27th Engineer Battalion (United States)

27th Engineer Battalion

27th Engineer Battalion coat of arms
Active 1918–present
Country  United States
Branch US Army Corps of Engineers
Type Engineer
Role Forced Entry Expeditionary Engineering
Size Battalion
Part of 20th Engineer Brigade
Garrison/HQ Fort Bragg
Nickname(s) Tiger Battalion
Motto(s) Omnes Res Bene Facere
(To Do All Things Well)
Mascot(s) Tiger
Commanders
Notable
commanders		 LTC Leslie Sandvall (Commander at Myitkyina), LTC Ron Stewart (Desert Shield/Storm), LTC Mike Crall (Afghanistan), LTC Al Dodd (Afghanistan)

The 27th Engineer Battalion (COMBAT)(AIRBORNE) and its subordinate companies has often used the Fort Bragg/XVIII Airborne Corps standard of "Airborne!" for its motto.

History

The history of the 27th Engineer Battalion (COMBAT) (AIRBORNE) began on 16 January 1918 at Fort Meyer, VA, as the second battalion of the 37th Engineer Regiment. The unit entered World War I on the 10 July 1918, which its participation in the St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne campaigns. After the termination of hostilities, the unit was demobilized.

Twenty years later, World War II erupted, and on 14 July 1941, the 37th Engineer Regiment was reactivated at Camp Bowie, Texas. The regiment was broken up in March 1943. Its elements were then reorganized and redesignated. The lineage of the 27th Engineer Battalion (COMBAT) (AIRBORNE) springs from the 2nd Battalion, redesignated as the 209th Engineer Combat Battalion. The 209th disembarked at Bombay, India on 23 October 1943, and immediately set to work on the Ledo Road.

Subsequently, the 209th participated in the India-Burma Campaign. While a part of Merrill's Marauders (6th Ranger Battalion-5307th Composite), it participated in the surprise attack to seize a critical Myitkyina airfield. The battalion sustained 71 Killed in action and 179 wounded in action during the 70-day-long battle. The 209th was inactivated at the conclusion of World War II, and in 1947, was redesignated as the 27th Engineer Combat Battalion.

Activated once more in 1950–1951 briefly at Ft. Lewis, Washington, and then at Ft. Campbell, KY, the unit on 23 October 1960 earned the nickname "Tiger Battalion" through its rugged field maneuvers and training.

On 21 July 1966, the battalion entered the Vietnam War, serving honorably and effectively in 13 campaigns, received five Meritorious Unit Commendations and the Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal (1st Class), with 19 campaign streamers for actions in Vietnam. On 31 January 1972, the battalion returned to the United States and relocated to Fort Bragg, NC, where it became a non-divisional combat airborne engineer battalion.

Components of the battalion participated in operation "Bright Star 82" deploying to the port city of Berbera, Somalia, which is located on the central North coast of Somalia on the Gulf of Aden. Bright Star 82 included deployment of factions of the 82nd Airborne Division to the Sinia Desert in Egypt. While in Somalia the 27th performed various infrastructure improvement projects for the Somalian people.

In 1983, units of the battalion deployed in response to the Invasion of Grenada by Cuban forces. Cuban engineers blew craters in Grenada's airport runways. Engineers from the 27th repaired the runways, among other responsibilities.

On 23 August 1990, the battalion was again called upon, this time to Saudi Arabia, to support Operation Desert Shield. On the 24 February 1991, the battalion, attached to the French 6th Light Armored Division, became the lead engineer battalion for XVIII Airborne Corps in its push up the western allied flank during Operation Desert Storm. On the 27 March 1991, the 27th Engineer Battalion (COMBAT) (AIRBORNE) returned to its home at Ft. Bragg, NC.

