3666th Support Maintenance Company (3666th SMC) "Desert Demons" is a maintenance and support company that is task organized to provide maintenance support operations to battalion level or higher elements including special operations. The 3666th SMC is currently stationed at Petty Crew Armory, Papago Park Military Reservation, Arizona, and is a subordinate unit of the 158th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 198th Regional Support Group, Arizona Army National Guard.
Capabilities A support maintenance company can be employed at echelons above division (EAD), within a corps area of operations and/or in the division support area (DSA) to support corps units operating in the DSA and also provide support to divisional units in automotive/ armament, ground support, and electronic equipment maintenance as well as track vehicle recovery when required.
History 1953 organized as the 3666th Light Maintenance Company in Phoenix, Arizona. 1955 organized as the 3666th Ordnance Company (FM) in Phoenix, Arizona, Captain Lester L. McCartney commanding. 1956-1959 organized as the 3666th Ordnance Company (DS) in Phoenix, Arizona, Captain Wilber T. Joplin commanding. 1961-1962 organized as the 3666th Ordnance Company (Dir. Spt.) in Phoenix, Arizona, Captain Wilber T. Joplin commanding. 1964 organized as the 3666th Light Maintenance Company in Phoenix, Arizona. May 2020 - June 2020, 3666th SMC prepares for mobilization under Operation Spartan Shield at Florence Military Reservation. June 2020 - July 2020, 3666th is assigned to 120th Infantry Brigade at Fort Hood (North), Texas for mobilization under Operation Spartan Shield. July 2020 3666th SMC conducts Transfer of Authority from 626th Support Maintenance Company, North Carolina Army National Guard, Camp Buehring, Kuwait. March 2021, 3666th SMC conducts Transfer of Authority to the 3654th Support Maintenance Company, Iowa Army National Guard, Camp Buehring, Kuwait. February 2022, 3666th SMC conducts Change of Command with outgoing commander Captain Juan C. Poland transferring command to Captain Jonathon Gonzales.
Short Creek Raid 1953 3666th Light Maintenance Company, July - August 1953
In the early-morning hours of Sunday July 26, 1953, several hundred Arizona state officials and police officers moved into the Mormon community of Short Creek, to serve warrants on thirty-six men and eighty-six women. Officials staging the raid believed they were rescuing the community's children from a life of bondage and immorality. Shortly the raid, ordered by Governor Howard Pyle, resulted in the arrest of all adult members of the community, except five, on “conspiracy” charges, which include polygamy. The members of the raiding party included highway patrolmen, liquor control officers, sheriff's deputies and special deputies. The Arizona Attorney General, Ross F. Jones, told the media that the state would seek levying of fines which would act as liens against United Effort Plan properties in Short Creek. This action, he said would “abolish for once and ‘for all” this polygamist community in Mohave County. He indicated that he would also seek a writ to “abate the nuisance” of polygamist practices at Short Creek. This raid was the third on the Mormon community in Short Creek, the two previous ones being in 1935 and 1944, which also dealt with disruption of the community and the separation of the families.
The Arizona National Guard was activated to provide communications and field kitchen support for the raid and to aid members of the town.
Support detachment command team Captain Frank E. Schaffer, Jr., Company E, 158th Infantry Chief Warrant Officer 2 Neal E. Wagoner, Company E, 158th Infantry Master Sergeant Reuben M. Wise, Heavy Mortar Company, 158th Infantry Field kitchen team - Company I, 158th Infantry Master Sergeant Henry L. Schaeffer Sergeant Frank Martinez Sergeant Robert P. Morison Corporal Guillermo Ceballos Private First Class Edward Goitia Private Richard C. Flores Private Albert B. Casados
Communications Corporal Jerry F. DeWitt, 3666th LMC, Phoenix, set up and operated a communications center for the news media. News stories from Short Creek were filed direct from the center by trunk line service at Sky Harbor in Phoenix, Arizona.
Exercise Desert Strike 1964 3666th Light Maintenance Company, 8 May 1964 - 30 May 1964
Desert Strike was a field training exercise (FTX) in which two Joint Task Forces (JTF) opposed each other. The Exercise involved some 90,000 Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine personnel of the United States Strike Command. They maneuvered in the desert area of Southern California-Arizona. This was the largest exercise in the United States in 1964 and the first major exercise in this area since World War II. The Arizona National Guard coined the title of the exercise as "Colorado River War II". The exercise was a hypothetical situation, with two principal countries established, "Calonia" on the West of the Colorado River and "Nezona" on the East. With the Colorado as the international border between the two major powers, the border between the two countries extends from Mexico through the maneuver area to Las Vegas, Nevada, and from there north to another hypothetical neutral country.
During the exercise the 3666th LMC was attached to the 705th Maintenance Battalion, 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized), Lieutenant Colonel Patrick J. Breen commanding.
The exercise was so large that the Arizona National Guard borrowed equipment and vehicles from the California National Guard, Utah National Guard, Oklahoma National Guard, Colorado National Guard, New Mexico National Guard, Texas National Guard, and the Arkansas National Guard.
Gulf War 1990-1991
Arizona Army National Guard units that were activated for the Gulf War.
