The 49th Quartermaster Group served in two very distinct periods: from 1936 to 1947 and from 1993 to 2013. Originally constituted as HQ and HQ Detachment, 49th Quartermaster Regiment (Truck-Army), the unit underwent several redesignations before becoming the HQ and HQ Detachment, 49th Quartermaster Group (Colored) in December 1943. During World War II, the Group would take part in four campaigns in Europe, earning a Meritorious Unit Commendation for its service in Italy from the start of October 1944 until 1 January 1945. The Group was inactivated in 1947 in Italy.
After an inactivation of 46 years, the Group was redesignated as the 49th Quartermaster Group at Fort Lee in Virginia in 1993 (the Fort was renamed Fort Gregg-Adams in 2023). For its service in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from January to September of 2003, the Group was honored with another Meritorious Unit Citation. A decade would elapse before the Group cased its colors for the final time 14 September 2012, bringing its days "Fueling The Force" to a close.
Approved for wear on 22 June 1998, the 49th Quartermaster Group Shoulder Sleeve Insignia (unit patch) is a rectangle with rounded corners, bordered in black and an interior countercharged in buff and black. Black is a symbol of solidarity in heraldry, but here it is also a reference to petroleum. A light blue lightning flash in the insignia’s center denotes speedy, quick responses for support. A black vertical stripe represents the flow of water and fuel, while an annulet superimposed over it recalls the appearance of a wheel that suggests constant movement of supplies.
Related Items
49th Quartermaster Group Unit Crest (DUI)
49th Quartermaster Group Combat Service ID Badge (CSIB)