This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. The specific problem is: Convert your contractions ("GEN", "NOV", "ME") into full words for clarity. Remove any subjective/promotional words like "proud legacy", stick to inarguable facts rather than opinions. Please help improve this article if you can.(January 2014) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message )
The 133rd Engineer Battalion is a military engineering unit of the Maine Army National Guard. One of the largest and oldest units in the Maine National Guard, the battalion has responded to natural disasters at home and undertaken military deployments overseas. It has the capacity to execute a variety of Army Engineer missions, from horizontal construction, vertical construction, combat engineer missions and surveying. The battalion has two horizontal companies, one vertical company, one combat engineer company, a forward support company, a survey and design detachment and a headquarters company.
The 133rd Engineer Battalion is the oldest unit in the Maine Army National Guard and one of several National Guard units with campaign credit for the American Revolution and the War of 1812. Known as "Maine's Regiment", the 133rd traces its beginnings back to the formation of the Cumberland County Regiment of the Massachusetts Militia in 1760 and its subordinate element, the Portland Light Infantry in 1804. The Portland Light Infantry manned the defenses around Portland, such as Forts Preble and Scammell, to prevent British attack in 1814 during the War of 1812.
Other militia units flooded Portland that year, responding to a British invasion from the north that had seized Bangor and Castine. The British had taken control of portions of Maine and re-established the Crown colony of New Ireland. Several thousand British troops assembled in Castine with seven ships of the line, intent on taking Portland in 1814. However, American militia units from all over Maine put up such a strong defense that after a few skirmishes on the outskirts of town, the British decided that an attack would be too costly and cancelled the invasion.
Civil War
Maine men would be called on again in 1861 when war divided the nation into North and South. The Portland Light Infantry was designated as Company A of the 1st Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment, a 90-day regiment, and marched off to Virginia but was not engaged in the Battle of Bull Run. The 1st Maine was mustered out of service on August 5, 1861.[1]
Many members of the 1st Maine Volunteer Infantry reenlisted as members of the 10th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment when it was formed in October 1861. It fought at the battles of Cedar Mountain and Antietam in 1862. Most enlistments in the 10th Maine expired on May 8, 1863, except for 3 companies of "three year men" who were retained in service as the 10th Maine Battalion. The 10th Maine Battalion served as the Provost Guard for the Army of the Potomac at the Battle of Gettysburg. The 29th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment was mustered into service on December 17, 1863, and was transferred to the southern theater, fighting in Louisiana in the Red River Campaign from March to May 1864, and then in Virginia from July 1864 to April 1865. On 29 May 1864, the 10th Maine Battalion was consolidated with the 29th Maine, thus establishing continuity with the 10th Maine Regiment and the 1st Maine Regiment. The 29th Maine served on occupation duty in South Carolina starting in June 1865 and was mustered out of service on June 21, 1866.[1]
The 2nd Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment was called into service at the same time as the 1st and saw action during the Seven Days Battles, 2nd Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville. The regiment's enlistments ran up in 1863, but about half the unit had signed papers to serve for the three years, so they were amalgamated into the 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Also in 1862, the 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment was raised from the Brewer area. The 20th would become one of the most famous units in the Civil War. The regiment saw limited action at Antietam but made up for it at the Battle of Fredericksburg, where they were part of the assault element that aimed to take the Confederate defenses on the high ground. The 20th sustained heavy casualties and was pinned down for over twenty-four hours under enemy fire in the cold December weather. They were positioned on the far left of the Union line at the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863 and sustained multiple enemy attacks until the regiment had nearly run out of ammunition. They had been ordered to hold to the last man. The regimental commander, Colonel Joshua L. Chamberlain then gave the order, "Bayonet, Forward!" knowing that he could not withdraw or the enemy would outflank the Union army. The bayonet charge by the Mainers took the Confederates by surprise and ended their attacks entirely. For his actions, Colonel Chamberlain was awarded the Medal of Honor. The 20th would serve until the end of the war, fighting with distinction in the savage battles through Virginia, such as the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, and Petersburg. The 133rd Engineer Battalion carries on the lineage and traditions of the 20th Maine.[1]
1865-1940
At the end of the war, the Soldiers came home and returned to their civilian lives. Many kept up their military experience by membership in the 1st Maine Volunteer Militia, organized in 1873. The 1st M.V.M. had companies in Portland, Augusta, Skowhegan, Auburn, Norway, Bangor, Belfast, Hampden, and Old Town, laying out the footprint for the future 133rd Engineer Battalion. In 1893, the Maine Volunteer Militia was re-designated as the Maine National Guard, and the 1st M.V.M. was designated the 1st Maine Infantry. The 2nd Maine Infantry was also brought under the Maine National Guard when it was formed from the Maine Volunteer Militia in 1893.
