Lt. Col. Robin A. Eskelson faces her troops after taking command of the reactivated 95th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, April 6, 2023, in Baumholder, Germany. The unit is expected to increase logistics capabilities in Europe and Africa. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)

BAUMHOLDER, Germany — The U.S. Army reactivated the 95th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion on Thursday, a move service officials say will allow them to move supplies more efficiently to troops in Europe and Africa.

The unit is expected to grow to 700 soldiers and will be responsible for transporting munitions, maintenance, food, fuel and other supplies.

Lt. Col. Robin Eskelson assumed command Thursday and was joined by enlisted leader Command Sgt. Maj. Luis Ortiz-Escalera during a ceremony at Smith Barracks in Baumholder.

Soldiers will be based out of Baumholder and Kaiserslautern but will support operations spanning at least 31 nations.

The reactivation of the battalion “comes at a critical moment” during Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, Eskelson said.

Lt. Col. Robin A. Eskelson addresses troops during the reactivation of the 95th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, April 6, 2023, at Smith Barracks in Baumholder, Germany. Projected to grow to become 700 soldiers strong, the unit will provide logistical support to Army units in Europe and Africa. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)

Lt. Col. Robin A. Eskelson salutes after assuming command of the reactivated 95th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion during a ceremony April 6, 2023. The unit was deactivated in Germany in 1972. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)

Russia has struggled to supply its troops, leading to low morale and failed advances toward several Ukrainian cities.

”What we’re seeing with the Russian incursion is sustainment really has failed them in a lot of ways,” Eskelson said.

The battalion is part of the 16th Sustainment Brigade.

The reactivated unit’s presence alongside the 18th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion effectively doubles the brigade’s ability to support exercises and operations.

“We are in the midst of a strategic competition to shape the future of the international order,” said Col. Angel Estrada, the brigade’s commander. “Now, more than any other time in recent history, (we are) required to take on a larger, more impactful role inside an active theater of operations that sees our supported commands, allies and partners in urgent need of our support.”

Command Sgt. Maj. Luis Ortiz-Escalera gives the first salute to Lt. Col. Robin A. Eskelson, after she assumed command of the reactivated 95th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, April 6, 2023, during a ceremony at Smith Barracks in Baumholder, Germany. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)

Brigade soldiers already have traveled nearly 400,000 miles collectively, delivering over 9.2 million pounds of materiel in support of Ukraine, Estrada said.

Recent developments, including Finland's accession to NATO, mean expanded support requirements among U.S. partners and allies.

“It increases the mileage that we now have to protect and sustain and is a challenge in its own right,” Eskelson said. “Our goal is to grow our NATO alliance through sustainment and making the theater more sustainable … from the High North in Finland all the way to the south and continent of Africa.”

The reactivated battalion is scheduled to support exercises in Africa and Eastern Europe even before all its soldiers arrive.

The 95th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion was reactivated 81 years to the day after it was first activated as the 95th Quartermaster Bakery Battalion in 1942, at Fort Meade, Md. During World War II, its soldiers supported four field campaigns, including Normandy.

The battalion was deactivated in Germany in 1972.

Command Sgt. Maj. Luis Ortiz-Escalera, left, uncases the unit colors with Lt. Col. Robin A. Eskelson, after she assumed command of the reactivated 95th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, April 6, 2023, during a ceremony at Smith Barracks in Baumholder, Germany. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)

At front, 1st Sgt. Eric Rhoades salutes with soldiers of the 42nd Transportation Company during a reactivation ceremony for the 95th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, April 6, 2023, at Smith Barracks in Baumholder, Germany. The company is at 69% manning but will ultimately have about 160 soldiers supporting logistics operations. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)