The 185th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion is a subordinate unit of the 734th Regional Support Group, Iowa Army National Guard (ARNG). It was originally organized and Federally recognized in the Iowa National Guard as Detachment 2, Command and Control, Headquarters, Iowa ARNYG, a Table of Distribution and Allowances unit. It was converted and redesignated as HQ and HQ Detachment, 134th Supply and Service Battalion on 30 September 1982, a designation it retained until 1 March 1993 when it became the HQ and HQ Detachment (HHD), 185th Supply and Service Battalion; seven months later it was redesignated as HHD, 185th Support Battalion. It is not clear when it was redesignated as a Combat Sustainment Support Battalion.
Since becoming a Support unit, the Battalion has been ordered into Federal service at least twice, first from December 2003 to June 2005 (Iraq) and then in 2010-2011 (Afghanistan), earning a Meritorious Unit Commendation for its exceptional service. As of Autumn 2023, the Battalion is based in Johnston, Iowa.
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Also known as a unit crest or DUI, a Distinctive Unit Insignia is worn by all Soldiers (except General Officers) in units that have been authorized to be issued the device. It is worn centered on the shoulder loops of the Army Green Service Uniform (AGSU) and the blue Army Service Uniform (ASU, Enlisted only) with the base of the insignia toward the outside shoulder seam.
The Distinctive Unit of the 185th Support Battalion—now designated the 185th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion—was originally approved for the 134th Supply and Service Battalion on 18 March 1986. It was redesignated for the 185th Support Battalion on 13 March 1994, then redesignated for the 134th Quartermaster Battalion effective 1 September 2000. Its last redesignation was for the 185th Support Battalion on 10 October 2006.
The head of a hawk and a red olla (urn) are adapted from the Shoulder Sleeve Insignia of the Headquarters State Area Command, Iowa Army National Guard, a reference to the unit’s home area. A crossed sword and key are symbols of support to ensure military preparedness, and the arch below them is a sign of support for the individual Soldier by providing essential services, which is reinforced by the motto “To Serve The Soldier.” The hawk’s head is also a reference to the state’s nickname as the “Hawkeye State.”