54th Engineer Battalion (United States)

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54th Engineer Battalion, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team
Vicenza, Italy
)
Nickname(s)Dagger Battalion
Motto(s)Essayons et Faisons
(Fr: Let us try and let us do)
Daggers In
(Unofficial)
Mascot(s)Dagger
Engagements
LTC Travis N. Toole [1]
Command Sergeant MajorCSM Frank E. Batts [1]
Insignia
Distinctive unit insignia (DUI)
Battalion beret flash
Former DUI of the 173rd Special Troops Battalion

The 54th Brigade Engineer Battalion is a

Vicenza, Italy
.

In its current form, it is the direct continuation of the former Special Troops Battalion, of the 173d Airborne Brigade Combat Team, but it carries the name and continues the lineage of the 54th Engineer Battalion, a previously mechanized Engineer Battalion.

The 54th Engineer Battalion was founded as the 42nd Engineer Battalion, constituted 7 December 1917. It was reorganized into the 20th Engineer Regiment and demobilized in 1918. Upon reactivation in October 1933, it has been somewhat continuously active until today, despite sporadic reorganization and short periods of inactivity. [2]

The Special Troops Battalion was the organization for the command elements of the

Headquarters and Headquarters Company, as well as combat engineer, military intelligence, and signal elements. Activated in 2000 from inactivating support units, the Special Troops Battalion deployed with the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team to Afghanistan
in 2007 until 2008 and again in early 2010.

Organization

The Special Troops Battalion was subordinate to the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team and was a permanent formation of the brigade, as the 173rd's command elements are all contained in the STB.

Signal company. These companies provided support for the other battalions of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, and, as such, all of its companies were (and are) Airborne qualified.[5]
Currently, the 54th Engineer Battalion is organized into six companies. A "Castle" and B "Bastion" Companies are two Engineer Sapper units. C "Raven" Company is the Signals unit. D "Danger" Company is the Military Intelligence company. The final two companies are E "Spartan" Company and HHC "Havoc", the Forward Support and Headquarters and Headquarters Company, respectively.

History

The 54th Brigade Engineer Battalion is an active duty airborne Engineer Battalion assigned to the 173rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) that carries the lineage of two separate battalions: the 54th Engineer Battalion (Combat), and the 173rd Special Troops Battalion.

54th Engineer Battalion

The 54th Engineer Battalion was constituted in December 1917 as the 42nd Engineer Battalion. Reorganized as the

Western Task Force, responsible for assault landings on beachheads from Africa to France, clearing docks and minefields and running rations houses.[6] In 1944, the 2nd Battalion, 20th Engineers became the 1340th Engineer Combat Battalion. During the D-Day invasion of Normandy, the 1340th Engineers constructed Bailey bridges, breached obstacles under fire, and experienced high casualties being committed as infantry.[7][8]

As U.S. Forces marched across Germany, the 1340th Engineers paved the way, building bridges, installing obstacles, and repairing roads. Following Germany’s surrender in May 1945, the unit inactivated, and reactivated in Germany as the 54th Engineer Battalion (Combat). During the Berlin Crisis in 1961, the unit deployed to Germany once again, supporting the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment and 14th Armored Cavalry Regiments (ACRs) in the Fulda Gap, defending the west from potential Soviet advance.[7][8]

In 1986, the unit became the first

Operation Desert Storm. As the ground war commenced, the 54th provided mobility support, reducing bunkers and marking the route into Iraq. As the war raged on, the 54th conducted countless extensive denial missions in Kuwait and Iraq, and constructed redeployment areas in Saudi Arabia.[7]

Later that year, the 54th redeployed to Germany in support of the 11th ACR as a mobile U.S. Army European force. The 54th was inactivated in 1994 and reactivated in 1997 as part of the 130th Engineer Brigade. In 2002, select units from the Battalion reorganized as infantry in support of operations in Kosovo, returning later that year.[7][8]