The battalion deployed again in August 1992 to Dade County, Florida, for hurricane Andrew relief. The battalion remained in Florida as part of Task Force All-American until 26 September 1992. The most recent deployment was in response to Operation Uphold Democracy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The battalion deployed with the 20th Engineer Brigade from 22 September through 5 November 1994. The battalion worked with the 10th Mountain Division (Light) and established Base Camp Dragon and Castle.

The battalion colors bear a Presidential Unit Citation for action at Myitkyina Airfield, five Meritorious Unit Commendations for actions in Vietnam, one Meritorious Unit Commendation for actions in Southwest Asia, the Superior Unit award for AHAUS TAURA '90, the Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal (1st Class), and 19 campaign streamers.

In 1999, the Construction Platoon of HHC 27th ENG (C)(A) created a small memorial to its own Desert Storm veterans outdoors near their mess hall in Smoke Bomb Hill, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

As of October 1999, they had the last/only Airborne well-driller detachment/platoon left in the United States Army.

The 57th Sapper Company of the 27th is the only company in the United States Army that specializes in rough terrain airborne insertion.

In November 2001, the battalion deployed to Kosovo in support of Operations Joint Guardian. They have participated in many actions and projects in Iraq and Afghanistan since. More recently the battalion was deployed to Afghanistan in December 2009. Instead of participating in the usual construction projects, they were on bomb disposal duty and responsible for clearing roadside bombs and landmines planted by Taliban insurgents.[1] The battalion was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation for their service.[2]

Insignia

Distinctive Unit Insignia

  1. The shield is red for Engineers.
  2. The rock, taken from the Arms of St. Mihiel and the oak leaves emblematic of the Meuse-Argonne, indicate the service of the 37th Engineer Regiment in World War I, while the border indicates descent of the 209th Engineer Battalion from the 37th Engineer Regiment.
  3. The motto translates to "To Do All Things Well."
  1. The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 27th Engineer Combat Battalion on 19 March 1951.
  2. Redesignated for the 27th Engineer Battalion (Combat) on 15 July 1955.
  3. Redesignated for the 27th Engineer Battalion on 9 February 1972.

Coat of Arms

Blazon

Symbolism

  1. The shield is red for Engineers.
  2. The rock, taken from the Arms of St. Mihiel and the oak leaves emblematic of the Meuse-Argonne, indicate the service of the 37th Engineer Regiment in World War I, while the border indicates descent of the 209th Engineer Battalion from the 37th Engineer Regiment.
  3. The motto translates to "To Do All Things Well."
The bamboo grove from the coat of arms of the Republic of Vietnam represents Vietnam campaign service and together with the four billets (heraldic bricks) in colors suggested by the flag of the Republic of Vietnam refers to the battalion's five Vietnam decorations (4 Meritorious Unit Commendations, VIETNAM, and Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Medal).
  1. The coat of arms was originally approved for the 209th Engineer Battalion on 15 February 1945.
  2. It was redesignated for the 27th Engineer Combat Battalion on 19 March 1951.
  3. The insignia was redesignated for the 27th Engineer Battalion (Combat) on 15 July 1955.
  4. The coat of arms was redesignated and amended to add a crest for the 27th Engineer Battalion on 23 November 1973.

Lineage

  1. HHC became 1106trh Engineer Combat Group, thence separate lineage.
  2. 1st Battalion became 37th Engineer Combat Battalion, thence separate Lineage.
  3. 2nd Battalion became as the 209th Engineer Combat Battalion.

Honors

Campaign participation credit

  1. St. 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
  2. VIETNAM 1970

Known projects

Among other things, the Construction Platoon of HHC 27th ENG (C)(A) has built the following:

See also

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Army Center of Military History document "27th Engineer Battalion Lineage and Honors".

  1. ↑ "The long road home for Fort Bragg's 27th Engineer Battalion". The Fayetteville Observer. May 29, 2011.
  2. 1 2 "General Orders No. 61 — MERITORIOUS UNIT COMMENDATION" (PDF). Headquarters, Department of the Army. September 25, 2013. Retrieved October 30, 2014.

External links

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