490th Civil Affairs Battalion

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Distinctive Unit Insignia (DUI) of the 490th Civil Affairs Battalion

The 490th Civil Affairs Battalion is a Civil Affairs (CA) unit located at the Grand Prairie Armed Forces Reserve Complex in Grand Prairie, Texas and organized under the 321st Civil Affairs Brigade, 350th Civil Affairs Command, United States Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne) or USACAPOC. The 490th is composed of Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) and its four tactical companies, Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, and Delta. The unit has been activated for service during World War II, the Berlin Crisis, and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and has, during its long history, been stationed at the Presidio of Monterey, California, Abilene, Texas, Dallas, Texas, and Grand Prairie, Texas.

Origins

Activation - August 25th, 1945

The ancestral unit of the 490th Civil Affairs Battalion was constituted in the Army of the United States as the Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 90th Military Government Company (also known as the 90th Military Government in some documents) and activated 25 August 1945 at the Presidio of Monterey, California.

World War II

Presidio of Monterey and Civil Affairs Staging Area

Aerial view of barracks at the Civil Affairs Staging Area in Spring, 1945

The Presidio of Monterrey served as the central mobilization and holding site for all Military Government and Civil Affairs forces from all branches of service (mainly US Navy and US Army) in response to the realization for a need to successfully manage the occupations of Europe and Japan for reconstruction. The training center was named the Civil Affairs Staging Area (CASA).

The personnel stationed at the CASA who formed the 90^th and other Military Government units under the Civil Affairs Division trained at the School of Military Government in Charlottesville, [West] Virginia or at one of the Civil Affairs Training Schools (CATS) established at major universities across the United States.

Among the personnel assigned to the CASA were members of the Women’s Army Corps (WAC), who were for the first time allowed to serve on Military Government Teams. The 90^th Military Government Company may have included WAC personnel among its officers, particularly on the teams devoted to medical specialty functions.

Civil Affairs Staging Area (CASA) soldiers train with the M3A1 Submachine Gun.

The training and preparation of personnel at the CASA focused on the tactical and operational aspects of the mission, since the personnel had already completed their Civil Affairs and Military Government doctrine. An August report from the commander of the CASA to the Civil Affairs Division described field exercises involving ruck marches, amphibious assault, scaling cliffs, and infiltration through perimeter defenses. The program, as described, must have been incredibly physically demanding and geared toward a possible invasion of Japan before Military Government teams could assume occupation duties.    

Occupation of Japan

The preparations for an invasion of Japan proved to be unnecessary, as the nation surrendered without any further resistance after the Japanese Emperor signed the Surrender Document on 2 September 1945. The decision to use existing newspaper and radio sources in the Japanese economy helped keep the Japanese people informed and involved in the transition, making it a smooth process.

Shoulder Sleeve Insignia (SSI) of the Eighth Army

In December of 1945 the 90th Military Government deployed to Japan under the Headquarters, Eighth United States Army and General Douglas MacArthur, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers (SCAP), who along with his forces, including the many deployed Military Government elements were instrumental in the reconstruction of Japan, the reconciliation with the Japanese people, and the denial of Japanese lands to communist influence. Personnel likely wore the Eighth Army patch once they deployed to Japan.

According to an operational map of Military Government units in Japan as of January 1946, the 90^th Military Government is designated as a Company-sized element operating in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture.  At this time, seven Military Government groups (brigade-sized elements) and eighteen companies were assigned to duties within the prefectures, while a small number of teams were maintained at Corps level for geographical and special function missions.

Duties of personnel focused primarily on supporting the Japanese government and ensuring public services were maintained. MacArthur and his Military Government system made the critical move of keeping the Emperor as a figurehead leader to help inspire the Japanese people and additionally in keeping the Japanese government system in place except for the removal of those deemed as war criminals. As a result, the Japanese people were more cooperative than the populations in Germany and Italy were with occupation forces, and the Military Government units such as the 90^th MG performed a supporting role as opposed to a governing role. In supporting the Japanese government, the Military Government personnel helped ensure the Japanese people had food and vital services to sustain them until industries could resume production and trade and the economy could become sustainable.

