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History
Contracting has played an active role in US Army operations in the European theater since the Second World War. In 1942 the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) established a purchasing agency in the United Kingdom. In 1944 those operations moved into France and then to Germany. In 1945 responsibility for procurement was transferred to a US Army Technical Services type organization. Between 1945-1956 technical services procurement offices supporting US Army Europe and Seventh Army (USAREUR/7A) grew to 54 offices USAREUR-wide.

From 1956 -1967 numerous USAREUR reorganizations resulted in the establishment of local district procurement offices in various locations, including a centralized procurement office in Frankfurt, Germany. By 1969 the district procurement offices in Germany were centralized under the US Army Contracting Activity, Europe (USACAE). Those procurement offices outside Germany remained under the operational control of the local commands.

In 1984 a Department of the Army Inspector General world-wide inspection of installation contracting and a USAREUR task force study of contracting addressed the establishment of a contracting command in USAREUR. On June 21, 1985 US Army Contracting Command, Europe (USACCE) was formally established becoming fully operational on September 30, 1986. The establishment of the Command centralized procurement policy and management of decentralized operations of the USAREUR acquisition program under the USACCE Commander who also serves as the Principal Assistant Responsible for Contracting (PARC). The Command headquarters was placed in Heidelberg with a centralized contracting office in Frankfurt, Germany and 20 contracting offices (with 6 sub offices) located in Germany, Belgium, Italy, United Kingdom, France, Israel and Sweden.

With the fall of the Berlin Wall and throughout the1990’s USACCE continued to evolve its multi-faceted procurement mission. In addition to its normal mission during the period 1990-1991 USACCE provided significant procurement support for USAREUR units involved in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Those efforts were followed in 1996 by Operation Joint Endeavor when USACCE was designated as Executive Agent for Contracting by the US European Command to provide procurement support for deploying USAREUR units in Germany and establish Joint Contracting Offices in the Balkans area of operations.

During 1991-1996, USACCE restructured its organizational structure and staffing in tandem with USAREUR draw down of forces and base closure activities. This resulted in the closure of 13 of the 22 USACCE contracting offices including longstanding operations in Germany such as Berlin and Burtonwood in the United Kingdom. The reorganization placed USACCE contracting offices in the best locations from which to continue to provide centrally managed and locally provided procurement support for USAREUR tactical units and Area Support Groups (ASGs).

On November 1, 2007, the 409th Contracting Support Brigade was stood up. Today it stands as USAREUR’s primary procurement agency executing the full spectrum of contracting support required by US European Command and US Army Europe and Seventh Army.

The 409th CSB, headquartered in Sembach, Germany, has operational control of the 928th Contingency Contracting Battalion, based in Grafenwoehr, Germany, a Theater Contracting Center in Kaiserslautern, Germany, Regional Contracting Offices in Bavaria, Belgium, Stuttgart, and Wiesbaden as well as a Contingency Contracting Office at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo.