In the spring of 2003, the 541st Maintenance Battalion, the βPacesetters,γ deployed from Fort Riley, Kansas, as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. They immediately transitioned to the role of corps support battalion (CSB) with the mission of establishing a forward logistics base (LOGBASE). The 541st had a task that few support units face. Starting from scratch, in hostile territory, and still under fire, the 541st built a LOGBASE capable of sustaining a U.S. Army heavy division and several other brigades conducting combat operations in the Baghdad area. The site was a former Iraqi military compound (former home to Iraqi Army parachute forces) located next to the Baghdad International Airport and adjacent to the city of Abu Ghraib. This location was the beginning of LOGBASE Seitz. In creating LOGBASE Seitz, the 541st battalion staff-organized and commanded 11 different companies (a mix of active component, National Guard, and Army Reserve). The battalion personnel had to provide for life support, force protection, and infrastructure before they could start providing services to their supported units. The 541st's intent is to share their challenges and solutions with the Army.

March 2006. Cover title. Restricted access.