545th Harbormaster Detachment
Coat of Arms
History
The history of the 545th Harbormaster Detachment traces its origins to World War II, when the unit was originally constituted on 19 February 1944 as a boat crew element of the 363d Harbor Craft Company, Transportation Corps, and activated at Camp Plauche, Louisiana. During World War II, the unit supported critical harbor and watercraft operations, enabling the movement of troops, equipment, and supplies in support of global combat operations.
Following the war, the unit was inactivated in 1946, but its legacy continued as the Army adapted to new strategic requirements. In 1950, the unit was redesignated as the 545th Transportation Harbor Craft Detachment and allotted to the Regular Army, activating in Seattle, Washington, where it supported port and maritime transportation operations along the Pacific Coast during the early Cold War.
In 1957, the unit was redesignated as the 545th Transportation Detachment and activated at Fort Riley, Kansas, continuing its mission of providing critical transportation command and control capabilities in support of Army forces. The 545th Harbormaster lineage includes service during the Vietnam War, where the unit supported combat operations through maritime and surface transportation missions in an austere and hostile environment. These missions were vital to sustaining combat power and ensuring uninterrupted logistical support to forces operating throughout the Pacific theater.
Today’s Soldiers of the 545th Harbor Master Detachment carry forward this proud lineage to Yokohama North Dock, Japan. Harbormaster units have long served as the Army’s experts in port operations, vessel movement control, and the integration of joint and multinational maritime logistics.