In May 1898 the 1st Maine Infantry was mobilized as the 1st Maine Volunteer Infantry for service in the Spanish–American War. It served stateside and was mustered out of service on 13 December 1898.[1]
In 1909, the 1st M.V.M. reorganized and re-designated as the Coast Artillery Corps, with batteries from Bath to Kittery. In 1917 it was mobilized to protect the Maine coast, manning coast defenses, primarily near Portland. In December 1917 four companies were attached to the 54th Artillery (Coast Artillery Corps)[1] and deployed to France, where they fought on the Marne and the Meuse-Argonne Campaigns. The remaining companies remained in Maine until they were demobilized in December 1918.
The 2nd Maine Infantry was called into service in 1916 for service on the Texas border and then again in 1917 for World War I where it was combined with a unit from New Hampshire to become the 103rd U.S. Infantry, which was one of the four Infantry regiments in the 26th Division (a.k.a. the "Yankee Division").[1] They served on the front lines in France, taking part in the battles of Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, Saint-Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne, Ile de France, and Lorraine. One soldier, Private First Class George Dilboy, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in single-handedly overrunning a German machine gun position.
The 103d Infantry was demobilized in April 1919 and was reassigned to the 43rd Infantry Division when it was formed in the early 1920s.[1]
In 1922 the Coast Artillery units were redesignated as the 1st Coast Defense Command, and re-designated again on 17 September 1923 as the 240th Coast Artillery Regiment.[1]
World War II
As the United States prepared to enter World War II, the 240th Coast Artillery was mobilized to defend Portland on September 16, 1940. On 7 October 1944, the regiment was re-organized into the 185th and 186th Coast Artillery Battalions. On 1 April 1945, the two battalions were consolidated into the Harbor Defenses of Portland, which was inactivated in June 1946.[1]
During World War II, the 103rd Infantry, as an element of the 43rd Infantry Division,[1] served in the Pacific theater, fighting in the battles of Guadalcanal, North Solomons, New Guinea, and Luzon, helping General Macarthur liberate the Philippines. They were the first unit to reach the Ipo Dam, which controlled the water supply for Manila, a crucial step in liberating the city.
Post WWII
In February 1947, the Coast Artillery units were re-organized and re-designated as the 703rd Anti-Aircraft Gun Battalion.[1] They were mobilized from August 1950 to April 1952 to replace Regular Army units that had deployed to Korea during the Korean War.
On 1 March 1959 Companies A, B, and C of the 703rd AA Bn consolidated with the 103d Infantry and were reorganized and re-designated as the 103d Armored Cavalry Regiment (ACR). Meanwhile, Headquarters and Company D of the 703rd AA Gun Bn were re-organized and re-designated, and consolidated with the 314th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion to form 1st Battalion, 240th Artillery. On 1 June 1961 the 103d ACR, less the headquarters company, was reorganized and re-designated as the 20th Armor Regiment. At the same time, the Headquarters Company of the 103rd ACR was re-designated as Headquarters, 113th Armor Group.[1]
The 240th Artillery was converted, reorganized, and re-designated on 1 June 1961 as the 262d Engineer Battalion with headquarters at Bangor.[1]
In 1962, the 3d Battalion, 20th Armor was mobilized for the Berlin Crisis and stood ready in Fort Stewart, Georgia, until the crisis defused. In 1963, the 1st Battalion, 20th Armor was stood up in readiness during the Cuban Missile Crisis but the issues were resolved before the unit had to deploy. The 240th Coast Artillery served until the 1960s before being disbanded, but its lineage was assumed into the 20th Armor.[1]
On 31 December 1967 the 20th Armor consolidated with Headquarters, 113th Armor Group to form the 133d Engineer Battalion.[1]
On 1 September 1993 the 133rd Engineer Battalion was consolidated with the 262nd Engineer Battalion while retaining its designation as the 133rd Engineer Battalion.[1]
133d Engineer Battalion
Since 1970, 133d Engineer Battalion has served both at home for disaster relief missions and abroad in defense of the nation. In 1992 the battalion deployed to Panama to improve infrastructure in rural areas. In 1994, the battalion functioned as Mission Command in support of New Horizons, Task Force Dirigo, in Guatemala, a humanitarian and disaster relief mission. In 1997, units of the 133rd were deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina in support of Operation Joint Guard.