In Kanazawa, personnel of the 90th Military Government would have carried out their duties to support Japanese administrators, maintain public services for the populace, and secure local artifacts and monuments from potential looting and black market operations. Kanazawa had been fortunate to be one of the few major cities to escape bombing raids, leaving the famed Kanazawa Castle untouched. The Castle was over five hundred years old and remains to the present day a national treasure.    

Inactivation - June 30th, 1946

Within the first sixth months of occupation, MacArthur began to reposition and redistribute military government units to better meet the needs of the nation, as there were not enough elements in their initial configuration to cover all of the prefectures. By June 1946, all military government units in Japan were divided into newly created teams designated by their prefecture. The designations of most of the groups and companies were dropped and the team was the main Military Government organization deployed in Japan. With the reassignment of all of its personnel, the 90^th Military Government Company effectively ceased to exist at this time. On 30 June 1946, the Army officially issued orders inactivating the 90^th Military Government as a unit in the U.S. Army.

Early Years in Abilene, Texas

Reactivation and Re-Designation

From 1946 on, prominent business, civic, and professional leaders of the Abilene, Texas community were involved in several Army Reserve, National Guard, and Marine Corps Reserve units. One of these units was Detachment 3, 4005th Army Reserve Area Service Unit (Station Complement). When that unit was inactivated several of the unit’s prominent members worked to organize the 90th Military Government [Company] for reactivation in Abilene.

The 90th Military Government Company was re-designated 2 November 1955 as the 490th Military Government, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, allotted to the US Army Reserve, and assigned to the Fourth Army (later re-designated as the Fourth United States Army) Area and aligned under the Eighth Army Corps. The unit was activated 1 December 1955. Special Orders Number 241, 13 December 1955, Headquarters, Texas Military District, Austin, provided for the official organization of the 490th Military Government in Abilene. The soldiers of the newly formed 490^th bore the Shoulder Sleeve Insignia (SSI) of the Eighth Army Corps. 

The unit was again re-designated on October 15th, 1956 as the 490th Civil Affairs and Military Government Company and on October 20th, 1959 as the 490th Civil Affairs Company, the designation it would hold for the next three decades.

Soldiers of the 490th trained at several locations initially, including the Elks Building in downtown Abilene, but in 1958, the Army acquired a facility in south Abilene that had served an Oil exploration and drilling company since its construction in 1951. The facility was located on the old Ballenger Highway (now known as South Treadaway Boulevard). This facility would house the 490th, along with several other reserve and guard forces, for the next four decades.

Berlin Crisis - 1961 to 1962

When President Kennedy ordered the activation of 150,00 reservists in 1961 in response to mounting tensions with the Soviet Union over Berlin, the 490^th Civil Affairs Company, along with several other Army Reserve Civil Affairs units, was mobilized to Fort Gordon, Georgia to train for possible deployment. The activation of the 490th was a significant event for the community of Abilene since it was the first call up of Reserve or Guard troops from Abilene since World War II.

While the unit was not selected to deploy and was demobilized on August 11th, 1962, soldiers of the 490th who were activated later received the National Defense Service Medal (NDSM) in 1967 for their active duty during this time period. Additionally, the 490th earned the Army Reserve Superior Unit Certificate [a defunct award] during this mobilization; it was the only activated Civil Affairs unit to earn the distinction of this award, given for excellence in qualification standards and flawless duty attendance. This would be the first of many of these awards bestowed upon the 490th while the award was still actively issued within the Army Reserve commands.

Cold War Era and 'Cimic Dawgs' - 1963 to 2000

Citizen Soldiers

During the next three decades of the 490th’s service in the Army Reserve, the unit trained rigorously each year, heavily involved itself in supporting Abilene and the surrounding communities, and supported Civil Affairs operations in Vietnam, Panama, and Desert Storm with food and clothing drives to support humanitarian aid. Although the 490th was never activated as a unit for these conflicts, many individual soldiers from the 490th did serve overseas. The 490th continued to receive the Superior Unit Certificate nearly every year for its personnel displaying a continued high standard of fitness, mastery of soldier tasks, and dedication to duty and attendance of training weekends and annual training.

