15th Engineer Battalion (United States)
| 15th Engineer Battalion | |
|---|---|
Coat of Arms
|
|
| Active | 1916–1919, 1940–1946, 1948–1962, 1966–1969, 1972–1991, 2008– |
| Country |
 United States
|
| Branch | US Army Corps of Engineers |
| Type | [Echelon above Brigade |
| Role | Construction Effects |
| Size | Battalion |
| Part of | 18th Military Police Brigade |
| Garrison/HQ | Grafenwoehr |
| Motto(s) | Drive On! |
| Commanders | |
| Commander | LTC Jeffrey D. Hall |
| Command Sergeant Major | CSM Jon P. Meyer |
| Insignia | |
| Distinctive Unit Insignia |  |
The 15th Engineer Battalion is a Echelon above Brigade (EAB) battalion of the United States Army. It is currently a subordinate unit of 18th Military Police Brigade and is headquartered in Grafenwoehr, Germany. Soldiers of the 15th Engineer Battalion provide various supportive duties to other Army units, including construction, engineering, and mechanical work on other Army projects.
The 15th is composed of four companies. The Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC, Wolfpack) contains the command and staff sections, providing planning and coordination for unit missions. The Forward Support Company (FSC, Renegades) provides logistical and maintenance support to the battalion. The 500th Engineer Support Company (ESC, Titans) and the 902nd Engineer Construction Company (ECC, Gladiators) perform horizontal and limited vertical construction.
The 15th Construction Engineer Battalion has a proud and distinguished lineage. From its auspicious beginnings in the trenches and mud of World War I battlefields of France to the steaming hot jungles of Vietnam, the 15th Engineers maintained their "Drive On!" spirit.
Constituted on 3 June 1916 as the Fifth Reserve Engineers (Regiment) at Oakmont, Pennsylvania. On 8 August 1917, the Regiment was redesignated as the 15th Engineers (Regiment)(Railway). CPT later General Brehon B. Somervell assisted in organizing and recruiting the Regiment. During World War I, the Regiment received battle streamers for the St. Mihiel Battle of Saint-Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne campaigns Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Deployed to France in July 1917, the 15th planned and constructed railroads, and helped build barracks, hospitals, and supply depots during the war. It was the first Engineer Regiment sent to abroad for World War I. The Regiment was demobilized at Sherman, Ohio on 15 May 1919.
The 15th Engineers were reconstituted and placed on the inactive rolls on 25 August 1921, followed by assignment to the 9th Infantry Division on 24 March 1923. The unit was redesignated as the 15th Engineer Battalion in July 1940 and activated at Fort Bragg on 1 August. During World War II, the 15th Engineer Combat Battalion first saw action in North Africa in 1943, fighting with the 9th Infantry Division during the Algerian-French Morocco and Tunisian Campaigns. Next, the battalion participated in the invasion of Sicily, hitting the beach at Palermo in August 1943. With Sicily secured, the 9th Infantry Division sailed to England and prepared for the Normandy invasion. Landing at Utah Beach on 10 June 1944, the Battalion drove on to Cherbourg and later took part in the St. Lo breakthrough. Fighting its way across France earned the Battalion a battle streamer for its role in the Northern France Campaign. In September, the Battalion earned the Presidential Unit Citation for its actions on the Siegfried Line. In December 1944, the Battalion helped defeat Hitler's forces in the Battle of the Bulge to earn another battle streamer. In March 1945, B company earned the Presidential Unit Citation for its part in seizing the Ludendorf Bridge, crossing the Rhine, and extending the Remagen Bridgehead. After the Rhineland Campaign, the Division advanced eastward, fighting through the remnants of Hitler's army to earn a battle streamer for the Central European Campaign. The war's end brought about the 15th's inactivation in November 1946.
...
Wikipedia