After 9/11, the 133d was mobilized in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II between 2004 and 2005.[2] The battalion served as the Engineer Task Force for I Corps' Task Force Olympia in the Multi-National Brigade-Northwest Area of Operations. As a battalion, the 133d completed over 730 troop missions, completed host-nation improvements in excess of 15 million dollars, built over 12 kilometers of earthen berms for force protection, and completed 15 airfield assistance missions. In addition, the 133d completed 84 humanitarian assistance missions, donating 1473 boxes of school supplies, clothes, shoes, food, and toys to Iraqi communities as well as building roads, wells and multiple schools and medical clinics. The 133d Engineer Battalion's area of operations (AO) spanned an area the size of the U.S. northeast, significantly larger than most Engineer battalion's normal span of control in Iraq. The 133d was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation for their participation in the Transition of Iraq and Iraqi Governance Campaigns.[3]
In 2005, members of the 133d responded to Louisiana to provide security and disaster relief assistance after Hurricane Katrina. [citation needed] Similarly, the 133d sent Joint Task Force Maine to Vermont in 2011 to assist in Tropical Storm Irene recovery. The 133d opened several key routes in Vermont that had been closed to debris or washouts, enabling communities to get assistance.
U.S. Army Spc. Symone Sherrill, an engineer with the 150th Engineer Company, New Jersey Army National Guard, assigned to the 133rd Engineer Battalion, Maine Army National Guard, carries a traffic cone while marking off her work area during a project to build an earth-filled barrier at Bagram Airfield in Parwan province, Afghanistan, Dec. 28, 2013.
Following Hurricane Irene in 2011, a task force of vertical and horizontal Engineers from the 133rd assisted communities in Vermont in their recovery efforts.[4]
Following Superstorm Sandy in 2012, a task force of vertical and horizontal Engineers from the 133rd assisted communities in Connecticut in their recovery efforts.[citation needed]
In the spring of 2013, the 133d deployed a company of vertical engineers to El Salvador to assist in critical infrastructure repairs in support of Operation Beyond the Horizon.[citation needed]
An article in the Portland Press Herald dated April 30, 2014 stated the 133d Engineer Battalion is under consideration for transfer to Pennsylvania and replacement in-state by an infantry battalion.[5] These plans were declared shelved in November 2015.[6]
Lt. Col. Lisa Sessions made history as the first woman to hold the post of commander in the Maine Army National Guard’s 133rd Engineer Battalion. The change of command ceremony took place on April 3, 2022, at the Brunswick Armed Forces Reserve Center. During this event, Lt. Col. Shanon Cotta handed over command to Lt. Col. Lisa Sessions, marking a significant milestone for women in leadership within the battalion.[7][8]
The 49th Armored Division —nicknamed the "Lone Star"— was an armored division of the Texas Army National Guard during the Cold War.
The 34th Infantry Division is an infantry division of the United States Army, part of the National Guard, that participated in World War I, World War II and multiple current conflicts. It was the first American division deployed to Europe in World War II, where it fought with great distinction in the Italian Campaign.
The New York Army National Guard is a component of the New York National Guard and the Army National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the United States Army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization. National coordination of various state National Guard units are maintained through the National Guard Bureau.
The Pennsylvania Army National Guard, abbreviated PAARNG, is part of the United States Army National Guard and is based in the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Together with the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, it is directed by the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. The PAARNG maintains 124 armories and is present in 87 communities across the Commonwealth.
The Kansas Army National Guard is a component of the Army National Guard and the Kansas National Guard. Kansas Army National Guard units are trained and equipped as part of the United States Army. The same ranks and insignia are used and National Guardsmen are eligible to receive all United States military awards. The Kansas Guard also bestows a number of state awards for local services rendered in or to the state of Kansas. It is, along with the Kansas Air National Guard, an element of the Kansas National Guard.