The 490th held a proud tradition and close involvement with the ROTC at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, and granted many direct commissions to enlisted personnel who demonstrated a high level of leadership qualities. Annual Training sites ranged from Fort Gordon to Fort Chaffee (in Arkansas) to Fort Wolters (in Mineral Wells, TX, which is famous for being the Basic Training site of WWII hero and Medal of Honor Recipient Audie Murphy); often short term training, land navigation, and weapons qualification for the unit occurred at Camp Barkeley. The grounds of the former Camp Barkeley reverted to private property and much of the garrison torn down, but the unit would use the land for decades until the owners of the land could no longer allow military exercises to occur on the grounds.

In 1963, the Army Reserve Training Center that housed the 490th and several other units was renamed the Grimes Memorial US Army Reserve Center. The name memorialized Captain Rudyard K. Grimes, an Abilene native and West Point graduate who served in the Pacific theater during World War II and was captured by the Japanese in the Philippines, facing the infamous Bataan Death March and perishing in a POW camp in 1942. From 1955 until 1971, the 490th was aligned under the Fourth United States Army until that major command was inactivated 30 June 1971. The 490th was then realigned to the Fifth United States Army.

The Shoulder-Sleeve Insignia (SSI) of the 90th Infantry Division

For much of the time between 1955 to the 1980s, the 490th was assigned for command and control to the 90th Army Reserve Command (ARCOM) (later reorganized and redesignated to its current designation of the 90th Regional Readiness Command), formerly known as the 90th Infantry Division or "Texas-Oklahoma Division", the original division from which its founding elements originated, and bore the patch or Shoulder-Sleeve Insignia (SSI) and insignia of the 90th Division.

For a short period of time, the 490th directly reported to the 4254th Civil Affairs Group, also stationed in Abilene, until that unit was inactivated. The 490th was then transferred to the 312th Civil Affairs Group. That unit was later replaced by the 321st Civil Affairs Group in San Antonio, Texas, which was later redesignated the 321st Civil Affairs Brigade; all of these units were still organized under the 90th ARCOM and remained so until 1985.

Integration of WAC Soldiers - 1975

May of 1975 saw the soldiers of the 490th continue to use the former training grounds of Camp Barkeley, with the permission of the owners of the land, for conducting weapon’s qualification. Female soldiers from the Women’s Army Corps participated with the 490th in both the Solid Shield exercise at Fort Bragg and the 1975 weapon’s qualification. These were both firsts for these female soldiers and evidence that the Army was moving toward full integration of the “WACs” into the general ranks of the Army, with the exception of infantry units.

'Cimic Dawgs' - 1976 to 2001

Training to Fight

During the decades of the 1970’s and the 1980’s, personnel from the 490th often conducted annual training exercises with other US Army elements in Germany. In the late 1908’s the focus for training exercises shifted to supporting the 1st Cavalry and 4th Infantry Divisions in “Warfighter” exercises at Fort Hood, Texas to help those units maintain combat readiness and civil military operational capacity. The 49th would continue annual support for the exercises at Fort Hood up until the invasion of Iraq when the alignment and structure of Army forces began to shift dramatically.

The 490th also routinely provided support to exercises at the Joint Training and Readiness Center (JRTC) at Fort Polk, Louisiana and occasionally at the National Training Center (NTC) at Fort Irwin, California. Throughout the service of members of the 490th in Germany, Fort Hood, JRTC, and NTC, supported units continuously held the 490th in high regard and presented the unit with numerous plaques and certificates commemorating the excellence and high standards of service of the soldiers from the 490th. One annual training exercise resulted in a supported unit nicknaming the 490th the “Cimic Dawgs” and the members of the 490th continued to call themselves this with pride for many years. The nickname combined the term 'Cimic' for the international designation of Civil Affairs Operations, Civil-military cooperation and 'Dawgs" for the strong work ethic the 490th soldiers exhibited, with the soldiers said to work like dogs.