222nd Transportation Company 259th Engineer Company 356th Signal Company 363rd Ordnance Detachment 416th Aviation Platoon 855th Military Police Company 1404th Transportation Company 2220th Transportation Company 2221st Quartermaster Company 2222nd Transportation Company The 3666th Support Maintenance Company was not activated for Operation Desert Shield or Operation Desert Storm.
Operation Iraqi Freedom, Phase VI 2009-2010 3666th Support Maintenance Company, September 2009 - April 2010:
Deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (Iraqi Sovereignty).
3666th Support Maintenance Company Command Team during deployment:
Company Commander: Captain Clark Company First Sergeant: First Sergeant Richardson
Annual training 2015 3666th Support Maintenance Company, September 2015
Provide maintenance support operations at Camp Dodge, Iowa - Joint Maneuver Training Center.
Annual training 2016 3666th Support Maintenance Company, Sustain the Force, June 2016 - July 2016
Supporting the Alaska National Guard in sustainment and combined support maintenance operations at Fort Greely and Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson.
Exercise Cougar Conqueror / Exercise Western Defender 2016 3666th Support Maintenance Company - August 2016
3666th SMC Soldiers attended a training exercise with the 158th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in a U.S. Army, National Guard, and Canadian Army joint exercise to improve interoperability with the United States Army's primary reserve combat force and its Canadian allies.
National Guard Soldiers who attended the training exercise in Canada are authorized the Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon (ARCOTR).
Annual training 2017 3666th Support Maintenance Company, 11 March 2017 - 25 March 2017
Trained at the U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command Life Cycle Management Command, Fleet Management Expansion, which supports the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command by maintaining equipment such as combat systems, tactical vehicles and weapons used to train Soldiers at TRADOC schools. Fort Benning, Georgia - Maneuver Center of Excellence.
Operation Guardian Support 2018 - 2020
Due to an ongoing migrant crisis at the U.S.-Mexico Border the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, ordered Operation Guardian Support into effect to have States voluntarily activate their respective Army National Guard and Air National Guard units to conduct a domestic deployment to the border to provide relief to local law enforcement and United States Customs and Border Protection.
3666th Support Maintenance Company Soldiers along with other members of the Arizona National Guard were activated in support of this mission.
Operation Guardian Support was the named National Guard mission, it was later reinforced with Operation Faithful Patriot which augmented the Guard presence at the border with Active Duty Service Members.
Those who served on Operation Guardian Support were authorized the Armed Forces Service Medal.
State National Guards that were activated in support of Operation Guardian Support:
Alabama National Guard Arizona National Guard Florida National Guard Georgia National Guard Mississippi National Guard Missouri National Guard South Carolina National Guard Texas National Guard Virginia National Guard
National Training Center 2019 3666th Support Maintenance Company, NTC Rotation 08-19 - August 2019 at Fort Irwin, California
Hypothetical Training Event - United States Army and allied "Atropian" armed forces vs "Donovian" armed forces.3666th SMC provided support to its battalion element the 158th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion "Coati" and the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team, Idaho Army National Guard and their subordinate units.
COVID-19 Pandemic 2020 3666th Support Maintenance Company, March 2020 - May 2020
26 Soldiers of the 3666th SMC were activated under emergency State Active Duty (SAD) orders and under Title 32 (T32) orders by the Governor of Arizona, Doug A. Ducey Jr., to support the State of Arizona's response to the COVID-19 pandemic under Task Force Logistics, Joint Task Force - Arizona. Task Force Logistics was operated by the 158th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion (158th CSSB) and commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Nathaniel T. Panka, Joint Task Force - Arizona was commanded by Brigadier General John E. Hoefert. 3666th SMC Soldiers received a letter of appreciation from BG Hoefert, the Arizona State Active Duty Ribbon, and the Armed Forces Service Medal for their efforts during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Operation Spartan Shield 2020-2021 3666th Support Maintenance Company, July 2020 - March 2021
Deployed to Kuwait in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (Spartan Shield) from July 2020 - March 2021. The unit preceded the arrival of the 142nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion by one month and temporarily fell under the 87th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion and preceded the 101st Airborne Division Sustainment Brigade (Air Assault) by two months and so fell under the 304th Sustainment Brigade, United States Army Reserve until the transfer of authority was complete.
Prior to deployment the 3666th SMC attended pre-mobilization training at the Florence Military Reservation dubbed "Forward Operating Base Mesa" from May 2020 - June 2020. From June 2020 - July 2020 the 3666th SMC completed their pre-mobilization training at Fort Hood, Texas under the 120th Infantry Brigade until finally mobilizing to Kuwait where they would primarily operate out of Camp Buehring and have some forces in Camp Arifjan, Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwaiti Naval Base (KNB), and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).
3666th SMC Soldiers were awarded 7* Meritorious Service Medals (MSM), 58* Army Commendation Medals (ARCOM), 65* Army Achievement Medals (AAM), 100* Army Good Conduct Medals (AGCM), 133* Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medals (GWOTEM), 133* Global War on Terrorism Service Medals (GWOTSM), and 133* Armed Forces Reserve Medals (AFRM) with "M" Devices, 10* Certificates of Achievement, and various Certificates of Appreciation and Challenge Coins by the end of their tour.