The 1st Maine Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was later re-activated in 1898 for the Spanish–American War, but did not serve overseas.
The 10th Maine Infantry Regiment was mustered in for two years of service at Portland, Maine, on October 4, 1861, by then-Major Seth Eastman. It was mustered out on May 8, 1863, also at Portland. The regimental commander was Colonel George Lafayette Beal. The 10th Maine was a re-organization of the 1st Maine Infantry, a regiment primarily composed of men with two-year enlistments that was mustering out after completing three months of Federal service. Eight companies of the 1st Maine were retained in service, with Companies A and D replaced by newly recruited companies.
The 112th Infantry Regiment, also known as the Sixteenth Pennsylvania, is a unit in the Pennsylvania National Guard which can trace its lineage back to before the American Civil War.
The Rhode Island Army National Guard (RIARNG) is the land force militia for the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It operates under Title 10 and Title 32 of the United States Code and operates under the command of the state governor while not in federal service. National Guard units may function under arms in a state status, therefore they may be called up for active duty by the governor to help respond to domestic emergencies and disasters, such as those caused by hurricanes, floods, or civil unrest.
The 40th Armored Division was a division of the United States Army National Guard from July 1954 until 1967.
The 103rd Armor Regiment is an armored regiment in the Pennsylvania National Guard first formed in 1941. Its legacy unit, 3rd Battalion, 103rd Armor, is a subordinate command of the 55th Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division.
The 29th Maine Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
The 133rd Field Artillery Regiment is a parent field artillery regiment of the United States Army National Guard. It is currently represented in the Texas Army National Guard by the 1st, 3rd, and 4th Battalions.
The Maine Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one-third of its support organization. National coordination of various state National Guard units are maintained through the National Guard Bureau. The Guard is administered by the adjutant general, an appointee of the governor of Maine. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state missions. Those functions range from limited actions during non-emergency situations to full-scale law enforcement of martial law when local law enforcement officials can no longer maintain civil control.
Twenty-four current units of the Army National Guard perpetuate the lineages of militia units mustered into federal service during the War of 1812. Militia units from nine states that were part of the Union by the end of the War of 1812, plus the District of Columbia, are the predecessors of eighteen units that currently exist in the Army National Guard. Two of the four units derived from Virginia militias are in the West Virginia National Guard; at the time of the War of 1812, West Virginia was still part of Virginia. Only two current units, the 155th Infantry, a component of the Mississippi National Guard derived from militia units organized in the Mississippi Territory and the 130th Infantry, a component of the Illinois National Guard derived from militia units formed in the Illinois Territory, are from states or territories west of the Appalachians. Unfortunately, no militia units from the states of Kentucky, Louisiana, Ohio or Tennessee, or from the Indiana, Michigan, Missouri or Louisiana Territories, where militia units played a major role in the fighting, have survived as units in the modern Army National Guard.
The 133rd Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment in the Iowa Army National Guard. It is represented by the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment, part of the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division.
The 103rd Field Artillery Regiment is a regiment of the United States Army. The only currently existing component is the 1st Battalion, 103rd Field Artillery Regiment, a unit of the Rhode Island National Guard. The regiment was originally constituted in 1917, but it descends from predecessor units dating back to 1801.
The 149th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade is a maneuver enhancement brigade of the Kentucky Army National Guard, headquartered at Richmond.
The 103rd Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment of the United States Army that served in combat in the American Civil War, World War I, and World War II. It was an Army National Guard regiment from the states making up New England, but most of its soldiers came from Maine. It was a part of the 26th Infantry Division and the 43rd Infantry Division. The 103rd regiment fought in numerous battles before its deactivation after the Second World War.
The 240th Coast Artillery Regiment was a Coast Artillery Corps regiment in the Maine National Guard. It garrisoned the Harbor Defenses of Portland, Maine 1924–1944.
History of the 103rd Infantry Regiment. By SSG Esther Kazian, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Norman N. Dow - Isaac E. Clewley Post 1761. Originally published in The Patriot News, The Newsletter of the Maine Military Historical Society, Volume 1, Issue 3, January 2011
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
United States 