USACAPOC and Special Operations - 1985

The Shoulder-Sleeve Insignia (SSI) of USACAPOC(A) worn by reserve Civil Affairs soldiers, including soldiers of the 490th

In 1985, the 490th and all other levels of reserve Civil Affairs, Psychological Operations, and Special Forces units were reassigned under the US Army Reserve Special Operations Command (Airborne) or USARSOC headquartered at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. On 27 November 1990, the Special Forces Units were realigned under a different component of the US Army Special Operations Command (Airborne) or USASOC. The command headquarters and the remaining Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations forces were re-designated as the US Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne) or USACAPOC, forming one of four major subordinate commands of USASOC. Under USCAPOC, the 490th was allotted to the 353rd Civil Affairs Command, out of Staten Island, New York, and under that command remained assigned to the 321st CA BDE.

From this time to the present, members of the 490th still wear the USACAPOC patch or Shoulder-Sleeve Insignia (SSI), which was taken from the insignia initially worn by only a group of Civil Affairs soldiers and used for the entire command, causing the PSYOP soldiers to replace their patch, which appeared similarly but with the horse chess piece emblem of their branch insignia instead of the sword and lightning bolts. The sword represents the military nature and strength of the Command. The flashes suggest speed and electronic communications. The colors of the insignia reflect the units within the Command. Purple is traditionally associated with Civil Affairs and dark green with Psychological Operations and Special Forces. The color gold denotes excellence.

Panama and Desert Storm - 1989 to 1992

Since 29 December 1989, several unit members were ordered to active military service for various operations such as Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia, Operation Just Cause in Panama, and Operation Sea Signal in Cuba. It appears most of these unit members were attached to other units or sent on individual orders for these operations and were not sent under the 490th’s flag. However, they retained their sense of identity with the 490th, an both groups of soldiers, upon returning from their mobilizations, presented the battalion with plaques commemorating their service, respectively, as "Panama Dawgs" and "Desert Dawgs."

490th Civil Affairs Battalion - 1993

The 490th was reorganized and redesignated 16 September 1992 as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 490th Civil Affairs Battalion, expanding the unit in size and mission. Concurrently, subordinate units General Support Detachment and Direct Support Detachment were constituted and organized (sometimes alternately known and later officially re-designated respectively as Alpha Company and Bravo Company). Direct Support was doctrinally charged with tasks now associated with Civil Affairs generalist operations, while General Support contained specialized teams for legal, medical, and education support of host nation governments.

Bosnia - 1998

The 490th provided a detachment of 23 soldiers under the flag of the 321st Civil Affairs Brigade in December of 1998 to support Operation Joint Guard in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Distinctive Unit Insignia - 2001

When the Army established the force-wide use of the Beret in 2001, USCAPOC and subordinate units such as the 490th were authorized the use of a distinctive flash (insignia background) for their berets, which distinguished USCAPOC soldiers from those belonging to other Army units who wore the standard blue beret flash based on George Washington’s Coat of Arms.

The Distinctive Beret Flash has a background of green bordered by white, colors associated with the Army and Special Operations, with white also representing fidelity. The dual flashes of purple and yellow represent the lighting flashes from the USACAPOC patch, again meaning a combination of speed and electronic communications.

Also at this time, the current Distinctive Unit Insignia and Motto for the 490th (“Progress Through Unity”) were officially approved. Purple and white are the colors traditionally associated with Civil Affairs organizations. Gold is emblematic of honor and achievement. The saltire and counterchanged colors of the shield reflect strength and cooperation. The border highlights unity and the integration of the civil and military mission of the unit. The stylized torch of liberty, adapted from the Civil Affairs branch of service insignia symbolizes the enlightenment, progress and spirit of democracy.

Global War on Terror - 2001 to Present

Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)

After the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, the US Army began reorganizing and consolidating its force structure in response to invading and occupying Afghanistan. USCAPOC, by this point, was already reorganizing its forces in efforts to remain prepared for deployment and expand to meet an increasing demand for Civil Affairs support. By 2002, the 490th, along with the 321st CA BDE, was realigned from the 353rd Civil Affairs Command (CACOM) to the 351st Civil Affairs Command (CACOM) out of Mountain View, California.

