History
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The 801st Maintenance Battalion (Airborne Division), commanded by LTC Andrew B. C. Nicholls ,was formed 9 July 1956. Staff positions of the Battalion Headquarters include the Commanding Officer, Executive Officer, Supply Officer and five (5) enlisted specialists. COL Nicholls has commanded the Battalion since activation date. MAJ S. A. Copeland and MAJ H. W. Martin are former Executive Officers of the Battalion, and the position was recently filled by MAJ Jack Harrington. CPT W. F. McBride (retired), one of the original members of the staff, was supply officer until 31 May 1957. MSG O. O. Ladd and MSG C. E. Summers are the only enlisted personnel presently assigned that are original members of the Battalion. Other enlisted personnel presently assigned are SFC D. J. Hoffman, PFC R. B. Maxfield, and PFC W. M. DeCuir. The Battalion mission includes technical supervision and planning for all maintenance operations of the division. The maintenance installations are operated by two organic companies assigned to the Battalion: Company "A" (Main Support) and Company "B" (Emergency Repair). The scope of maintenance service provided to units of the division include services and field maintenance on vehicles, weapons, instruments, signal equipment and light aircraft. Training exercises that the Battalion has participated in include SKY RAID, JUMP LIGHT and KING COLE. Progress in all phases of training has been made during the last twelve months of operations. High standards of maintenance for all types of equipment has been achieved through development, perfection and implementation of effective maintenance plans. Unit and individual training subjects are conducted in conjunction with on-the-job maintenance training, and through continued training efforts, further advancements in training and effectiveness is expected to be achieved in the future. On 8 June 1956, one officer, 1LT James R. Warden and one warrant officer, Andrew B. Kosek, and eight enlisted men were sent to the 101st Airborne Support Group Headquarters. They were to prepare for the reorganization of Hq & Hq Det and Company "B" (Rear) 801st Ordnance Battalion to be redesignated, under the ROTAD concept as Hq & Rear Support Company. These men were to be the nucleus for the Company which was redesignated by General Order No. 3 Headquarters United States Third Army dated 27 June 1956, as Headquarters and Rear Support Company, 801st Maintenance Battalion, whose mission was: 1. Provide scheduled preventive maintenance (second echelon) services for all equipment within the Division except medical. 2. Provide backup limited third echelon maintenance for the Emergency Repair Company., of all equipment except medical, of all services within the Division during periods of non-combat. 3. During combat plan for and provide Class VI Supplies and Replacements of items for refitting operations. 4. Provide Class VI supply support for all equipment of all services, except medical, within the Division during periods of non-combat. 5. Operate the Division collecting and classification point. 6. Provide supply support for all technical publications relating to supply and maintenance of equipment of all technical services. 7. Fight as infantry men when required to defend itself and its installations against hostile ground attack. The unit was effective 1 July 1956, with 1LT James R. Warden as Company Commander and MSG Billy M. Rose as First Sergeant. The first Morning Report made was on the 9 July 1956, reflecting an assigned strength of 2 Officers, 3 warrant officers, and 131 enlisted men. The authorized strength was 10 Officers, 10 warrant officers, and 266 enlisted men, under TO&E 29-66 ROTAD dated 10 August 1956. The major problems confronting the Company at this time was to set up platoons and sections by the TO&E and begin planning what would relieve the Group Commanders of scheduled maintenance responsibilities. This was an absolute new concept with which no one had any experience. However, the officers and enlisted men were for the most part experienced maintenance men and the problems faced were soon overcome. Originally the automotive second echelon or preventive maintenance shop was set up in three sections to do maintenance on a production line basis with vehicles going from station to station with a time limit at each station. However, this method was an entirely new concept and had yet to be proven. The production line method of preventive maintenance was used until the first part of 1957, during which time experiments had proven bay maintenance or crew assigned method was a faster and more efficient method of maintenance because of the various checks that had to be done did not all take the same amount of time; therefore, there could be no uniform method devised to name the vehicles from station to station. The bay maintenance has, to this date, proven in production the best method related to the number of people employed. This method of maintenance is also used for engineer equipment. The preventive maintenance program for armament and Signal Equipment was set up for specific teams to canvas the units throughout the Division once a month and perform preventive maintenance on all equipment and pick up whatever equipment there was in need of higher echelon maintenance, which was in this case Mechanical Maintenance for arms and Electronic Maintenance for Signal. This method is still being used for Signal and armament. The mechanical maintenance platoon under CWO Andrew Kosek, who was instrumental in setting up the maintenance program