213th Area Support Group (United States)

213th Regional Support Group
213th Regional Support Group shoulder sleeve insignia
Active	6 August 1849 – present
Country	USA
Allegiance	Pennsylvania
Branch	Army National Guard
Type	Support group
Role	Provide command and control of assigned units
Size	1687
Garrison/HQ	Allentown, Pennsylvania;
Motto(s)	"Honor First!"
Colors	Buff and scarlet
Engagements	Civil War Spanish–American War World War I World War II Gulf War War on Terror
Battle honours	Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army)
Insignia
213th RSG's Distinctive Unit Insignia

The 213th Regional Support Group (RSG) is a unit of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. The 213th RSG mission is to provide command and control of the twenty-two separate Pennsylvania Army National Guard units assigned to the headquarters for operational and administrative control. This force consist of more than 1,000 soldiers from the eastern and central parts of the state. The 213th RSG is one of the two major commands in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, the other being the 28th Infantry Division (Keystone).

The units of the 213th Group continually provide support to units and organizations throughout the United States and the world. In 2009, the Group provided abbreviated Reception, Staging, and Onward Integration services for the G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, processing over 2,500 troops into the Area of Responsibility. In 2007–2008 the Group deployed to Balad, Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. During this mission, it served as one of five sustainment brigades assigned to the 316th Expeditionary Sustainment Command headquartered in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania. In 2005, immediately after Hurricane Katrina made landfall, the Group quickly deployed to Metairie, New Orleans in support of Katrina Relief, acting as a command and control for the Intermediate Staging Base at Zephyr Stadium. A tour in Afghanistan from 2003–2004 found the area support group providing command and control for bases in Bargram, Kandahar, and Kabal, Afghanistan along with an additional command and control cell in Uzbekistan.

In 1997, the group sent 50 members of its Headquarters Company to Hungary in support of NATO peacekeeping operations in Bosnia. One year earlier it had proved its mettle in providing combat service support to an active duty brigade during a field training exercise in Louisiana at the Joint Readiness Training Center. Throughout the past decade, Group subordinate units have performed yeoman's work in fighting the War on Terror. During blizzards, floods and civil emergencies, all the units of the Group stand ready to assist the communities and people of the Commonwealth.

The mission of the 213th Regional Support Group is to provide command and control, structure for non-major combat operations, and assist assigned Active Component or Reserve Component units in meeting training, readiness and deployment requirements.

Provide command and control, assist assigned units in meeting training, readiness and deployment requirements. Support State Emergency Operations as required, and operate Logistics Base Operations at multiple locations.

The peacetime structure of the 213th Regional Support Group consists of the following elements: