions the world has ever seen — the Berlin Airlift, or “Operation Vittles” as it was commonly called. In an operation that saw U.S. forces deliver more than 1.7 million tons of food and coal to Berlin, the 28th Trans. Bn. was a vital part of that success, working with local nationals to unload and distribute vital supplies to Berlin citizens.
The partnership between the battalion and its host nation is a tradition that has flourished during the battalion’s tenure in Germany. Mannheim has been the home of the battalion since 1964, and the bonds it has with the community were evident at the ceremony.
City Counselor of Mannheim Erwin Feike spoke for the citizens and lord mayor of Mannheim and offered a thank you on their behalf for the decades of friendship the U.S. forces have extended to the city and its citizens.
Mr. Feike expressed his appreciation for all the support the battalion has rendered and noted specifically “to the Soldiers and your families, we wish you, personally, the best of luck and all the best for your future endeavors, but most of all, good health and God speed.”
Maj. Nicole Heumphreus, 28th Trans. Bn. commander, cased the colors of the battalion with 1st Sgt. Jade James, 28th Trans, Bn. acting command sergeant major, while the guidon of the Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment was simultaneously furled.
For Major Heumphreus, the inactivation was something she said she always knew was coming, but that she had been in denial about for the past year. Having the day finally arrive was seeing her fear realized, she said.
“To be the 28th’s final commander is an honor and privilege — one that I cannot fully put into words,” she said.
Major Heumphreus believes that soon, we will once again see the trucks of the 28th Trans. Bn. on the road, she said.
“The 28th will not be forgotten. We have, and always will, play a vital role in our nation. All of us who have been a part of the En Temps family will continue to breathe new life into its legacy, as its colors wait for its nation to call upon it one more time to serve,” she said.
For now, the mission of the 28th Trans. Bn. will be continued by the 391st Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 16th Sustainment Brigade, with the continued dedication of former En Temps transportation companies that were reassigned
within the 391st CSSB.
