27th Engineer Battalion (United States)

Last updated

27th Engineer Battalion
27EngrBnCOA.png
27th Engineer Battalion coat of arms
Active1918–present
CountryFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Branch US Army Corps of Engineers
TypeEngineer
RoleForced Entry Expeditionary Engineering
SizeBattalion
Part of 20EngrBdeDUI.jpg 20th Engineer Brigade
Garrison/HQ Fort Liberty
Nickname(s)Tiger Battalion
Motto(s)Omnes Res Bene Facere
(To Do All Things Well)
Mascot(s)Tiger
Insignia
Distinctive unit insignia
US Army 27th Engineer Bn DUI.png
Unit beret flash
US Army 27th Engineer Bn Flash.png

The 27th Engineer Battalion(Combat) (Airborne)"Tiger Battalion" is an engineer battalion of the United States Army.

Contents

History

The 27th Engineer Battalion was established on January 16, 1918 at Fort Myer, Virginia as the 2D Battalion, 37th Engineer Regiment. In July 1918, during World War I, the unit fought in the Battle of Saint-Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne; the unit was demobilized afterwards at Camp Upton. It was reconstituted in the Regular Army as the 2nd Battalion, 37th Engineers in October 1933, then reactivated on July 14, 1941 at Camp Bowie and assigned to the VIII Corps. The unit was moved to Camp Edwards in 1942 and redesignated as the 2nd Battalion, 37th Engineer Combat Regiment. They were assigned to the VII Corps later that year and moved to Camp Beale. The March 1943 redesignation renamed the HHC as the 1106th Engineer Combat Group; the 1st Battalion as the 37th Engineer Combat Battalion; and the 2nd Battalion as the 209th Engineer Combat Battalion.

The unit was deployed from the New York Port of Embarkation in September 1943 and arrived in Bombay in October, where they joined the India-Burma Campaign. While attached to the 5307th Composite Unit, they helped seize the Myitkyina airfield during the Siege of Myitkyina. Seventy-one members of the 209th were killed in action and 179 wounded during the 70-day-long battle. In 1945, they participated in the Central Burma Campaign before being moved to Ledo Road with the exception of Company A, who remained in Myitkyina. They returned to the United States in November 1945 where they were inactivated at Camp Kilmer. In 1947, they were redesignated as the 27th Engineering Combat Battalion. They earned a Presidential Unit Citation for their work at the airfield. They were activated for one month while at Ft. Lewis in 1950. They activated in March 1951 at Ft. Campbell and redesignated in June 1953 as the 27th Engineer Battalion. In October 1960, the unit earned the nickname "Tiger Battalion" due to its rugged field manueuvers and training.[ citation needed ]

They entered the Vietnam War in 1966 and arrived in Bien Hoa that October. They were later based in Xuan Loc with the 79th Engineer Group. They came under the jurisdiction of the 34th Engineer Group in April 1967 and were transferred in April 1968 to support the 45th Engineer Group in Gia Le and the 101st Airborne Division at Camp Eagle. They returned to the United States on January 31, 1972 and settled at Ft. Campbell. The unit received five Meritorious Unit Commendations for action in Vietnam and one for action in Southwest Asia, the Superior Unit Award for AHAUS TAURA '90, and the Civil Action Honor Medal (1st class) with 19 campaign streamers for their efforts. They later moved to Fort Bragg, where the unit became a non-divisional combat airborne engineer battalion. Parts of the unit took part in Operation Bright Star 82 and were deployed to Berbera. While in Somalia, the 27th carried out infrastructural improvement projects for the Somali people.[ citation needed ] That summer, they provided relief support following Hurricane Agnes, including potable water from purification platoons.

In 1983, the 27th repaired runways after Cuban engineers damaged them with explosives during the Invasion of Grenada. During Operation Desert Shield, while attached to France's 6th Light Armoured Division, they became the lead engineer battalion for the XVIII Airborne Corps. They returned to Fort Bragg in 1991 and created a small memorial to its Desert Storm veterans. The unit was deployed again a year and a half later to Miami-Dade County, Florida for Hurricane Andrew relief efforts. They remained there as part of the Task Force All-American for a year. From September to November 1994, they worked with the 10th Mountain Division (Light) to establish Base Camp Dragon and Castle in Haiti following Operation Uphold Democracy. While there, they constructed a school which was subsequently damaged by Hurricane Bonnie. Security detail was also posted at their compound.

