The 14th Brigade Engineer Battalion is a Combat Engineer Battalion of the United States Army based at

Joint Base Lewis-McChord A joint or articulation (or articular surface) is the connection made between bones, ossicles, or other hard structures in the body which link an animal's skeletal system into a functional whole.Saladin, Ken. Anatomy & Physiology. 7th ed. McGraw ...

, 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" (Korean for "Duty first") and battle cry "Rugged!".

History

Activation through World War II The 14th Brigade Engineer Battalion began as 2nd Battalion of the 36th Engineer Combat Regiment and was activated on 1 June 1941 at Plattsburgh Barracks, New York. The Battalion fought in ten campaigns during World War II, including five amphibious beach assaults: Algeria/French, Morocco, Sicily, Naples, Anzio, and Southern France. The 36th Regiment's shoulder sleeve insignia included a sea horse, reflecting the unit's amphibious operations, and is still on the 14th Engineer distinctive unit insignia. In addition to numerous combat engineer missions, the Battalion frequently fought as Infantry, including 47 continuous days at Anzio Beachhead. On 15 February 1945 in Germany, the Regiment was reorganized as the 36th Engineer Combat Group, and the 2nd Battalion was redesignated the 2827th Engineer Combat Battalion. The Battalion was inactivated 25 February 1946 at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey. The 2827th

Engineer Combat Battalion An Engineer Combat Battalion (ECB) was a designation for a battalion-strength combat engineer unit in the U.S. Army, most prevalent during World War II. They are a component of the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Also known as "Combat ...

was redesignated on 29 April 1947 as the 14th Engineer Combat Battalion, and activated 15 March 1950 in Kisarazu, Honshu, Japan, as part of the U.S. Army's post-war occupation forces. Korean War The 14th Combat Engineer Battalion landed in Korea on 18 July 1950. The Battalion was awarded the

Meritorious Unit Commendation The Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC; pronounced ''muck'') is a mid-level unit award of the United States Armed Forces. The U.S. Army awards units the Army MUC for exceptionally meritorious conduct in performance of outstanding achievement or s ...

(less Company A) for fighting as Infantry with the

25th Infantry Division (United States) The 25th Infantry Division (nicknamed "Tropic Lightning") is a United States Army division based at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. The division, which was activated on 1 October 1941 in Hawaii, conducts military operations primarily in the Asia ...

, and for its role in the breakout of the Pusan Perimeter. Alpha Company earned a Meritorious Unit Commendation for serving as Infantry in support of the

1st Cavalry Division (United States) The 1st Cavalry Division ("First Team") is a Armored brigade combat team, combined arms division (military), division and is one of the most decorated combat divisions of the United States Army. It is based at Fort Hood, Texas. It was formed ...

, and a

Korean Presidential Unit Citation The Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation () is a military unit award of the government of South Korea that may be presented to South Korean military units, and foreign military units for outstanding performance in defense of the Republic o ...

for minefield clearance operations. The Battalion was again inactivated 25 June 1958 in Korea. The 14th CBT EN BN was reactivated 17 June 1962 at

Fort Bragg Fort Bragg is a military installation of the United States Army in North Carolina, and is one of the largest military installations in the world by population, with around 54,000 military personnel. The military reservation is located within C ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia a ...

where it served until it was alerted for service in the Republic of Vietnam. Vietnam War The 14th Combat Engineer Battalion deployed to Vietnam on 19 October 1966, and participated in 12 campaigns from 1966 to 1971. The Battalion earned another Meritorious Unit Commendation for its role in Operations Gatling and Summerall, and was also awarded the Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Unit Citation. Additionally, 2nd Platoon, Alpha Company was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation while supporting 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry during operations in Bình Thuận Province. The Battalion served with various units including the 1st Cavalry Division and the

101st Airborne Division The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) ("Screaming Eagles") is a light infantry division of the United States Army that specializes in air assault operations. It can plan, coordinate, and execute multiple battalion-size air assault operat ...

. Volunteers from the Battalion also hauled ammunition to surrounded U.S. Marines at Khe Sahn. Cold War The 14th Combat Engineer Battalion returned to the United States in August 1971. The Battalion's new home became

Fort Ord Fort Ord is a former United States Army post on Monterey Bay of the Pacific Ocean coast in California, which closed in 1994 due to Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) action. Most of the fort's land now makes up the Fort Ord National Monument, m ...