In February 2003, the 54th deployed with the 3rd Infantry Division to support the Liberation of Iraq. The unit controlled the initial breach into Iraq and installed assault bridges for the invasion. After shifting to stability operations, the 54th found and destroyed weapons caches and conducted engineer reconnaissance. In 2005, 2008, 2009, and 2011, the 54th continuously deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, responsible for assured mobility and training partner forces. Maneuver commanders insisted on having “Dagger” at the front, as they cleared over 200,000 km of roads, detected thousands of IEDs, and constructed miles of barriers. The 54th returned to Germany and was inactivated in 2014.[7][8]

173rd Special Troops Battalion (BSTB)

The 173rd Special Troops Battalion (BSTB) was formed as part of a reorganization of the 173d Airborne Brigade into a modular brigade. The battalion was designed to be the self-contained command component of the brigade, allowing it to function independently of any higher command. The battalion was activated on 8 June 2006. Most of its components were drawn from the 82nd Engineer Battalion, which inactivated on 30 March 2006.[9] On 21 April 2006, a coat of arms and a distinctive unit insignia were approved for the battalion.[10]

The 173rd Airborne Brigade previously had organic enabler units throughout its existence. Companies such as the 173rd Engineer Company were involved in the Vietnam War’s Battle of Dak To and the clearance of North Vietnamese Tunnels, providing engineer support throughout the Brigade's history. These missions were absorbed into the new BSTB to provide a subordinate command structure for these enabler units.[11]

173rd Soldiers conduct air assault training in Germany (2007)

On 11 October 2006, the 173d Airborne Brigade was redesignated as the 173d Airborne Brigade Combat Team (ABCT),

Ft. Bragg, North Carolina to serve under the 82d Airborne Division.[12] Immediately after its transformation, the brigade began intensive training in both Germany and Italy to prepare itself for future deployments.[14]

In 2006, the brigade was notified for a second tour of duty in Iraq during 2007–2008, but its deployment plan was changed to Afghanistan in February 2007 when the

Nuristan, Kunar, and Laghman Provinces.[15] The 173d ABCT officially relieved the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division on 6 June 2007.[15]
The battalion deployed in 2007 conducted security operations in Nangarhar, Afghanistan and built two COPs (Lone Star and Ghosta) to secure the Afghan-Pakistan border.

The 173d participated in various operations with the objective of ensuring security and subduing

Dara-I-Pech district was caught in an ambush by 100–200 insurgents, the Battle of Wanat.[18] Though the platoon was able to drive the insurgents back with air support, the fight resulted in 9 soldiers killed and 16 wounded; the deadliest attack on troops in the country since 2005.[19] The brigade repositioned the base three days later.[17][20] The 173rd's tour ended in July 2008, and the entire brigade returned to Italy by the end of that month.[18]

The battalion deployed to Afghanistan again in October 2009. TF Raptor partnered with a Jordanian Task Force (TF 222) to conduct population-centric counter-insurgency operations in Northern Logar Province. TF Raptor established a secure environment for Afghans to conduct a free, transparent and fair general election.[8]

The brigade began its fourth deployment to Afghanistan in early 2010.

FOB Shank for a nine month deployment. TF Raptor provided base defense, communication/ intelligence support, and route clearance operations for units throughout the 173rd Brigade’s area of operation.[8]

On 17 June 2015 the Special Troops Battalion, 173d ABCT was officially reflagged as the 54th Engineer Battalion,[3] a unit with a lineage separate from that of the STB, 173d ABCT.[22] It has since added a second combat engineer company to the ranks.

Honors

Unit decorations

The 54th Brigade Engineer Battalion's decorations are as follows:[2]

Ribbon Award Year Notes
Presidential Unit Citation (Army) 2003 For service in Iraq
Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) 2008-2009 For service in Iraq
Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) 2010-2011 For service in Afghanistan
Navy Unit Commendation 2006-2007 For service in Anbar Province, Iraq

Additionally, Company B is entitled to:[2]

