A new command uncased its flag and took up residence on Sunday, here at the Joint Forces Training Base (JFTB). The 79th United States Army Reserve Sustainment Support Command will be the headquarters for more than 20,000 Army Reserve soldiers across 14 Western states that specialize in combat sustainment support.

On October 1, the command will take leadership of units in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. Their mission includes supporting troops with transportation, medical support, finance, and administration, to name a few.

“Our 79th family consists of soldiers, civilian employees, family members, contractors, and community members working together to improve and sustain the lives of our soldiers so they can concentrate on their duties,” said Maj. Gen. William D. Frink Jr., commander of the 79th.

When fully staffed, the command headquarters will employ close to 200 people including full-time Army Reserve soldiers, drilling Reserve soldiers, and civilian support staff. Many of the full-time soldiers and civilians and their families live in the local community.

The new command is planned to have four subordinate, deployable units under it, called expeditionary sustainment commands. When deployed, these commands will provide support to fellow units in countries throughout the world.

The 79th Sustainment Support Command is a unique two-star command that falls directly under the United States Army Reserve Command. It carries its lineage from the 79th Infantry Division, which fought in the Meuse-Argonne area of France in World War I and took part in the invasion of Normandy in World War II.