130th Engineer Brigade (United States)

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130th Engineer Brigade
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Operation Enduring Freedom
Commanders
Current
commander
COL Margaret L. McGunegle (since 12 July 2022)
Command Sergeant MajorCSM Edwin Dirk
Notable
commanders
LTG Todd T. Semonite
MG Diana M. Holland
Insignia
Distinctive Unit Insignia

The 130th Engineer Brigade is an engineer brigade of the United States Army headquartered in Schofield Barracks, Hawaii that provides engineering support to the United States Army Pacific. The brigade specializes in combat engineering, construction, and bridging operations.

The brigade traces its lineage back to an engineering regiment active during

invasion of Iraq
in 2003. With numerous difficulties, the brigade was forced to take on several unexpected missions during its year in Iraq. It saw a second tour in 2005 and a third in 2009 in which it once again was the primary engineering component in the country. The brigade deployed to Afghanistan as the Theater Engineer Brigade in support of Operation Enduring Freedom from 2013 to 2014.

The brigade had a long history of supporting V Corps of

Warner Barracks in the Bavarian town of Bamberg, Germany. That ended when the brigade was relocated to Hawaii to support United States Army Pacific
as part of a major restructuring plan of the United States Army. Reactivated in 2008, the brigade is currently based out of Schofield Barracks in Hawaii.

Organization

The 130th Engineer Brigade is a subordinate unit of the 8th Theater Sustainment Command[2] which is operationally controlled by United States Army Pacific. It provides engineering assistance to United States forces stationed throughout the Indo-Pacific region.[3]

The Brigade's

Headquarters and Headquarters Company is stationed at Schofield Barracks and permanently commands two subordinate battalions
. The 11th Engineer Battalion located at Camp Humphreys, Korea, and the 84th Engineer Battalion located at Schofield Barracks. The total force of the brigade is approximately 1,600 personnel. As the brigade is modular in nature, it is able to take command and control of more units when deployed.

History

Origins

The 130th Engineer Brigade traces its lineage to the 1303rd Engineer General Service Regiment which saw action in World War II.

Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe, and the Asian-Pacific theatre.[5] It was deactivated in Japan on 31 January 1946.[5]

The regiment was re-designated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 130th Engineer Aviation Brigade in Japan on 8 July 1955 before being activated in September of that year.[5] Only a few months later, this brigade was inactivated on 25 June 1956 without having seen any deployment.[4]

On 16 June 1969, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 130th Engineer Aviation Brigade was re-designated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 130th Engineer Brigade and activated in Pioneer Kaserne,

United States Army Europe.[6] The brigade received its shoulder sleeve insignia on 23 September 1969, and its distinctive unit insignia on 3 November 1969.[1] Brigade members specially designed these with images alluding to the 1303rd Regiment's battle honors in World War II using scarlet and white, colors signifying US Army engineer units.[1]

The brigade remained in Germany in support of V Corps for almost 25 years, on the Cold War frontline against the Warsaw Pact

Operation Joint Endeavour

From December 1995 to January 1996, all units in the brigade, except the 320th Engineer Company (Topographic), deployed to

Brčko-Gunja.[4] The 502nd Engineer Company redeployed in May 1996, with a rafting section remaining at Slavonski Brod to support the force restructuring of Task Force Eagle.[4] The 130th Engineer Brigade would go on to construct seven fixed bridges in support of the operation.[6] During the deployment, the brigade was also tasked with creating and maintaining maps and overlays of the area of operations. It would produce over 300,000 such maps.[6] The 130th Engineer Brigade was also tasked with repairing and maintaining much of the Task Force's infrastructure.[6]

The brigade returned to Germany after the operation was complete.

