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261st Multi-Functional Medical Battalion
Shoulder sleeve insignia
Active	15 June 1942 – 28 January 1945 1 October 1991 – present
Country	US
Branch	Regular Army
Garrison/HQ	Fort Bragg
Nickname(s)	SPEARHEAD MEDICS
Engagements	World War II Sicily (with arrowhead) Naples-Foggia Rome-Arno Normandy (with arrowhead) Northern France Iraqi Governance National Resolution Iraqi Surge
Commanders
Current commander	LTC Benjamin P. Donham
Insignia
Distinctive unit insignia

The 261st Multi-Functional Medical Battalion is a US Army unit located at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, provides a scalable, flexible and modular medical battle command (MBC) administrative assistance, logistical support, and technical supervision capability for assigned and attached medical organizations (companies and detachments) task-organized for support of deployed forces.

Command Group

• Commander: LTC Benjamin P. Donham
• Command Sergeant Major: CSM James E. Brown
• Executive Officer: MAJ Cicchini Francis

Former Commanders

Rank	Name	Branch	Begin Date	End Date	Notes
LTC	Butch Murphy	MC	1992	1994
LTC	Phil Navin	MC	1993	1996
LTC	Gary Sadlon	MC	1996	1998
LTC	Timothy Gordon	MC	1998	2000
LTC	J. Cole Slattery	MC	2000	2002
LTC	Robert Tenhet	MC	2002	2004
LTC	William C. Terry	MC	2004	2006
LTC (P)	Frank L. Christopher	MC	2006	2009
LTC (P)	Raymond S. Dingle	MC	2009	2010
LTC	Myron B. McDaniels	MC	2010	2012
LTC	Heather A. Knees	MC	2012	2014
LTC	James D. Burk	MC	2014	2016
LTC (P)	Aric Bowman	MC	2016	2018
LTC (P)	Kevin Kelly	MC	2018	2020
LTC	Benjamin P. Donham	MC	2020	Present

Former Command Sergeant Majors

Rank	Name	Branch	Begin Date	End Date	Notes
CSM	Hoskins	MC	1992	1998
CSM	Bobby Fletcher	MC	1998	2000
CSM	Rafael Ruiz	MC	2000	2002
CSM	Dale Christopher	MC	2002	2003
CSM	James F. B. Phillips	MC	2003	2004
CSM	Manual J. Layman	MC	2004	2005
MSG (P)	Keith P. Fointno	MC	2005	2006
CSM	Mark A. Dennis	MC	2006	2009
CSM	Paul A. Ramos	MC	2009	2012
CSM	Norman McAfee	MC	2012	2014
CSM	Lynn F. Ratley	MC	2014	2016
CSM	Thomas Barone	MC	2016	2018
CSM	Timothy L. Abrahmson	MC	2018	2020
CSM	James E. Brown	MC	2000	Present

Lineage

• Constituted 12 June 1942 in the Regular Army as the 261st Medical Battalion
• Activated 15 June 1942 at Camp Edwards, Massachusetts
• Disbanded on 28 January 1945, in France.
• Reconstituted 1 October 1991 in the Regular Army
• Activated 16 September 1992 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina
• Reorganized 16 August 2002 to consist of Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 261st Medical Battalion (organic

elements concurrently inactivated)

Campaign participation credit

• World War II:

1. Sicily (with arrowhead)
2. Naples-Foggia
3. Rome-Arno
4. Normandy (with arrowhead)
5. Northern France

• War on Terrorism Iraq:

1. Iraqi Governance
2. National Resolution
3. Iraqi Surge

Decorations

• Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for:

1. IRAQ 2005
2. IRAQ 2007-2008
3. IRAQ 2010-2011

• Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for:

1. NORMANDY

Shoulder sleeve insignia

• Background:

1. This insignia was originally approved for the 44th Medical Brigade on 1966-10-05.
2. The shoulder sleeve insignia was redesignated for the 44th Medical Command on 2001-08-06.
3. The insignia was redesignated for the 44th Medical Brigade with the description updated effective 16 April 2010.

• From 1995 to 2010, members of the brigade wore a blue airborne tab with white lettering above their shoulder sleeve insignia. While sanctioned by the XVIII Airborne Corps, the tab was never approved for wear by the US Army Institute of Heraldry.

Beret flash

• Description: On a maroon shield-shaped embroidered item with a semi-circular base 2 1/4 inches (5.72 cm) in height and 1 7/8 inches (4.76 cm) in width overall and edged with a 1/8-inch (.32 cm) white border, a white vertical lozenge on the vertical center line.
• Background:

1. This insignia was originally approved for the 44th Medical brigade on 1995-08-01.
2. The beret flash was cancelled by the Institute of Heraldry effective 2010-08-16.
3. Colors: White #67101; Maroon #67114
4. Institute of Heraldry drawing number A-4-163.

• 
  44th Medical Brigade beret flash
• 
  44th Medical Brigade background trimming

Background trimming

• Description: On a maroon oval-shaped embroidered item 1 3/8 inches (3.49 cm) in height and 2 1/4 inches (5.72 cm) in width edged with a 1/8-inch (.32 cm) white border, a white vertical lozenge on the vertical center line.
• Background:

1. This insignia was originally approved for the 44th Medical brigade on 1995-08-01.
2. The background trimming was cancelled by the Institute of Heraldry effective 2010-08-16.
3. Colors: White #67101; Maroon #67114.
4. Institute of Heraldry drawing number A-6-181.

History

GENERAL ORDERS NO. 57 WAR DEPARTMENT Washington :25, D. C., 16 July 1945.

The 261st Medical Battalion is cited for courageous performance of duty under exceptionally difficult and hazardous conditions during the period from 6 June to 18 July 1944; Landing on the coast of Normandy, France, in close support of assault troops on, D-day, in the face of intense artillery fire, this Unit, within sight of enemy forces, set up its tentage and commenced to collect and evacuate the wounded. By H plus 8 hours, clearing stations were established and major surgery was being performed. With unwavering determination, this unit handled over 75 percent of all casualties sustained on First .Army · beaches during the first 10 days of the Normandy invasion. To shoulder this tremendous burden, the officers and men of the 261st Medical Battalion worked day and night with no sleep whatever under enemy artillery fire and air raids. Undaunted by flak which constantly pierced the operating tents; our personnel continued-working in utter disregard for their personal safety in order more speedily to render medical aid to the wounded. From the first critical and uncertain hours on 6 June through 18 ·July 1944, this unit cared for thousands of casualties, including every single patient evacuated to the United Kingdom from the Cherbourg sector. The valorous and. unfaltering devotion to duty and individual gallantry of the, members of the, 261.st Medical Battalion contributed immeasurably to the successful liberation of Europe and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the armed forces of the United States. (General. Orders 94, Headquarters European Theater of operations, 15 May 1945, as approved by Commanding' General European Theater of operations)

Current

Units of the 261st Multi-Functional Medical Battalion :

• 24th MED DET (OPT), Fort Bragg
• 36th ASMC, Fort Bragg
• 550th ASMC, Fort Bragg
• 601st ASMC, Fort Bragg
• 602nd ASMC, Fort Bragg
• HHD, 261st MMB, Fort Bragg
• 51st MLC, Fort Bragg
• 155 MED DET (PM), Fort Bragg
• 172nd MED DET (PM), Fort Bragg
• 690th GA, Fort Bragg

External links

• Official home page
• GlobalSecurity.org home page

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