, California, where the Battalion integrated both the mission and personnel of the 613th Engineer Battalion. On 3 February 1989, the 761st Chemical Company was assigned to the Battalion, and deployed to

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries by area, fifth-largest country in Asia ...

the following year in support of

Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...

, returning in April 1991. As a result of the U.S. Army's drawdown of the nineties and the closure of Fort Ord, the Battalion moved to Fort Lewis (now

), Washington in the summer of 1993. The 761st Chemical Company inactivated as a result of the drawdown. In April 1999, Bravo Company was redesignated as a National Guard Unit still attached to the Battalion, and on 16 July 1999, the 11th Chemical Company (reassigned from the closure of Fort McClellan) was assigned to the Battalion. The 11th Chemical Co. relocated to Fort Lewis in November–December 1998 and in September 2004, was inactivated and removed from the 14th CBT EN BN order of battle. Operation Iraqi Freedom The 14th Combat Engineer Battalion deployed to

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF 1) with the 555th Engineer Brigade and the

4th Infantry Division (United States) The 4th Infantry Division is a Division (military), division of the United States Army based at Fort Carson, Colorado. It is composed of a division headquarters battalion, three brigade combat teams (two Stryker and one armor), a combat avia ...

from April 2003 to April 2004. During this time the Battalion supported numerous missions and was most noted for starting Operation Trailblazer to search for and destroy improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The battalion received the

Valorous Unit Award The Valorous Unit Award (VUA) is the second highest United States Army unit decoration which may be bestowed upon an Army unit after the Presidential Unit Citation (PUC). The VUA is awarded by the United States Army to units of the United State ...

for its efforts. The 14th returned to Iraq a second time with the 555th Combat Support Brigade (Maneuver Enhancement) from November 2005 to October 2006 for OIF 05-07 to continue this mission using new state of the art armored route clearance equipment in support of the 101st Airborne Division and Multi-National Division North. The 122nd Engineer Company (South Carolina Army National Guard) was attached to the Battalion to form Task Force Trailblazer. The 14th completed over 100 construction projects, cleared thousands of kilometers of road, and neutralized an astonishing number of over 700 IEDs. Encountering over 1000 counting detonations. The Battalion received the Meritorious Unit Commendation and was awarded the Combat Action Battalion Streamer for 67% of Soldiers in the Battalion earning the

Combat Action Badge The Combat Action Badge (CAB) is a United States military award given to soldiers of the U.S. Army of any rank and who are not members of an infantry or special forces MOS, for being "present and actively engaging or being engaged by the enemy, ...

. The Rugged Battalion transformed to a modular combat effects battalion in February 2007 and inactivated its Companies A and C. Its lettered companies were replaced with: 570th and 571st Engineer Companies, 22nd Clearance Company, and the 610th Engineer Support Company. A Forward Support Company (FSC) and Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) are assigned to the battalion. The Battalion returned for its third and longest tour in Iraq for OIF 08-09 from 12 April 2008 – 1 July 2009 where it provided route clearance, construction, and

Iraqi Army The Iraqi Ground Forces ( Arabic: القوات البرية العراقية), or the Iraqi Army ( Arabic: الجيش العراقي), is the ground force component of the Iraqi Armed Forces. It was known as the Royal Iraqi Army up until the co ...

partnership throughout the country. It cleared over 140 IEDs, completed 122 troop construction projects, managed $34 million in Commanders Emergency Relief Projects to improve civil capacity, and trained elements of four Iraqi Field Engineer Regiments. The Battalion participated in every Iraqi Campaign except New Dawn. Operation Enduring Freedom The Battalion deployed to Afghanistan in July 2011 for its fourth combat tour in nine years. The battalion and all of its subordinate companies deployed to Regional Command South and Southwest to support U.S. Army,

U.S. Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through com ...