Ribbon Award Year Notes
Valorious Unit Award 1991 For service in Iraq and Kuwait

Campaign streamers

1st Combat Engineer Regiment of the 3rd Canadian Division and 54th Engineer Battalion of the 173rd Airborne BCT during Iron Sword 2016 exercise.
Conflict Streamer Year(s)
World War 1 No Inscription
World War 2 Algeria - French Morocco (with Arrowhead)
World War 2 Tunisia
World War 2 Sicily (with Arrowhead)
World War 2 Normandy (with Arrowhead)
World War 2 Northern France
World War 2 Rhineland
World War 2 Ardennes - Alsace
World War 2 Central Europe
Southwest Asia Liberation and Defense of Kuwait
Southwest Asia Cease-Fire
War on Terrorism Iraqi Surge
War on Terrorism Iraqi Sovereignty
Operation Iraqi Freedom Iraq 2003
Operation Iraqi Freedom Iraq 2008-2009
Operation Iraqi Freedom Anbar Province 2006-2007
Operation Enduring Freedom Afghanistan 2010-2011
Operation Enduring Freedom Afghanistan (as STB) 2007–2008

[2]

References

  1. ^ a b "173rd Airborne Brigade: Sky Soldiers". U.S. Army. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d "54th Engineer Battalion | Lineage and Honors | U.S. Army Center of Military History (CMH)". history.army.mil. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  3. ^ a b "54th Engineer Battalion | Lineage and Honors | U.S. Army Center of Military History (CMH)". History.army.mil. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
  4. ^ a b c "173d Airborne Brigade "Sky Soldiers"". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 18 January 2008.
  5. ^ "Special Troops Battalion, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team Homepage: Organization". 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team Staff. Archived from the original on 27 June 2009. Retrieved 15 July 2009.
  6. ^ "WWI: The 20th Engineers Regiment ("Fighting Foresters") | Videos | Products | SRS". www.srs.fs.usda.gov. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  7. ^ a b c d e "54th Engineer Battalion". www.globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  8. ^ a b c d e f 54th Brigade Engineer Battalion. (2021). 54th Brigade Engineer Battalion (Airborne) Change of Command Program [Pamphlet]. Vicenza, IT.
  9. ^ "GlobalSecurity.org: 173rd Special Troops Battalion". GlobalSecurity. Retrieved 15 July 2009.
  10. The Institute of Heraldry. Archived from the original
    on 3 June 2008. Retrieved 15 July 2009.
  11. ^ "Fallen Sky Soldiers | The 173rd Airborne Brigade". 173d Airborne Brigade National Memorial Foundation. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  12. ^ a b "173D Airborne Brigade Combat Team". The Institute of Heraldry. Archived from the original on 3 January 2008. Retrieved 18 January 2008.
  13. ^ a b c Ziezulewicz, Geoff. Ceremony makes it official: 173rd Airborne Brigade is a combat team, US Army News Service. Retrieved 22 September 2009.
  14. ^ Millham, Aimee. Infantry Training Reinforces Combat Skills Archived 2 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine, DefendAmerica.mil press service. Retrieved on 2 May 2008.
  15. ^ a b c d Vogt, Melissa (16 February 2007). "173rd Airborne heading to Afghanistan". Army Times. Archived from the original on 8 December 2012. Retrieved 24 April 2008.
  16. ^ "Moving forward with the 173rd Airborne". Press-Republican. 29 October 2007. Archived from the original on 2 February 2009. Retrieved 22 February 2008.
  17. ^ a b St. Clair, Mark. Commander: Media reports on Afghanistan outpost battle were exaggerated Archived 16 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine, Mark St. Clair, Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 20 July 2008
  18. ^ a b Martinez, Luis. "ABC News: Even 500 Lbs Bombs Couldn't Stop Taliban". ABC News. Retrieved 20 September 2009.
  19. ^ Starr, Barbara (16 July 2008). "'Heroic' fighting repels Afghan militants.com". CNN. Retrieved 20 September 2009.
  20. ^ "U.S. troops quit remote Afghan base after attack". NBC News. Associated Press. Retrieved 16 July 2008.
  21. ^ Packnett, Lee. "Army Prepares for Next Rotations in OEF". US Army Public Affairs. Archived from the original on 20 July 2009. Retrieved 16 July 2009.
  22. ^ "U.S. Army Europe and Africa's home page". Archived from the original on 23 May 2015.

External links

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