Macedonia.[8] They also performed annual humanitarian missions to Poland, working on community projects around the country with the assistance of Polish Armed Forces every September, as a training exercise.[9]

Operation Iraqi Freedom

The 130th Engineer Brigade mobilized for the

173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team to the north, the operation would see the US Forces surround and destroy Iraqi forces in and around the capitol.[14]

The first obstacle facing the brigade was "the berm", a 10-kilometer-deep defensive obstacle complex that spanned Iraq's border with Kuwait.

armored vehicle-launched bridges set up for wheeled vehicles.[17] The 130th worked with Kuwaiti engineers to breach the berm in 12 places, and the 3rd Infantry Division's Brigade Combat Teams moved through, starting the Iraq War.[18] After combat forces moved through, the brigade and the Kuwaitis then sealed off ten of these breaches to prevent Iraqi forces from using then, leaving two open for US forces that followed from the 82nd and 101st.[18]

Battle plan for the Iraq War, with V Corps attacking the country from Kuwait to the southeast.

After the breach, the 130th moved into Iraq. They provided support for the divisions as they advanced along the path to Baghdad. When a large

Tigris River in Tikrit on Saddam Hussein's birthday, 28 April 2003.[4]

After the invasion was over, the brigade was supposed to support the operation with bridging and infrastructure support.[4] During the planning for the invasion, the engineers of the brigade were told that reconstruction in Iraq would be conducted by Department of Defense contractors and Iraqi civilians. They were not originally prepared to conduct major reconstruction efforts.[22] When V Corps became the commanding element for the task force to rebuild Iraq, much of the invasion force, including the 130th Engineer Brigade, was sent to do jobs they had not been originally planned for, as basic utilities and sanitation conditions in Iraq were far below what was expected.[22] Throughout the rest of 2003 and 2004, the engineers engaged in a large number of initial reconstruction projects on basic utilities, including schools, water treatment plants, waste removal, and the nation's power grid.[23] It was determined that the scale of these projects was much greater than what the US had expected or what had been encountered in previous contingencies. It was also decided that reconstruction was essential to the coalition since it would help win over the Iraqi people.[24] By May 2003, the brigade had been completely repurposed. Though originally tasked with demolishing obstacles, building fortifications, and bridging operations, the brigade was tasked entirely with construction projects.[25] This conversion was a difficult process, as the brigade did not have the equipment and specialist units designed to handle reconstruction on a national scale.[25] As more US military reconstruction units arrived in Iraq, the brigade grew to eight battalions and three groups.[26]

The 130th Engineer Brigade focused on bridging projects as was its specialty, but it ultimately found itself undertaking numerous different projects throughout the country for much of 2003 and into 2004.

USAREUR.[4]

The 130th was headquartered at

Logistical Support Area Anaconda for the majority of the deployment.[7] Throughout Operation Iraqi Freedom, the headquarters commanded up to 15,000 engineers at one time, conducting missions including bridging, humanitarian assistance, topographic missions, dive missions, firefighting, base construction, river patrols, mine detection, missile removal and many more.[7] Brigade units redeployed to Hanau in late 2003 and early 2004.[4] Most of the brigade's soldiers returned to Hanau on 5 February 2004 after numerous logistical delays.[27] Most of the 130th Engineer Brigade's subordinate units would receive Meritorious Unit Commendation for their roles in the invasion of Iraq, though the Brigade's headquarters did not.[28]

Second tour in Iraq

The 502nd Engineer Company became the first V Corps company-sized unit to return for a second tour in Iraq when it deployed in September 2004.

A Brigade soldier performing simulated first aid during an exercise

The 130th Engineers had a variety of reconstruction tasks during their second tour in Iraq. The top priority of the brigade was to "maintain and upgrade lines of communications" to "insure uninterrupted ground movement through the area of operations."

US Marine Corps engineers operated side by side with 130th Engineer Brigade soldiers, and though commanders reported a "culture clash" between different branches of service, the soldiers, sailors, and Marines were able to adapt to the situation quickly.[34]

The brigade's Headquarters Company managed the engineer battalions but it also undertook its own missions, including humanitarian missions and

Al Asad Air Base.[40] The 565th Engineer Battalion was responsible for maintaining the supply yards housing building materials for the rest of the Brigade's battalions, and to ensure that the materials were dispersed and used as efficiently as possible.[41] The brigade's mechanical and vehicle maintenance duties were provided by civilian contractors. These contractors also handled transportation of construction vehicles and vehicle parts to the theater.[42]