for the Company, was set up to perform field maintenance on Ordnance and Engineer Equipment, the bulk of work coming from the preventive maintenance platoon. The Mechanical Maintenance platoon was organized into three sections: Aircraft Maintenance, Armament Maintenance Section and Automotive Maintenance. The Aircraft Maintenance, Section was located at Campbell Air Force Base and is under the supervision of the Aircraft Maintenance Officer. The Electronics Maintenance has the Mission of Field Maintenance and Signal Equipment, Ordnance Fire Control Equipment, Chemical Equipment and Quartermaster Equipment the bulk of the work coming from the preventive Maintenance Platoon. The Class VI Supply Platoon has the mission of supplying all repair parts for all services, except medical and Quartermaster Air, of the division. The bulk of its personnel consists of supply specialists of the various technical services. The collecting and classification section is a part of the supply platoon and has the mission of collecting, classifying and turning in all equipment of all the technical services. The Shop Office and Shop Officer is organized to handle all records of equipment and control the work load of the various platoons and effect coordination between the platoons maintenance schedules for units maintenance and acts as a liaison officer for the Company. This Company went to the field for two weeks operations in October to test whether or not this unit could operate under adverse conditions. The Company was set up in steel frame Maintenance Tents 16'x32' and it was found that the preventative Maintenance section could operate just as well as in garrison. However, much time was lost in the other sections due to the fact that precision mechanical assemblies delicate electronic gear cannot be exposed to elements constantly prevalent in the field. Since this unit is designed to operate primarily in garrison or in the marshalling or departure area, it was decided field operations for this Company will not be efficient. This Company was redesignated Headquarters and Company "A" (Main Support), 801st Maintenance Battalion (Airborne Division), Support Group, on 24 April 195,7 by General Orders Number 81 Headquarters Third Army, dated 24 April 1957, with Strength 11 Officers, 6 Warrant Officers, 23 non-commissioned Officers, and 241 enlisted men. On 25 September 1956, CPT Charles E. Dennis assumed command of this unit and has retained this command to date. On 8 June 1956, two officers, 1LT Donald B. Schroeder and 1LT Billie E. Searls, along with twelve enlisted men, were sent to the 101st Airborne Support Group Headquarters. They were to prepare for the reorganization of Company "A" (Forward), 801st Airborne Ordnance Battalion, to be redesignated under the ROTAD concept as Emergency Repair Company, 801st Airborne Maintenance Battalion. These men were to be the nucleus for the Company which was redesignated by General Order No. 111 Headquarters Third Army, dated 27 June 1956, whose mission was: 1.) To provide emergency repair for all equipment except medical for all Divisional Units in the assault area. 2.) To Provide Class VI Supply support for all equipment receiving echelon maintenance by contact party for all Divisional Units in garrison before and after field or combat operations. 3.) To provide Class VI Supply support for all equipment being supported within an airhead. 4.) Fight as infantry men when required to defend itself and its installations against hostile ground attack. The Unit was effective 8 June 1956, with 1LT Donald B. Schroeder as Company Commander and MSG Bradford D. Reed as First Sergeant. The first Morning Report was made on the 9th of July 1956, reflecting an assigned strength of 13 Officers, 1 Warrant Officer, and 158 Enlisted Men, under TO&E 29-67T ROTAD, dated 10 August 1956 and General Order 195 Headquarters Third Army, dated 27 September 1956. The major problems confronting the Company at this time were to set up 5 Combat Support Platoons, 2 Electronic Maintenance Sections, 2 Mechanical Maintenance Sections, and the Shop Office and Class VI Supply Section. These sections were set up by the TO&E and begin planning what would relieve the Group Commanders of scheduled maintenance responsibilities. This was an absolute new concept with which no one had any experience; however, the officers and enlisted men were, for the most par,t experienced maintenance men, and the problems faced were soon overcome. The Combat Support Platoons were set up to provide maintenance, radio repair, and small arms repair to the Airborne Infantry Combat Group which they support. The Electrical Maintenance Sections and Mechanical Maintenance Sections were together in two sections. The 1st Section supports the 101st Support Group, Command and Control Battalion and 327th Airborne Engineer Battalion. The 2nd Section supports Division Artillery and 501st Signal Battalion. The Class VI Supply Section provides supply support to all Combat Support Platoons, Electrical and Mechanical Maintenance Sections, and the Aviation Sections. This Section also provides supply support for all equipment being supported within an airhead. The Aviation Sections provide all maintenance on H-13 and H-34 type helicopters and L-19 and L-20 Aircraft plus the maintenance on these vehicles assigned them. The Shop Office along with the Shop Officer, who is a liaison officer in a sense, is the controlling point of this company's full maintenance support to the Units within the Division. He handles all work requests for types of maintenance needed from the organizations concerned. |
