130th Engineer Brigade (United States)

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=130^th Engineer Brigade


caption=U.S. 130th^st Engineer Brigade Shoulder Insignia
countryUSA
allegiance= Federal
type=Brigade
branch=Regular Army
dates=May 5 1943 – January 31 1946
September 25 1955 – June 25 1956
June 16 1969 – May 4, 2007
specialization=Engineer Brigade
command_structure=USARPAC
size=
current_commander=COL mendoza
garrison=
ceremonial_chief=
nickname=
motto=“Combat Ready”
colors=
march=
mascot=Bald Eagle
battles= World War II
Operation Desert Storm
Operation Iraqi Freedom
notable_commanders=
anniversaries=
identification_symbol=
identification_symbol_label=Distinctive Unit InsigniaThe 130th Engineer Brigade is a combat engineer brigade of the United States Army. The Brigade left Germany in 2007 and recently transferred from the command of V Corps to United States Army Pacific. It is scheduled to reactivate and take up a new mission in Hawaii in 2008.cite web|url = http://www.130thengineers.army.mil/|title = 130th Engineer Brigade]

History

The 130th Engineer Brigade was originally constituted in the U.S. Army as the 1303rd Engineer General Service Regiment and activated on July 15, 1943 at Camp Ellis, Illinois. The regiment played an important role in World War II with campaign credits for Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe and the Asian-Pacific theatre. The regiment was deactivated on July 8, 1955 and its elements allocated to the regular Army.

It was re-designated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 130th Engineer Aviation Brigade in Japan and subsequently inactivated on June 25, 1956.

On June 16, 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, Hanau, Germany. The 130th Engineer Brigade was a consolidation of V Corps' 37th and 11th Engineer Groups. According to a spokesman in the V Corps "Guardian", "The purpose of the reorganization is to develop a command and control structure for the corps' engineer complement which will provide greater efficiency of operation and would be more responsive to the corps in any emergency. The realignment provides a peacetime organization which requires minimal time to assure a wartime posture."

From December 1995 to January 1996 all units in the brigade, except the 320th Engineer Company (Topographic), deployed to Croatia or Bosnia and Herzegovina in support of Operation Joint Endeavor. (The 320th Engineer Company deployed their topographic surveying platoon the following year.) In December 1995, the 502nd Engineer Company deployed to Zupanja, Croatia and placed the historic ribbon bridge over the Sava River. The company operated 24-hours a day for three months crossing critical traffic in support of Task Force Eagle and IFOR. The company also assisted in the construction of the first fixed bridge over the Sava River in Brčko-Gunja. 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.

Units of the 130th Engineer Brigade were deployed to Kuwait in early 2003 and moved into Iraq in March where they supported Operation Iraqi Freedom with bridging and infrastructure support. The 565th Engineer Battalion built the “birthday bridge” – the longest float bridge constructed in a combat theatre with a span of 580 meters – over the Tigris River in Tikrit on Saddam Hussein’s birthday, April, 28 2003.

The 502nd Engineer Company also conducted river patrol operations in Baghdad and Tikrit. This new mission for the company was essential for force protection, troop transportation, search and cordon operations and to protect against sabotage on fixed bridges. In September 2003, with the inactivation of the 38th Engineer Company (Medium Girder Bridge), the 502nd Engineer Company became a multi-role bridge company with both float and fixed bridging capabilities and the only bridge company in support of USAREUR.

Brigade units redeployed to Hanau in late 2003 and early 2004. The 502nd Engineer Company became the first V Corp company-size unit to return for a second tour in Iraq when it deployed in September 2004. The company returned to Hanau in September 2005. The brigade deployed to Iraq again in September 2005; and the 54th Engineer Battalion followed in October, returning in October 2006.

The 130th Engineer Brigade said goodbye to Hanau with a casing of the colors ceremony on Pioneer Kaserne on May 4, 2007. [cite web
url = http://www.vcorps.army.mil/news/2007/2007-05-09_130thCasing2.pdf
title = V Corps News ] The brigade headquarters become part of U.S. Army Pacific on June 16, 2007. The brigade had originally been slated to relocate to Fort Lewis to replace the 555th Engineer Brigade, which was scheduled to be inactivated. But with the Army’s recent authorized increased end strength the brigade remains on active duty. The 130th Engineer Brigade is scheduled to stand up in Hawaii in 2008.

ymbolism

*Shoulder Sleeve Insignia: Scarlet and white are the colors used for Engineer organizations. The bar refers to a lever, support, fastener or a measuring device and other facets of engineering operations, the embattlements denoting the military aspects of the Brigade. In numerology, three is the symbol for completeness. [cite web|url = http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Eng/130th%20Engineer%20Brigade.htm|title = The Institute of Heraldry: 130th Engineer Brigade]

*Distinctive Unit Insignia: The embattle tower was suggested by the unit’s shoulder sleeve insignia. The 130th Engineer Brigade’s five battle honors (Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace and Central Europe) are represented by the three merlons of the tower, the spade and bayonet. The masoned tower with the spade also symbolizes the unit’s engineering achievements while the bayonet alludes to the combat readiness of the Brigade. Scarlet and white are the colors used by Engineers.

Organization

Former organization (Germany)
*Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 130th Engineer Brigade
*54th Engineer Battalion (Combat Mechanized)
*94th Engineer Battalion (Combat Heavy)
*565th Engineer Battalion
**38th Engineer Company
**320th Engineer Company (Topography)
**502nd Engineer Company (Multi-Role Bridge) Future organization (Hawaii)
*Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 130th Engineer Brigade
*65th Engineer Battalion
*84th Engineer Battalion

References