"Swords Up! Stay Sharp!"
(Updated 11-24-10)
The 18th Engineer Brigade (Theater) is part of the 21st
Theater Sustainment Command. The unit's headquarters stationed at Tompkins
Barracks in Schwetzingen, Germany. The brigade mission statement reads: "The
18th Engineer Brigade plans, integrates, and provides command and control of
full spectrum engineer missions in support of expeditionary, joint or combined
operations for the Regional Combatant Commander." In other words, soldiers of
the 18th Engineer Brigade provide various forms of support to other Army units,
including combat engineer support, construction, and mechanical work. The
Brigade's subordinate units include the 15th Engineer Battalion, the 54th
Engineer Battalion, the 60th Engineer Detachment (Geospatial), the 243rd
Construction Management Team, and an Emergency Management Assessment Team. The
Brigade has participated in World War II, Vietnam, Operation Desert Storm,
Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The 18th Eng Bde has
been assigned to USAREUR since 2007.
The
18th Engineer Brigade traces its lineage back to the 347th Engineer General
Services Regiment that was constituted in the organized reserves July 29, 1921.
The 347th was ordered to active duty in the build up for WWII on May 6, 1942
and reported to Camp Claiborne, Louisiana. The Regiment deployed to England in
February 1944 and entered combat in France on June 29. The 347th participated
in the Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, and Central Europe campaigns. The
unit won its first Meritorious Unit Commendation in Europe during WWII. After
the war, the 347th Engineers stayed on occupation duty in Germany until it was
deactivated on June 1, 1946.
On June 15, 1947, the 347th Engineer Regiment was
reactivated in the organized reserves and headquartered in Salt Lake, Utah.
They remained there until it was again deactivated on March 16, 1949. On
October 25, 1954, the 347th Engineer General Services Regiment was
re-designated the 18th Engineer Brigade for the first time and activated as a
Regular Army unit at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, where it remained until being
deactivated on March 26, 1963.
The 18th Engineer Brigade was reactivated on July 16, 1965
at Fort Bragg, N.C. and prepared for deployment to Vietnam. From September 1965
until December 1966, the U.S. Army Engineer Command, Vietnam (Provincial) was
created and the 18th Engineer Brigade became responsible for engineer support
in the I and II Corps Tactical Zones. The Brigade Headquarters was located at
Dong Ba Thin. The Brigade's initial activities centered around rapid
development of the port facilities, ammunition dumps, base camps and airfields
necessary to support the build-up of U.S. combat forces that were rapidly
deploying to Vietnam. The 18th Engineer Brigade also provided support for
combat search and destroy missions. On September 20, 1971, the Brigade was
inactivated. The 18th Eng Bde had remained in Vietnam for over the six years
and participated in fourteen campaigns. The Brigade earned four more
Meritorious Unit Citations during Vietnam.
The 18th Engineer Brigade was reactivated at Karlsruhe,
Germany on October 21, 1977. For the next 15 years, the Brigade served as the
principal construction brigade for the United States Army Europe and Seventh
Army. The Brigade performed numerous construction projects in military
communities and training areas throughout USAREUR that included massive range
upgrades at Grafenwoehr, and the construction of the Range 23 complex at the
Wildflecken Major Training Area. The 18th Engineer Brigade was also responsible
for providing topographic support to the European Theater.
In 1990 and 1991, during Operations Desert Shield and
Desert Storm, the 18th Engineer Brigade provided rail and sea deployment
support to the VII Corps and deployed a Combat Heavy Battalion and Topographic
Company to support operations in Southwest Asia. In April 1991, the Brigade
Headquarters, along with the subordinate Combat Heavy Battalion, deployed to
Zakho, Iraq in support of Operation Provide Comfort and was awarded the Joint
Meritorious Unit Award for their performance during this operation. As part of
the reduction of forces in Europe, the Brigade was deactivated once again on
October 15, 1992.
On October 18, 2002 the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army
approved the USAREUR and Seventh Army Concept Plan to activate the Theater Army
Engineer Brigade (TAEB), beginning the process in 2000. The 18th EN BDE (TA)
was activated on January 21, 2003. In February 2003, portions of the Brigade
deployed to Turkey in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The 18th EN BDE (TA) deployed to Afghanistan in support of
Operation Enduring Freedom VI as Task Force Sword in April of 2005. TF Sword
was made up of over 1,800 soldiers, including engineers from Slovakia, Poland,
and Korea, and was responsible for reconstruction of the country's
infrastructure and the assured mobility of Coalition Forces. After
redeployment, the 18th Engineer Brigade transformed into a functional engineer
brigade and began train-up for the next deployment in support of the Global War
on Terrorism.
On April 30, 2008, the 18th Engineer Brigade deployed to
Tikrit, Iraq in support of OIF 08-10. The brigade planned, coordinated and
tracked force protection construction, base expansion and closure, and quality
of life improvements throughout Multi-National Division-North. While on this
deployment, the Brigade's rear detachment relocated to Tompkins Barracks, in
Schwetzingen, Germany in May 2008. In August of 2008, the Brigade relocated to
Kirkuk. Then in January 2009, the Brigade received a change of mission and in
February 2009 moved to Mosul to take on the mission of the Mosul Reconstruction
Operations Center. On July 17, 2009, the 18th Engineer Brigade handed over
responsibility of Mosul to the 130th Engineer Brigade. The 18th Engineer
Brigade subsequently returned to Schwetzingen, Germany after its 15-month
deployment.
The soldiers of the 18th Engineer Brigade continue to
serve the country in an exemplary manner, as they always have in times of peace
and war. The motto "Essayons et Edifions" emblazoned on the unit's crest is
translated as "Let Us Try and Let Us Build." You can count on the 18th Engineer
Brigade to do just that.
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