OIF I - 2003 to 2004

When President George W. Bush ordered the invasion of Iraq in response to Saddam Hussein's refusal to cooperate with United Nations and disclose weapons programs, the Army’s operational tempo began to progressively and rapidly increase. In March of 2003, the 490th as a Battalion, including Headquarters, General Support, and Direct Support Detachments deployed to Iraq and remained deployed through early 2004.

Elements of the 490th were heavily involved in efforts to control and improve volatile and key places in Iraq, including the Baghdad Zoo, Sadr City, the Baghdad International Airport (or BIAP), and the notoriously volatile city of Fallujah that was later the site of a famous battle. Two members of the 490th received the Purple Heart and were medically discharged from military service for wounds received in action from some of the first Improvised Explosive Devices used on US soldiers; Staff Sergeant Ryan Kelly lost his right leg below the knee in an attack on his convoy on 14 July 2003; Captain Allen Vaught, known as "The Mayor of Fallujah", was escorting Iraqi dignitaries in late 2003 when a roadside bomb destroyed his vehicle and severely injured his back.

The Battalion was released from active military service in early 2004 and returned to Reserve status.

Reorganization of Battalion - 2005

In 2005, the Battalion’s subordinate units were reorganized and redesignated as the following: Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Alpha Company (formerly General Support), and Bravo Company (formerly Direct Support).

OIF IV - 2005-2006

Alpha and Bravo were ordered to active military service and in July 2005 deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. During this deployment, one soldier, Specialist Christopher Wade received the Purple Heart for wounds sustained to his right hand during a roadside bomb attack on his vehicle, but was able to return to duty and complete the deployment.

Tragically, the 490th saw members of the unit killed in action for the first time in its history. Major Gregory Fester of Bravo Company was killed on 30 August 2005 when an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated beside him during a dismounted patrol. On 19 September 2005, Sergeant First Class Lawrence Morrison of Alpha Company sustained severe injuries when an IED destroyed his vehicle in Taji, Iraq, and he died of those injuries later that day. Sadly, one week before the 490th’s deployed elements were to leave country, First Sergeant Carlos Saenz and Specialist Teodoro Torres were killed on 5 May 2006 when an IED struck their vehicle and caused it to roll into oncoming traffic in Baghdad.

Alpha and Bravo Companies were released from active military service in August of 2006 and returned to Reserve status.

Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Balikatan - 2006

In 2006, soldiers from the 490th volunteered to deploy with other units to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Also in 2006, the 490th sent a Detachment of five soldiers (two headquarters personnel and one Civil Affairs Team) to support the 451st Civil Affairs Battalion in participating in the annual Operation Balikatan (which means "Shoulder to Shoulder") exercise, a joint effort between US Special Operations personnel and Filipino military assets in the southern islands of the Philippines. The 2006 exercise took place on Sulu Island, in the region of Jolo, providing three school construction projects (in conjunction with Air Force engineers and Navy Seabees) and three large medical clinics (in conjunction with Army medical detachments) to improve quality of life for local residents and improve cooperation between the locals and the Filipino military in order to deny assets and resources to Al Qaeda elements in the Philippines.

Reassignment to Dallas - 2006-2007

In the summer of 2006, the Battalion Headquarters, Headquarters Company, and Alpha Company were relocated to Dallas, Texas, with Bravo Company remaining stationed in Abilene, Texas. Headquarters and Headquarters Company and Alpha Company were stationed at the Herzog US Army Reserve Center in South Dallas (on Lancaster Road near the Dallas VA Hospital in the Dallas area known as Oak Cliff) until the Herzog center was closed.

At the same time, USACAPOC (A) and its subordinate reserve forces, including the 490th, were realigned from USASOC(A) to the US Army Reserve Command. USACAPOC conducted realignments within its own force structure also to streamline according to a more geographically based model and support further expansion to meet its ever growing mission and shifted the CA Command allotment of the 490th and the rest of 321st CA BDE from the 351st to the 250th CACOM out of Pensacola, Florida.