In November 2001, they joined Operations Joint Guardian. Since the beginning of the War on Terror, they have worked on several projects in Iraq and Afghanistan. In January 2003, the 27th's Company C became the first counter-mine company in the Army since the Vietnam War. They used both mechanical clearance equipment and modern mine detectors to clear hundreds of thousands of square meters of land mines and other explosives at Bagram Airfield so the airfield could expand. The soldiers have received decorations such as the Silver Star and Soldier's Medal in addition to unit citations. The company received two Meritorious Unit Commendations for its actions in Afghanistan.

All lettered companies of the 27th were inactivated at Ft. Campbell in October 2008 before being deployed to Afghanistan in December 2009 where they worked on route clearance duty, responsible for clearing roadside bombs and other improvised explosive devices planted by insurgents. [1] The battalion was given a Meritorious Unit Commendation for their service. [2] As of October 1999, they had the last and only airborne well driller detachment/platoon left in the United States Army. As of 2014, the 27th's 57th Sapper Company is the only company in the Army that specializes in rough terrain airborne insertion. [3] In addition to their field action, the HHC 27th Engineer Battalion has built a mock kill house for urban actions training; renovated their company's offices; built a FSC company area; erected a rappel tower at a high school in North Carolina; and extended a runway at a municipal airport in North Carolina.

Organizational structure

US Army 18th Airborne Corps CSIB.png XVIII Airborne Corps

Insignia

The unit's insignia is a silver-colored metal and enamel device 1+1⁄8 inches (2.9 cm) tall. It has a shield and gules, a rock argent, within the garland of oak leaves. Below the insignia is a red scroll with the unit's motto, "Omnes res bene facere" (To Do All Things Well), in silver letters. The shield is red in reference to engineers. The rock was taken from the Arms of Saint-Mihiel and the oak leaves from Meuse-Argonne; both of these areas were where the unit served during World War I. The insignia's border indicates the descent of the 209th Engineer Battalion from the 37th Engineer Regiment. The insignia was approved in March 1951 and redesignated for combat in July 1955 and again in February 1972.

Similarly, the unit's coat of arms has a gules shown within an oak leaf garland with acorns. A chinthe appears sejant with an azure mural crown around its neck. A bamboo grove appears in the background and arches above the chinthe. The base is between four billets, each charged with three barrulets of the second.[ clarification needed ] The chinthe references the chinthe on the Burmese State Seal; the blue of the mural crown represents the heavily fortified town of Myitkyina, where the unit worked during World War II. Blue is also the color of the Presidential Unit Citation (Army) streamer, which they were awarded for their work. The bamboo grove refers to the emblem of Vietnam as a nod to the work the unit did during the Vietnam War. The yellow and red billets refer to the five Vietnam decorations received by the unit: the four Meritorious Unit Commendations and the Civil Actions Medal. The coat of arms was approved in February 1945 and redesignated in both March 1951 and July 1955. It was redesignated again and amended to add a crest in November 1973.

Honors

Campaign participation credit

  1. Saint-Mihiel;
  2. Meuse-Argonne
  1. India-Burma;
  2. Central Burma
  1. Counteroffensive, Phase II;
  2. Counteroffensive, Phase III;
  3. Tet Counteroffensive;
  4. Counteroffensive, Phase IV;
  5. Counteroffensive, Phase V;
  6. Counteroffensive, Phase VI;
  7. Tet 69/Counteroffensive;
  8. Summer-Fall 1969;
  9. Winter-Spring 1970;
  10. Sanctuary Counteroffensive;
  11. Counteroffensive, Phase VII;
  12. Consolidation I;
  13. Consolidation II
  1. Defense of Saudi Arabia;
  2. Liberation
  3. Defense of Kuwait
  4. Operation Enduring Freedom

Decorations

  1. MYITKYINA
  1. VIETNAM 1966–1967
  2. VIETNAM 1967–1968
  3. VIETNAM 1968–1969
  4. VIETNAM 1969
  5. VIETNAM 1970–1971
  6. SOUTHWEST ASIA
  7. AFGHANISTAN 2004
  8. AFGHANISTAN 2009–2010 [2]
  1. Hurricane Andrew Relief 1990
  1. VIETNAM 1967–1968


Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">16th Military Police Brigade (United States)</span> Military unit

