The 59th Ordnance Brigade is a military unit of the United States Army. The unit is currently stood up as the U.S. Army Ordnance School's training brigade. In its previous iteration, the brigade had more than 6,500 soldiers. It was responsible for storage, delivering, maintaining, Nuclear and Chemical Control Orders, and supervising the weapons of mass destruction ("special ammo" of Nuclear and Chemical Munitions) for U.S. Forces and Forces of the Allied NATO-Countries, except France.
Heraldry Shoulder sleeve insignia Blazon: on a shield in width and in height overall, crimson with a yellow border, a white disc with scalloped rim containing a crimson flame of nine tongues surmounted by a small yellow disc at upper center between two cannon barrels in a V position, their breeches conjoined in base. Symbolism: crimson and yellow are the colors used for ordnance. The cannon barrels represent weapons, the disc at center a round of shot or ammunition, and the flames suggest ordnance repairs. The white area, suggesting a cloud of smoke, alludes to explosives. The position of the cannon barrels simulating the Roman numeral five, together with the nine tongues of the flame, alludes to the organization's numerical designation. Background: The shoulder sleeve insignia was approved on 18 April 1980. (TIOH Dwg. No. A-1-655)
Distinctive unit insignia Blazon: A gold color metal and enamel device 1 1/4 inches (3.18 cm) in height consisting of a red dragon's foreleg with scales outlined gold and five claws at the left, bent at the elbow in center base and having on its shoulder at right a Korean Taeguk in red and blue; centered behind the dragon's leg between a blue arch at the top extending from shoulder to claws of the dragon leg and inscribed in gold with the words "power to spare" and in base a wavy blue band terminating at the claws and shoulder of the dragon leg, a gold castle tower with red pointed roof top. Symbolism: Crimson and gold are the colors of the Ordnance Corps. The unit's World War II service in the Central Europe and Rhineland campaigns is represented by the castle tower and the wavy band in base, and the general configuration of the tower is an allusion to ordnance materiel. The dragon leg is adapted from designs found on Korean artifacts, its five claws referring to the number of Korean campaign credits and the Taeguk symbol on its shoulder denoting a Meritorious Unit Citation for Korean service. Background: The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 59th Ordnance Group on 12 May 1969. It was redesignated for the 59th Ordnance Brigade on 8 March 1978.
History
The 71st Ordnance Battalion was activated in Germany in 1955. In 1959, it was reformed into the Advanced Weapons Support Command (AWSCOM). On 24 March 1962 it was renamed as the Special Ammunition Support Command (SASCOM). In October 1972 the name was changed to the Special Ammunition Support Brigade. The Special Ammunition Support Brigade was them reformed into the 59th Ordnance Brigade.
In June 1992, the 59th Ordnance Brigade was inactivated after it had removed all U.S. Army nuclear (SALT, START, Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF)Treaty) and Chemical Weapons (Operation Steel Box and Operation Golden Python) from Europe including Italy, Greece and Turkey as SETAF (Southern European Task Force).
The 59th Ordnance Brigade was reactivated in 1994 at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, and replaced the School Brigade that administratively served the Ordnance Missile and Munitions Center and School (OMMCS). The brigade moved to Fort Lee, Virginia in 2011 and the school was merged into the United States Army Ordnance Corps and School.59th Ordnance Brigade/Brigade history 1962 - 1992 at https://usarmygermany.com/
Overview In June 1976 the brigade's units were situated at many locations in Western Germany and The Netherlands:USAREUR/Seventh Army STATION LIST, 1 June 1976.Cited from: U.S. Army in Germany: 59th Ordnance Brigade In October 1978 the 5th U.S. Army Artillery Group was reorganized as the 59th Ordnance Brigade all air defense detachment group. Custodial units in Italy, Greece and Turkey were controlled by Southern European Task Force (SETAF) in Vicenza, Caserma Ederle (Italy).