All of these shifts, particularly the physical move of the majority of the 490th to Dallas, represented a time of massive changes for the Battalion on top of continuing to deploy elements or individual soldiers to the combat theaters. In relocating to Dallas, the 490th left behind six decades of history and a rich military community in Abilene, but gained a strategic advantage in recruiting personnel for planned expansions of the 490th that would double its size and increase its readiness for deployment and mission capacity. Dallas along with Fort Worth and the surrounding suburbs and communities form the “Metroplex,” which is home to several million residents, in comparison to the 100,000 plus residents of Abilene. Dallas is also home to the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport that is a major airline hub and part of the system that transports military personnel to and from combat theaters. Dallas has numerous landmarks and major infrastructure such as Interstate-35 and the regional Military Entrance and Processing Station (or MEPS) that handles placing recruits from a large region that includes Abilene and West Texas, into the military.

The Dallas MEPS overlooks the site of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and the memorial gardens dedicated to him at Dealey Plaza. The close proximity of the unit to the Dallas MEPS and numerous Army Reserve units, in addition to the larger populace of the Metroplex, provided the 490th with immediate access to new recruits for Civil Affairs. The 490th also gained access to the network of reserve military resources in the Metroplex, the centerpiece of which is the Naval Air Station-Joint Reserve Base (NAS-JRB) Fort Worth, which was previously known as Carswell Air Force Base.

Staff Sergeant Jaqueline Hunt - 2008

SSG Hunt receives the Soldiers Medal

In 2008, SSG Jacqueline Hunt of the 490th earned the distinct honor of receiving the Soldier’s Medal. Hunt was driving home on a freeway near Fort Worth when she observed a man be thrown into road, having been hit by another vehicle when he stepped out of his car after pulling over onto the shoulder. Hunt administered advanced first aid treatment to the man, having trained in Combat Lifesaver skills through the Army, and was credited with saving the man’s life. The Soldier’s Medal is the seventh highest decoration given to soldiers and recognizes acts of heroism not involving combat operations.

Operation Iraqi Freedom Phase 2009 - 2008 to 2009

Addition of Charlie Company and Mobilization - 2008

U.S. Army Spc. Cassie Stephens from Elkhard, Ind., assigned to Alpha Company, 490th Civil Affairs Battalion, Civil Affairs Team 12, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, talks with kids from Samarra, Iraq during a patrol through the city on Feb. 3. 2009

On 24 July 2008, the Battalion was reorganized as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 490th Civil Affairs Battalion, with subordinate units Alpha Company, Bravo Company, and Charlie Company concurrently constituted and organized; at the same time, Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie Companies were ordered to active military service and deployed 12 October 2008 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Until the official orders were cut to authorize Charlie Company, the unit was known officially as "Detachment 2, Bravo Company," though the 490th referred to the unit unofficially as Charlie in the interim.

On 12 July 2009, near the end of the deployment, SSG Alan Conway was injured by a roadside bomb while on dismounted patrol in support of Bravo Company, 2-27 Infantry Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division in Sharqat, Iraq, being medically evacuated and receiving the Purple Heart before eventual medical discharge.

Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie Companies returned in August of 2009 and resumed Reserve Status.

Reassignment to Grand Prairie, Texas - 2010

In May of 2010, the 490th Civil Affairs Battalion was relocated to Grand Prairie, Texas to the Grand Prairie Armed Forces Reserve Complex (AFRC), located on grounds that used to be a part of the historic Dallas Naval Air Station (also known as Hensley Field) on Mountain Creek Lake. At this time the battalion was reorganized and redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 490th Civil Affairs Battalion (Tactical), with subordinate units Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, and Delta Companies concurrently constituted and organized.

All elements were relocated to Grand Prairie and none remained in Abilene or Dallas after this point. The training facilities and many reserve personnel from the 490th that were located in Abilene were transferred to the control of the 413th Civil Affairs Battalion out of Lubbock, Texas. The 490th joined several Army Reserve, Army National Guard, and Marine Corps Reserve units that consolidated at the Grand Prairie facility that occupies the eastern portion of the land the Dallas Naval Air Station and Hensley Field encompassed.