The 16th Military Police Brigade is a military police brigade of the United States Army headquartered at Fort Liberty, North Carolina. This brigade has the only airborne-qualified military police units in the U.S. Army, outside of the 82nd MP Company of the 82nd Airborne Division. It provides law enforcement and police duties to Fort Liberty, and for the XVIII Airborne Corps when deployed. As a brigade with organic airborne units, it is authorized a beret flash and parachute wing trimming, and the shoulder sleeve insignia was authorized to be worn with an airborne tab. According to U.S. Army's Institute of Heraldry, the shoulder sleeve insignia "was amended to delete the airborne tab effective 16 October 2008" when jump status of the brigade was terminated; however, various elements of the brigade remain on jump status.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">II Field Force, Vietnam</span> Corps-level command of the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War

II Field Force, Vietnam was a United States Army Corps-level command during the Vietnam War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">7th Field Artillery Regiment</span> Military unit

The 7th Field Artillery Regiment is a United States Army field artillery regiment, whose lineage traces back to the early 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">37th Engineer Battalion (United States)</span> Airborne combat engineer battalion in the United States Army

The 37th Engineer Battalion is an airborne engineer battalion in the United States Army, and currently subordinate to the 2d Brigade Combat Team, 82d Airborne Division, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The 37th Engineer Battalion was reactivated in the 82d Airborne Division as part of the United States Army new BCT 2020 concept in which each BCT's Special Troops Battalions would be inactivated and reactivated as Brigade Engineer Battalions. Prior to this, the battalion was a subordinate unit of the 20th Engineer Brigade assigned to XVIII Airborne Corps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment</span> Military unit

The 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment is an active duty airborne infantry battalion in the United States Army, assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team and stationed at Caserma Del Din, Vicenza, Italy. The battalion has served with the 2nd Infantry Division, the 11th Airborne Division, the 24th Infantry Division, The 25th Infantry Division, the 82nd Airborne Division, the 101st Airborne Division, and the 173rd Airborne Brigade; has been stationed in Korea, Germany, Italy and the United States; and earned campaign credits in World War II, the Vietnam War, Operation Enduring Freedom—Afghanistan, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">319th Field Artillery Regiment</span> Military unit

The 319th Field Artillery Regiment, more commonly referred to as the 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, is a parent regiment in the U.S. Army Regimental System. Four battalions of the regiment are currently active. The first three battalions 1st Battalion, 319th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Battalion, 319th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Battalion, 319th Field Artillery Regiment are in the 82nd Airborne Division and the 4th Battalion, 319th Field Artillery Regiment is in the 173rd Airborne Brigade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">14th Engineer Battalion</span> Military unit

The 14th Brigade Engineer Battalion is a Combat Engineer Battalion of the United States Army based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. The battalion is a subordinate unit of the 2nd Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, and I Corps. The battalion's official motto is "Gong Mu Ro" and battle cry "Rugged!".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">6th Field Artillery Regiment</span> Military unit

The 6th Field Artillery Regiment is a Field Artillery Branch regiment of the United States Army first activated in 1907 from numbered companies of artillery. It was first organized with two battalions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">13th Field Artillery Regiment</span> US military unit

The 13th Field Artillery Regiment is a field artillery regiment of the United States Army first formed in 1916.

The 16th Field Artillery Regiment is a field artillery regiment of the United States Army. The regiment served with the 4th Division in World War II and with the 4th and 8th Divisions between the World Wars. As the 16th Armored Field Artillery Battalion, it served with the 9th Armored Division during World War II, and with the 2nd Armored Division after the war. Designated a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental system, and later the U.S. Army Regimental System, since 1957, regimental elements have served with the 1st, 2nd and 4th Armored Divisions; the 4th, 8th, and 81st Infantry Divisions; and the 1st Cavalry Division. Regimental elements have participated in combat in Vietnam, and in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The regiment currently has a single active battalion, the 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery, assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division and stationed at Fort Cavazos, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">21st Field Artillery Regiment</span> US military unit

The 21st Field Artillery Regiment is a field artillery regiment of the United States Army first formed in 1916. A parent regiment under the U.S. Army Regimental System, all components of the regiment are currently inactive. The 1st Battalion 21st Field Artillery Regiment, the regiment's final active component, deactivated on June 12, 2014.

