The 77th Sustainment Brigade is a unit of the United States Army that inherited the lineage of the 77th Infantry Division ("Statue of Liberty"

thumb|right|Square Division example: 1940 US Infantry Division. On the far left can be seen two brigades of two regiments each.

The 77th was the first American division composed of draftees to arrive in France in World War I, landing in April 1918; overall, it was the seventh of 42 divisions to reach the Western Front. The division fought in the Battle of Château-Thierry on 18 July 1918 and later in the Meuse–Argonne offensive, the largest battle in the history of the United States Army, from late September until the Armistice with Germany on November 11, 1918. During its service in France, the 77th Division sustained 10,194 casualties: of these 1,486 men were killed and another 8,708 were wounded.

thumb|left|Men of the 307th Infantry Regiment (attached to the [[42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Division|British 42nd Division for instruction), headed by a British regimental band, marching past Major-General Arthur Solly-Flood (42nd Division) on a road near Famechon, France, 7 June 1918.]]

The division, after serving on occupation duties for the next few months, returned to the United States in April 1919 and was demobilized at Camp Upton later that month.

thumb|left|Men of Company I, 308th Infantry, resting after capturing German second line trenches 1½ miles north of Le Four de Paris; Lieutenant Stewart in charge: Foret d'Argonne (Forest of Argonne), September 1918.

The 153rd Infantry Brigade consisted of the 305th Infantry Regiment, 306th Infantry Regiment, and 305th Machine Gun Battalion. The brigade was initially commanded by Brigadier General Edmund Wittenmyer. The brigade's inaugural commander was Brigadier General Evan M. Johnson. Unlike the Regular and Guard units in the Second Corps Area, the 77th Division did not participate in the Second Corps Area maneuvers and the First Army maneuvers of 1935, 1939, and 1940 as an organized unit due to lack of enlisted personnel and equipment. Instead, the officers and a number of the enlisted reservists were assigned to Regular and Guard units to fill vacant slots and bring the units up to war strength for the exercises. Additionally, some were assigned duties as umpires or as support personnel. Due to the mobilization of many Organized Reserve officers beginning in 1939 for assignment to other units, all officers less those in the infantry and field artillery were relieved from their divisional assignments in July 1941 and assigned to branch pools instead.

Order of battle, 1939

  • Headquarters (Manhattan, NY)
  • Headquarters, Special Troops (Manhattan, NY)
  • Headquarters Company (Manhattan, NY)
  • 77th Military Police Company (Manhattan, NY)
  • 77th Signal Company (Manhattan, NY)
  • 302nd Ordnance Company (Medium) (Manhattan, NY)
  • 77th Tank Company (Light) (Manhattan, NY)
  • 153rd Infantry Brigade (Manhattan, NY)
  • 305th Infantry Regiment (Brooklyn, NY)
  • 306th Infantry Regiment (Flushing, NY)
  • 154th Infantry Brigade (Manhattan, NY)
  • 307th Infantry Regiment (Manhattan, NY)
  • 308th Infantry Regiment (Bronx, NY)
  • 152nd Field Artillery Brigade (Manhattan, NY)
  • 304th Field Artillery Regiment (75 mm) (Brooklyn, NY)
  • 305th Field Artillery Regiment (75 mm) (Manhattan, NY)
  • 306th Field Artillery Regiment (155 mm) (Bronx, NY)
  • 302nd Ammunition Train (Manhattan, NY)
  • 302nd Engineer Regiment (Manhattan, NY)
  • 302nd Medical Regiment (Manhattan, NY)
  • 402nd Quartermaster Regiment (Brooklyn, NY)

World War II

thumb|1st Battalion Landing Team, 306th Infantry, in the [[Kerama Islands on 27 March 1945]]

thumb|right|Men of the 77th Infantry division listen to radio reports of Germany's surrender on 8 May 1945.

thumb|right|Triangular Division example: 1942 U.S. infantry division. The brigades of the Square division have been removed, and there are three regiments directly under divisional control.

  • Ordered into active military service: 25 March 1942, Fort Jackson, South Carolina
  • Trained at Camp Hyder, California in 1943
  • Overseas: 24 March 1944
  • Campaigns: Western Pacific, Leyte, Ryukyus
  • Days of Combat: 200
  • Distinguished Unit Citations: 16
  • Awards: Medal of Honor: 6; Distinguished Service Cross: 19; Distinguished Service Medal: 2; Silver Star: 335; Legion of Merit: 22; Soldier's Medal: 25; Bronze Star: 4,433; Air Medal: 4
  • Commanders:
  • Maj. Gen. Robert L. Eichelberger (March–June 1942)
  • Maj. Gen. Roscoe B. Woodruff (June 1942 – May 1943)
  • Maj. Gen. Andrew D. Bruce (May 1943 – 27 February 1946)
  • Chaplain: Fray Angélico Chávez
  • Inactivated: 15 March 1946 in Japan

Order of battle

  • Headquarters, 77th Infantry Division
  • 305th Infantry Regiment
  • 306th Infantry Regiment
  • 307th Infantry Regiment
  • Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 77th Infantry Division Artillery
  • 304th Field Artillery Battalion (105 mm)
  • 305th Field Artillery Battalion (105 mm)
  • 306th Field Artillery Battalion (155 mm)
  • 902nd Field Artillery Battalion (105 mm)
  • 302nd Engineer Combat Battalion
  • 233rd Engineer Combat Battalion
  • 302nd Medical Battalion
  • 77th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop (Mechanized)
  • Headquarters, Special Troops, 77th Infantry Division
  • Headquarters Company, 77th Infantry Division
  • 777th Ordnance Light Maintenance Company
  • 77th Quartermaster Company
  • 77th Signal Company
  • Military Police Platoon
  • Band
  • 77th Counterintelligence Corps Detachment