Hensley Field opened in 1929 as part of the city of Dallas’ effort to provide training facilities in the area for military pilots. The facility was named for William N. Hensley, a flying instructor from Dallas who took part in the first Trans-Atlantic dirigible crossing in 1919. The facility was used by the Army’s Eighth Corps during World War II. In 1941 the facility was expanded and renamed when the US Navy took over ownership, although the airfield portion retained the name of Hensley Field. The entire facility was decommissioned in 1998, with a portion being used for a military contracting plant and the airfield being retained for use by the Texas Air National Guard.

As of 2016, the 490th remains stationed at the Grand Prairie facility.

Horn of Africa - 2011

Beginning in August of 2011, the 490th deployed some of its elements, including Charlie and Delta Companies to support the Horn of Africa mission in Djibouti. Charlie and Delta returned and resumed Reserve status in 2012.

Unit and Branch Insignia

Insignia	Description
Distinctive Unit Insignia (DUI) also known as Unit Crest	The current Distinctive Unit Insignia and Motto for the 490th (“Progress Through Unity”) were officially approved in 2001. Purple and white are the colors traditionally associated with Civil Affairs organizations. Gold is emblematic of honor and achievement. The saltire and counterchanged colors of the shield reflect strength and cooperation. The border highlights unity and the integration of the civil and military mission of the unit. The stylized torch of liberty, adapted from the Civil Affairs branch of service insignia symbolizes the enlightenment, progress and spirit of democracy.
Beret Flash File:USACAPOC(A) beret flash.gif	When the Army established the force-wide use of the Beret in 2001, USCAPOC and subordinate units such as the 490th were authorized the use of a distinctive flash (insignia background) for their berets, which distinguished USCAPOC soldiers from those belonging to other Army units who wore the standard blue beret flash based on George Washington’s Coat of Arms.The Distinctive Beret Flash has a background of green bordered by white, colors associated with the Army and Special Operations, with white also representing fidelity. The dual flashes of purple and yellow represent the lighting flashes from the USACAPOC patch, again meaning a combination of speed and electronic communications.
	A silver and gold color metal and enamel device 1 3/16 inches in height consisting of a shield, crest and motto. The insignia is blazoned as follows: Purpure, a scroll and sword saltirewise, and overall a torch palewise or; a bordure argent. Attached below the shield, a silver scroll inscribed ''SECURE THE VICTORY'' in black letters. The crest above the shield: On a wreath of the colors (Or and Purpure), a globe Celeste gridlined Argent superimposed by a dexter gauntlet argent holding a balance scale Or. The Regimental Insignia was approved on 14 April 1989. Purple and white are the colors traditionally associated with Civil Affairs. Gold is emblematic of honor and achievement. The scroll, sword and torch are adapted from the Civil Affairs branch insignia and denote the branch-wide scope and application of the design. The scroll and sword depict the civil and military aspects of the organization. The torch refers to the Statue of Liberty, a symbol associated with the spirit of democracy of the United States. The border emphasizes unity, continuity and the whole regimental concept. Crest: The scales represent balance and normality; the gauntlet denotes the military's role in establishing, administering and protecting the equilibrium. The globe signifies the extensive scope of the mission of the Civil Affairs Regiment.

