LAS VEGAS – The 17th Sustainment Brigade uncased its colors during an uncasing ceremony at the Speedway Armory Jan. 8, marking the official return of the brigade from its Middle East deployment in support of U.S. Central Command, or CENTCOM, operations.
Alongside the brigade, the 17th Special Troops Battalion and the Headquarters and Headquarters Company also uncased their colors.
The uncasing of the colors symbolized the brigade’s transition from deployed operations back to Nevada, marking its return to an operational posture in support of units across the state.
More than 200 Soldiers from the Las Vegas-based unit deployed across the Middle East, conducting sustainment operations in 21 countries throughout the region. The brigade served as a critical component of the theater sustainment enterprise, providing logistics, transportation, maintenance and medical support to forces operating across the CENTCOM area of responsibility.
The brigade completed more than 300 missions and supported large-scale multinational exercises in 13 countries, enabling continuous sustainment support to forward-deployed units and remote locations throughout the theater.
Col. Joseph Claros, commander of the 17th Sustainment Brigade, credited the Soldiers’ adaptability and commitment to supporting the broader Army team.
“The brigade was definitely not oxygen thieves, but rather oxygen givers to the sustainment enterprise,” Claros said. “We never hesitated to assist in ways that exceeded what I ever forecasted as a brigade commander. I am humbled to have shared Nevada’s talent with the rest of the Army team.”
The brigade’s performance drew recognition from senior leaders across the joint force. In written remarks to Claros, Lt. Gen. Patrick Frank, commanding general of U.S. Army Central, praised the unit’s contributions to theater sustainment operations.
“The 17th Sustainment Brigade, the true heavy lift for sustainment operations,” Frank wrote. “This great team is a case study for everyone.”
During the ceremony, Brig. Gen. Randy Lau, the land component commander of the Nevada Army National Guard, encouraged Soldiers to balance rest with continued discipline.
“So as you reintegrate, I’m asking two things of you,” Lau said. “First, rest and reconnect. Love on your families. Second, stay sharp. Don’t lose your edge. Take the discipline you forged over there and apply it right here, right now. Because the world remains an unpredictable place. We must always be prepared and be ready to fight tonight.”