During the year of its deployment in Iraq, the brigade reported progress in numerous areas. Brigade commander

well digging projects throughout western Iraq, maintaining the power grid to 25 coalition bases, repairing and expanding services at FOBs throughout the region, and construction of outposts and checkpoints throughout the country's roadways with the assistance of Iraqi engineers.[43] During the deployment, a total of 15 soldiers from the brigade were killed in action.[44] The 130th Engineer Brigade returned to Hanau from its second tour in Iraq in October 2006.[4]

Reactivation in Hawaii

With Army forces in Europe experiencing draw-downs and re-deployments, it was announced that V Corps would be eliminated, and the 130th Engineer Brigade would be moved elsewhere. The brigade formally left Hanau with a Casing of the Colors ceremony at Pioneer Kaserne on 4 May 2007.[6] Casing the unit's colors was a tradition formally signifying its inactivation and, for all official purposes, the brigade had ceased to be an active Army unit. The brigade headquarters became part of U.S. Army Pacific on 16 June 2007.[4]

Officers of the brigade uncase its unit colors in Hawaii

The brigade had originally been slated to relocate to Fort Lewis, Washington to replace the 555th Engineer Brigade, which was scheduled to be inactivated. But with the announcement of the Grow the Army plan in early 2007, it was decided that no engineer brigades would be inactivated permanently, and the 130th Engineer Brigade would be moved to Hawaii instead.[6] Both the 130th and 555th Engineer Brigades remained on active duty.[4]

The brigade was inactive for a year while it was reconstructed in Hawaii. As a part of the

transformation of the US Army, the brigade was reorganized into a modular force with new and updated equipment and new personnel.[45] The Brigade stood up provisionally on 27 June 2008 as it neared ready status.[45] On 23 October, the brigade's colors were formally uncased at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. This signified the end of the brigade's relocation to Hawaii as well as its completion and readiness to take on new missions.[45]

The brigade took command of the 6th, 65th and 84th Engineer battalions.[46]

Third tour in Iraq

The brigade was alerted for another deployment to Operation Iraqi Freedom in summer 2009.

Improvised Explosive Devices.[47] The brigade began its deployment on 17 July 2009, uncasing its colors in Mosul and taking command of construction projects in the area from the 18th Engineer Brigade.[48]

The 130th Engineer Brigade returned to Schofield Barracks Hawaii from Iraq on 4 June 2010.

Theater Security Cooperation Program Exercises

Upon the 130th Engineer Brigade's return from Iraq in 2010, the 130th Engineer Brigade served as the Theater Engineer Brigade in the PACOM AOR. In this capacity, the brigade provided combat engineering, construction engineering and dive operations support to joint and combined partners at more than 30 Theater Security Cooperation Program (TSCP) exercises and multiple company sized deployments to Operations New Dawn and Enduring Freedom.

The 130th Engineer Brigade served as the Combined Joint Civil Military Operations Task Force (CJMOTF) for Balikatan 2011 in the Philippines. For over two months, the brigade headquarters along with platoons from the 84th Engineer Battalion built schools and all-purpose facilities. Meanwhile, the brigade's subordinate joint partners conducted veterinarian and medical events to help improve the lives of the Filipino people. This event sharpened the brigade's skills at responding to humanitarian aid and disaster response (HADR) events throughout the region. Upon completion of BK11, the brigade shifted its training focus from stability operations to major combat operations. Specifically, the brigade initiated a 9-month train-up plan for its MCTP graded war-fighter with the 2nd Infantry Division in Korea. Through a series of individual and collective training events the brigade honed, sharpened and in some cases re-learned the skills necessary to achieve victory in a high-intensity conflict. Through UFG12, 2ID's War-Path II Exercise, and finally the Full Spectrum Exercise in November 2011, the 130th Engineer Brigade earned some of the highest marks and accolades ever given to a brigade by the MCTP during a certification war-fighter exercise. Through these series of exercises, the 130th Engineer Brigade helped USFK, 8th Army, and 2ID refine and improve their most significant OPLANs by updating TPFDDs, task organizations, engineer concepts of operations, and combined arms gap-crossing plans. The 130th Engineer Brigade, along with 8th Army and 2ID remain ready to "Fight Tonight" if called upon.