Unit Awards

	Battalion
Award	Description	Number of Awards	Effective Date
Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC) Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC) - Ribbon worn on Right Side of Army Service Uniform	The unit-level equivalent of the Legion of Merit and third-highest unit award in the Army. The 490th as a battalion received this first award of the MUC for service in Iraq between 2003 and 2004. The Battalion colors are consequently decorated with a streamer, embroidered, "Southwest Asia 2003-2004."	First	11/6/2007
Army Superior Unit Award (ASUA) Army Superior Unit Award (ASUA) Ribbon worn on right side of Army Service Uniform	The fourth-highest unit-level award, which is awarded in peacetime to any unit of the Army which displays outstanding meritorious performance of a difficult and challenging mission carried out under extraordinary circumstances. The 490th received this as an organic unit of the US Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne), which was named in the order for the award. The order disbursed the award to all subordinate units of USACAPOC. The Battalion colors are consequently decorated with a streamer, embroidered, "2006-2007".	First	10/30/2007
Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC) Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC) - Ribbon worn on Right Side of Army Service Uniform	Alpha and Bravo companies were awarded the MUC as part of their deployment under the 441st Civil Affairs Battalion from 2008 to 2009. Since this constituted 2/3 of the subordinate units of the 490th at the time, the award is credited to the Battalion as a whole.	Second	3/19/2010
Army Superior Unit Award (ASUA) Army Superior Unit Award (ASUA) Ribbon worn on right side of Army Service Uniform	As an organic, subordinate unit of the 321st Civil Affairs Brigade, the 490th, along with the brigade and the 490th's sister units, were awarded the Army Superior Unit Award in 2009.	Second	1/28/2009
	Alpha Company
Award	Description		Effective Date
Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC) Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC) - Ribbon worn on Right Side of Army Service Uniform	Alpha and Bravo companies were awarded the MUC as part of their deployment under the 441st Civil Affairs Battalion from 2008 to 2009. Since this constituted 2/3 of the subordinate units of the 490th at the time, the award is credited to the Battalion as a whole.	First	3/19/2010
	Bravo Company
Award	Description	Number of Awards	Effective Date
Valorous Unit Award (VUA) The Valorous Unit Award (VUA) Ribbon worn on the right side of the Army Service Uniform	Bravo Company was awarded the Valorous Unit Award, the unit equivalent of the Silver Star, for a high level of courageous and dedicated efforts in heavy combat conditions during the 2003-2004 deployment to Iraq. The VUA is the second highest unit award, behind the Presidential Unit Citation, and a very distinct honor. The citation notes extraordinary heroism in support of the 3rd Armored Cavalry during operations across the region known as the Sunni Triangle. The Company Guidon is consequently decorated with a streamer, embroidered, "Al Anbar Province 2003".	First	8/19/2005
Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC) Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC) - Ribbon worn on Right Side of Army Service Uniform	Alpha and Bravo companies were awarded the MUC as part of their deployment under the 441st Civil Affairs Battalion from 2008 to 2009. Since this constituted 2/3 of the subordinate units of the 490th at the time, the award is credited to the Battalion as a whole.	First	3/19/2010
	Undesignated Detachment
Award	Description	Number of Awards	Effective Date
Valorous Unit Award (VUA) The Valorous Unit Award (VUA) Ribbon worn on the right side of the Army Service Uniform	A detachment of soldiers from General Support Detachment (otherwise known as Alpha Company) was named as a subordinate unit on the VUA for the 1st Armored Division from its service in Iraq in 2004. Since only a detachment, indicating an element smaller than a company or platoon, is named on the order and it is named "Detachment, 490th Civil Affairs Battalion," and not the battalion nor General Support / Detachment A are specifically named, the award is only passed to soldiers whose orders indicate they were attached to the 1st Armored Division during the period for which this VUA is awarded.	First	8/19/2008

Campaign Participation Credit

Campaign	Units	Campaign Phases	Status
War on Terrorism	Battalion,Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) Alpha Company Bravo Company Charlie Company Delta Company	To Be Determined for 2003 to Present, including 2003 Iraq Deployment and 2011 Deployment of Charlie and Delta Companies to the Horn of Africa.	Credit Due
Operation Iraqi Freedom	Battalion,Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) Alpha Company Bravo Company	Phase 1: Liberation of Iraq Phase 2: Transition of Iraq For 2003 to 2004 Deployment	Pending Credit
Operation Iraqi Freedom	Alpha Company Bravo Company	Phase 4: National Resolution For 2005 to 2006 Deployment	Pending Credit
Operation Iraqi Freedom	Alpha Company Bravo Company	Phase 5: Iraqi Surge Phase 6: Iraqi Sovereignty For 2008 to 2009 Deployment	Pending Credit