, and

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gur ...

units in

Helmand Helmand (Pashto/Dari: ; ), also known as Hillmand, in ancient times, as Hermand and Hethumand, is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, in the south of the country. It is the largest province by area, covering area. The province contains 13 ...

and

Kandahar Kandahar (; Kandahār, , Qandahār) is a city in Afghanistan, located in the south of the country on the Arghandab River, at an elevation of . It is Afghanistan's second largest city after Kabul, with a population of about 614,118. It is the ca ...

provinces. The Battalion also had operational control of U.S. Army route clearance units supporting Spanish and Italian Army units in Regional Command West. The unit's primary mission was again route clearance. The Battalion removed over 600 IEDs from the battlefield during the tour. Flickr - The U

Lineage and honors

*Constituted 1 October 1933 in the Regular Army as the 2nd Battalion, 36th Engineers *Activated 1 June 1941 at Plattsburg Barracks, New York *Redesignated 1 August 1942 as the 2nd Battalion, 36th Engineer Combat Regiment *Reorganized and redesignated 15 February 1945 as the 2827th Engineer Combat Battalion *Inactivated 25 February 1946 at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey *Redesignated 29 April 1947 as the 14th Engineer Combat Battalion *Activated 15 March 1950 in Japan *Reorganized and redesignated 15 March 1954 as the 14th Engineer Battalion *Inactivated 25 June 1958 in Korea *Activated 17 June 1962 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina *Reorganized into 14th Brigade Engineer Battalion August 2014, Transferring to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.

Organization

The unit is composed of: * Headquarters & Headquarters Company * Alpha Company * Bravo Company * Military Intelligence Company * Signal Company * Anti-tank Company * Chemical Platoon Campaign participation credit World War II *Algeria-French Morocco (w/arrowhead) *Tunisia *Sicily (w/arrowhead) *Naples-Foggia (w/arrowhead) *Anzio (w/arrowhead) *Rome-Arno *Southern France (w/arrowhead) *Rhineland *Ardennes-Alsace *Central Europe Campaign participation credit Korean War *UN Defensive *UN Offensive *CCF Intervention *First UN Counteroffensive *CCF Spring Offensive *UN Summer-Fall Offensive *Second Korean Winter *Korea, Summer-Fall 1952 *Third Korean Winter *Korea, Summer 1953 Campaign participation credit Vietnam War *Counter Offensive *Counter Offensive II *Counter Offensive III *Tet Counter Offensive *Counter Offensive V *Counter Offensive VI *Tet 69 / Counter Offensive *Summer-Fall 1969 *Winter-Spring 1970 *Sanctuary Counteroffensive *Counteroffensive, VII Campaign participation credit Operation Iraqi Freedom *Liberation of Iraq *Transition of Iraq *Iraqi Governance *National Resolution *Iraqi Surge *Iraqi Sovereignty Campaign participation credit Operation Enduring Freedom *Transition I

Unit Awards

(Army) for Operation Enduring Freedom 2011-2012 * Meritorious Unit Commendation, Streamer embroidered (Army) for Operation Iraqi Freedom 2008-2009 *Combat Action Battalion Streamer, Streamer embroidered (Army) for 67% of Soldiers in the Battalion earning the

, Operation Iraqi Freedom 2005-2006 * Meritorious Unit Commendation, Streamer embroidered (Army) for Operation Iraqi Freedom 2005-2006 * Valorous Unit Award, Streamer embroidered (Army) for forming Operation Trailblazer during Operation Iraqi Freedom 2003-2004 * Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Unit Citation, First Class, Streamer embroidered for VIETNAM 1970–1971 * Meritorious Unit Commendation, Streamer embroidered (Army) for VIETNAM 1966–1967 * Presidential Unit Citation (United States) for 2nd Platoon, Alpha Company only for Heroism, VIETNAM 1966 *

for Alpha Company only for clearing minefields, KOREA 1950–1951 *

(Army) for A Company only, KOREA 1950–1951 * Meritorious Unit Commendation, Streamer embroidered (Army) less Company A, KOREA 1950–1951 SGT Kyle Barton, 14th CBT EN BN Veteran

References

{{reflist

External links

Official Website14th Engineer Battalion Association

014 014 may refer to: * Argus As 014 * BIND-014 * 014 Construction Unit * Divi Divi Air Flight 014 * Pirna 014 * Tyrrell 014 See also * 14 (disambiguation) Fourteen or 14 may refer to: * 14 (number), the natural number following 13 and preceding 1 ...