The 30th Field Artillery Regiment is a field artillery regiment of the United States Army, first constituted in 1918 in the National Army (USA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">326th Engineer Battalion (United States)</span> Military unit

The 326th Engineer Battalion (Sapper Eagles) is one of three air assault engineer battalions in the United States Army. The 326th is part of the 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team ("Bastogne")(♣), 101st Airborne Division and has been a part of the 101st since World War I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">11th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade</span> Military unit

The 11th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade is a Combat Aviation Brigade in the United States Army Reserve. The unit's lineage can be traced to the prior lineage and insignia of the 11th Aviation Group which was last headquartered in Illesheim, Germany in 2005. It is one of two aviation brigades of Army Reserve Aviation Command. The brigade consists of a headquarters company, two Black Hawk assault battalions, and one fixed wing battalion. The brigade was activated in its current formation on 16 September 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">320th Field Artillery Regiment</span> US military unit

The 320th Field Artillery Regiment is a field artillery regiment of the United States Army. A parent regiment under the U.S. Army Regimental System, the 320th FAR currently has two active elements in the 101st Airborne Division : 1st Battalion, 320th FAR "Top Guns" in 2nd Brigade Combat Team; and 3rd Battalion, 320th FAR "Red Knight Rakkasans" in 3rd Brigade Combat Team. The regiment served with the 82nd Airborne Division during World Wars I and II, and regimental elements have served with the 82nd and 101st Airborne Division, the 193rd Infantry Brigade and the Berlin Brigade, and conducted combat operations in the Dominican Republic, Vietnam, Grenada, Operations Desert Shield and Storm, and the Global War on Terror.

The 377th Field Artillery Regiment is a field artillery regiment of the United States Army. A parent regiment under the U.S. Army Regimental System, the regiment's 2nd Battalion, 377th Field Artillery Regiment is assigned to the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 11th Airborne Division. Elements of the regiment have also served with the 101st Airborne Division and 82nd Airborne Division, and have seen service in World War II, Vietnam, and in both Iraq and Afghanistan during the Global War on Terror. The 1st and 3rd Battalions as well as Batteries D and E are Inactive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">92nd Engineer Battalion</span> Military unit

The 92nd Engineer Battalion is a unit of the United States Army with a record of accomplishment in both peace and war; an organization that provides sustained engineer support across the full spectrum of military operations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1st Battalion, 377th Field Artillery Regiment</span> Military unit

The 1st Battalion, 377th Field Artillery Regiment, is an inactive M198 Howitzer/ M777 Howitzer 155mm field artillery battalion of the United States Army. The battalion has seen service with the 101st Airborne Division during World War II and Vietnam, and deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan during the Global War on Terror. The battalion has been stationed with the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell; with the 18th Field Artillery Brigade and the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina; and with the 17th Field Artillery Brigade at Fort Lewis, Washington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2nd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment</span> US army unit

The 2nd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment is an inactive field artillery battalion of the United States Army. The battalion has been assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division, 11th Airborne Division and 101st Airborne Division. The battalion has participated in World War I, World War II, Vietnam, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom. The battalion deactivated in July 2015 as part of ongoing force reductions, and its personnel and equipment were reflagged as the 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment</span> Military unit

The 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment is an active duty airborne infantry battalion in the United States Army, assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team and stationed in Vicenza, Italy. The battalion has served with the 2nd Infantry Division, the 11th Airborne Division, the 24th Infantry Division, the 82nd Airborne Division, and the 173rd Airborne Brigade; has been stationed in Korea, Italy and the United States; and earned campaign credits in World War II, the Vietnam War, Operation Enduring Freedom-Afghanistan, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

References

  1. ↑ "The long road home for Fort Bragg's 27th Engineer Battalion". The Fayetteville Observer. 29 May 2011. Archived from the original on 30 October 2014.
  2. 1 2 "General Orders No. 61 – MERITORIOUS UNIT COMMENDATION" (PDF). Headquarters, Department of the Army. 25 September 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 October 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  3. ↑ "Lineage and Honors - 57th Engineer Company". United States: Department of the Army. 12 September 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  4. ↑ 27th Engineer Battalion, Currentops.com, last accessed 6 December 2020
  5. ↑ 27th Engineer Battalion (C)(A), @27thENBN–Government Organization, Official Facebook page, last accessed 6 December 2020
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.