Before Organized Reserve infantry divisions were ordered into active military service, they were reorganized on paper as "triangular" divisions under the 1940 tables of organization. The headquarters companies of the two infantry brigades were consolidated into the division's cavalry reconnaissance troop, and one infantry regiment was removed by inactivation. The field artillery brigade headquarters and headquarters battery became the headquarters and headquarters battery of the division artillery. Its three field artillery regiments were reorganized into four battalions; one battalion was taken from each of the two 75 mm gun regiments to form two 105 mm howitzer battalions, the brigade's ammunition train was reorganized as the third 105 mm howitzer battalion, and the 155 mm howitzer battalion was formed from the 155 mm howitzer regiment. The engineer, medical, and quartermaster regiments were reorganized into battalions. In 1942, divisional quartermaster battalions were split into ordnance light maintenance companies and quartermaster companies, and the division's headquarters and military police company, which had previously been a combined unit, was split.

The 77th Infantry Division was ordered into active military service on 25 March 1942 around a cadre of officers and men mostly drawn from the 8th and 30th Infantry Divisions. The initial enlisted fillers came from the First, Second, and Third Corps Areas (the Northeastern United States), sent from Fort Devens, Fort Dix, Camp Upton, Fort Niagara, New York, and Fort George G. Meade, Maryland. After basic and advanced training, the division participated in the Third Army Louisiana No. 1 Maneuvers from 1 February to 28 March 1943. The 77th Infantry Division moved to Hawaii, 31 March 1944, and continued training in amphibious landings and jungle warfare. Elements began to leave Hawaii, 1 July 1944, for the amphibious assault on Guam. Attached to III Amphibious Force, the 77th made an assault landing on Guam, 21 July 1944. After taking over defense of the beachhead, the division drove north to seize Mount Tenjo and effected junction with the 3rd Marine Division, linking the northern and southern bridgeheads, 23–29 July. It continued to drive north, and dislodged the enemy from positions at Barrigada town and mountain, 4 August, resistance ending on 8 August. With Guam recaptured, the 77th sailed for New Caledonia, but plans were changed en route and it was directed to proceed to Leyte. The division landed on the east coast of Leyte, 23 November 1944, and was attached to XXIV Corps, Sixth Army. After a short period of training and combat patrolling in the corps' rear, 23 November – 6 December, it landed at Ipil and fought up the east coast of Ormoc Bay to seize Ormoc on 10 December. Attacking north, astride Highway No. 2, the division secured Valencia and the Libungao-Palompon road junction. Mopping up operations continued through January 1945 until 5 February 1945.

The next combat assignment was Okinawa. In late March (26–29), the division made 15 landings, securing Kerama Retto and Keise Shima for the assault on Okinawa. Riding at sea, 1–15 April 1945, it suffered casualties from enemy suicide attacks, and prepared for the assault landing on Ie Shima. On 16 April 1945, the 77th landed on Ie Shima, captured the airfield, and engaged in a bitter fight for "Government House Hill" and "Bloody Ridge." It was in this operation that Ernie Pyle was killed. On April 25, it left Ie Shima for Okinawa, relieving the 96th Infantry Division on 1 May 1945. Fighting its way slowly against extremely heavy Japanese resistance, the division drove to Shuri in conjunction with the 1st Marine Division, occupying it 29–31 May. In June the division covered the right flank of XXIV Corps and "sealed" Japanese cave positions. In July the division moved to Cebu, Philippine Islands, and prepared for the anticipated invasion of Japan (Operation Downfall). On 6 and 9 August 1945, the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, forcing the surrender of Japan and thereby cancelling Operation Downfall. The division landed in Japan in October 1945 for occupation duty, and was inactivated a few months later on 15 March 1946.

Casualties

  • Total battle casualties: 7,461
  • Killed in action: 1,449

In late 2003 all Regional Support Commands were re-designated to Regional Readiness Commands. The Department of Defense, in its 2005 BRAC recommendations, recommended the disestablishment of the unit (see below).

The lineage of the 77th Infantry Division is perpetuated today by the 77th Sustainment Brigade, a unit of the United States Army Reserve.

Its headquarters has been at Fort Dix, New Jersey (Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst), since its predecessor command, the 77th Regional Readiness Command, was disestablished in 2008 from Fort Totten in Bayside, Queens, New York.

In 2011, the brigade deployed to Iraq towards the end of the Iraq War (U.S. phase, 2003-11). By this time the operation name was "New Dawn." The brigade headquarters was stationed in Joint Base Balad, Iraq and held logistical responsibility for the re-posturing of forces in northern Iraq. One of the unit's nicknames is "Liberty Warriors".

Organization

The brigade is a subordinate unit of the 316th Expeditionary Sustainment Command. As of January 2026 the brigade consists of the following units:

  • 25px 77th Sustainment Brigade, at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (NJ)
  • 77th Special Troops Battalion, at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (NJ)
  • Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 354th Transportation Battalion (Movement Control), at Fort Totten (NY)
  • 445th Quartermaster Company (Field Service) (Modular), in Trenton (NJ)