Operation Enduring Freedom

The 130th Engineer Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC), and one of their subordinate battalions, the 65th Engineer Battalion (Combat Effects), deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in September and October 2013. This marked the brigade headquarters' first deployment to Afghanistan. After a two-week handover period, the 130th Engineer Brigade officially took over on 2 October 2013 from the

555th Engineer Brigade
(from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA), Joint Task Force Triple Nickel, thus becoming Joint Task Force Sapper, overseeing U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force engineer units across Afghanistan. A direct subordinate element of ISAF Joint Command and U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, JTF Sapper constituted the fourth largest command in theater, behind only regional commands. The 130th Engineer Brigade became the core of a provisional multi-role brigade headquarters for engineer operations in Afghanistan with seven subordinate battalions, one Naval Mobile Construction Battalion, and one Engineer Prime Beef Squadron consisting of over 4,200 Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen operating in each Regional Command.

From September to December 2013, Joint Task Force Sapper's mission in theater was "The Theater Engineer Brigade trains, certifies and advises the ANA Engineers on construction, facility management, and assured mobility capabilities while supporting the retrograde of Coalition Forces through expeditionary construction and assured mobility across the CJOA-A."

From January to May 2014, Joint Task Force Sapper's mission in theater was "Joint Task Force Sapper partners with ANA engineers to enable their independent operations and support the redeployment and retrograde of Coalition Forces through expeditionary construction and deconstruction across the CJOA-A in order to set the conditions for the resolute support mission."

The 130th Engineer Brigade turned over responsibility as Operation Enduring Freedom's Theater Engineer Brigade to the 2nd Engineer Brigade (from Joint Base Elmedorf-Richardson, AK), Joint Task Force Trailblazer, on 29 May 2014. The 130th Engineer Brigade returned to Schofield Barracks, Hawaii from Afghanistan on 4 June 2014.

Honors

Unit Decorations

Ribbon Award Year Notes
Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon Meritorious Unit Commendation 2003–2004 For Service in
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon Meritorious Unit Commendation 2005–2006 For Service in
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon Meritorious Unit Commendation 2009–2010 For Service in
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon Meritorious Unit Commendation 2013-2014 For Service in Operation Enduring Freedom
Superior Unit Award 1995–1996 For Service in
Operation Joint Endeavour
Superior Unit Award 1996–1997 For Service in
Operation Joint Endeavour

Campaign streamers

Conflict Streamer Year(s)
World War II Normandy 1944
World War II Northern France 1944
World War II Rhineland 1944–1945
World War II
Ardennes-Alsace
1944–1945
World War II Central Europe 1945
World War II Asiatic-Pacific Theater 1945
Iraq War
Operation Iraqi Freedom I
2003–2004
Iraq War Operation Iraqi Freedom III 2005–2006
Iraq War Operation Iraqi Freedom 2009-2010
GWOT Operation Enduring Freedom 2013–2014

Notes

  1. ^ on 11 September 2006. Retrieved 11 December 2008.
  2. ^ "8th Theater Sustainment Command Homepage". 8th Theater Sustainment Command. Archived from the original on 1 January 2009. Retrieved 11 December 2008.
  3. ^ "United States Army Pacific: Homepage". United States Army Pacific Staff. Archived from the original on 10 December 2008. Retrieved 11 December 2008.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v "130th Engineer Brigade Homepage: Unit History". 130th Engineer Brigade Staff. 2011. Archived from the original on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Lineage and Honors Information: 130th Engineer Brigade". United States Army Center of Military History. 13 January 2003. Archived from the original on 20 June 2008. Retrieved 11 December 2008.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Huseman, Susan (9 May 2007). "V Corps Engineer Brigade Cases Colors for Move to US Army Pacific" (PDF). U.S. Army Garrison Hessen Public Affairs Office Office. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2009. Retrieved 11 December 2008.
  7. ^
    GlobalSecurity. Archived from the original
    on 11 December 2008. Retrieved 11 December 2008.
  8. ^ a b c "Engineers deploy to Moldova for cornerstone exercise". Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense. 29 June 2000. Archived from the original on 9 May 2009. Retrieved 11 December 2008.
  9. ^ Picard, Vincent (23 September 2002). "V Corps engineers build structures, skills, memories during Poland exercise". 207th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment. Archived from the original on 10 December 2008. Retrieved 11 December 2008.
  10. ^ Degen et al., p. 532.
  11. ^ Degen et al., p. 474.
  12. ^ Degen et al., p. 101.
  13. ^ Degen et al., p. 87.
  14. ^ Degen et al., p. 78.
  15. ^ a b c Degen et al., p. 104.
  16. ^ Degen et al., p. 105.
  17. ^ Degen et al., p. 106.
  18. ^ a b Degen et al., p. 107.
  19. ^ Degen et al., p. 192.
  20. ^ Degen et al., p. 206.
  21. ^ Degen et al., p. 270.
  22. ^ a b Reese and Wright, p. 367.
  23. ^ Reese and Wright, p. 368.
  24. ^ Reese and Wright, p. 369.
  25. ^ a b c Reese and Wright, p. 372.
  26. ^ Reese and Wright, p. 607.
  27. ^ Loppnow, Jayme (5 February 2004). "Soldiers of V Corps' 130th Engineer Brigade get excited welcome home after nearly a year in Iraq". 130th Engineer Brigade Public Affairs Office. Archived from the original on 1 May 2005. Retrieved 11 December 2008.
  28. ^ "General Orders: Individual and Unit Awards" (PDF). General Order No. 3. Headquarters, Department of the Army. 6 November 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 November 2007. Retrieved 11 December 2008.
  29. Engineer. 36: 5. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on 10 August 2007. Retrieved 8 January 2009.
  30. ^
    Engineer. 36: 4. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on 10 August 2007. Retrieved 8 January 2009.
  31. Engineer. 36: 29. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on 10 August 2007. Retrieved 8 January 2009.
  32. ^
    Engineer. 36: 6. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on 10 August 2007. Retrieved 8 January 2009.
  33. (PDF) from the original on 10 August 2007. Retrieved 8 January 2009.
  34. Engineer. 36: 13. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on 10 August 2007. Retrieved 12 January 2009.
  35. (PDF) from the original on 10 August 2007. Retrieved 14 January 2009.
  36. Engineer. 36: 44. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on 10 August 2007. Retrieved 14 January 2009.
  37. ^
    Engineer. 36: 17–18. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on 10 August 2007. Retrieved 13 January 2009.
  38. Engineer. 36: 19–20. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on 27 March 2009. Retrieved 13 January 2009.
  39. Engineer. 36: 33. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on 10 August 2007. Retrieved 13 January 2009.
  40. Engineer. 36: 35. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on 10 August 2007. Retrieved 13 January 2009.
  41. Engineer. 36: 36. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on 10 August 2007. Retrieved 13 January 2009.
  42. (PDF) from the original on 10 August 2007. Retrieved 14 January 2009.
  43. ^
    Engineer. 36: 7. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on 10 August 2007. Retrieved 8 January 2009.
  44. Engineer. 36: 8. July–September 2006. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on 10 August 2007. Retrieved 8 January 2009.
  45. ^ a b c d e Hernandez, Kyndal (24 October 2008). "Engineers uncase colors in Hawaii". 8th Theater Sustainment Command Public Affairs. Archived from the original on 8 December 2010. Retrieved 11 December 2008.
  46. ^ "Task Force Marne – 130th Engineer Brigade Home". Stewart.army.mil. Archived from the original on 6 May 2010. Retrieved 22 December 2010.
  47. ^ Griffin, Kyndal (8 October 2008). "65th Engineer Battalion Soldiers Hone Warrior Skills". 8th Theater Sustainment Command Public Affairs. Retrieved 11 December 2008.[dead link]
  48. ^ "130th Engineer Brigade Assumes Responsibility". United States Army. Archived from the original on 9 August 2009. Retrieved 28 August 2009.

References

External links