The 1st Engineer Battalion is a combat engineer unit of the United States Army that provides sustained engineer support across the full spectrum of military operations. The 1st Engineer Battalion is the oldest and most decorated engineer battalion in the US Army, tracing its lineage to the original Company of Sappers and Miners organized at West Point, New York in 1846.

The battalion nickname is "Diehard".

Current units Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) 41st Combat Engineer Company 232nd Combat Engineer Company 595th Combat Engineer Company FSC Company (Forward Support Company)

Attached units None

Transformation With the Army Structure (ARSTRUC) announcement, 1st Engineer Battalion re-aligned into the brigade engineer battalion formation while retaining its heraldry and name, aligned under the 1st Armor Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division. To accomplish this, 72nd MAC inactivated in September 2014 and 41st Clearance Company became an echelons above brigade asset in October 2014. In addition, the battalion reflagged 111th Sapper Company to their historic roots as A/1st EN and welcomed three new companies (formerly of the 1st Brigade Special Troops Battalion): A/1-1 BSTB (MICO) became D/1st EN B/1-1 BSTB (Signal) became C/1st EN C/1-1 BSTB (Combat Engineer Mechanized) became B/1st EN

Unit history

Origins and the Mexican–American War The battalion's history can be traced back to 15 May 1846 when a company of miners, sappers, and pontoniers was formed at West Point, New York. Alpha Company, 1st Engineer Battalion is that company's direct descendant. The battalion has received 67 decorations and campaign streamers and eight foreign awards. Company A served during the Mexican–American War of 1846, participating in the Veracruz campaign and charging up the heights of Chapultepec in Mexico City.

During the war, three future Civil War generals, among them George McClellan and P.G.T. Beauregard served as lieutenants in Alpha Company, and the company worked closely with then-Captain Robert E. Lee, an engineer aide to General Winfield Scott.

The American Civil War With initiation of hostilities, the company was expanded into the "Battalion of Engineer Troops". On 31 December 1861, the battalion was officially designated as "The United States Engineer Battalion", and was assigned to the Engineer Brigade of the Union Army of the Potomac through the remainder of the war.1st Battalion Engineers at CivilWarArchive.com The battalion earned ten campaign streamers. The battalion fought at Antietam, bridged the Rappahannock River six times at Fredericksburg, breached fortifications at Petersburg and was present at the surrender of General Lee at Appomattox. The first Company C was attritted during the Civil War. In 1865, Company E was redesignated Company C, replacing it.

Following the cessation of hostilities, on 1 July 1866, The United States Engineer Battalion was redesignated the "1st Battalion of Engineers".

The battalion's first sergeant major, Frederick W. Gerber, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his 25 years of service to the battalion, which included the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War.

The Spanish–American War During the Spanish–American War, Company C and Company E of the battalion were sent to Cuba where they fought in the campaign to take the city of Santiago. The remainder of the battalion was sent to the Philippines where they provided engineer support during the battles for Manila and Cavite. Alpha Company remained in the Philippines and conducted pacification operations during the Philippine Insurrection.

World War I

On 1 July 1916, the 1st Battalion of Engineers was redesignated the "1st Engineer Battalion". With the American entry into World War I, the battalion was expanded on 15 May 1917 to become the 1st Engineer Regiment, composed of six companies, and assigned to the 1st Infantry Division. As part of this expansion, Company C and Company D were reorganized to form the 6th Engineer Battalion the same day. A new Company C (the third company to bear the name), was formed to replace the company reorganized as part of the 6th Engineers.Program, Change of Command Ceremony, Company C, 1st Engineer Combat Battalion (Mechanized), Captain Stephen C. Larsen to Captain Michael Van Putte, May, 1994

The regiment fought as part of the "Big Red One" and participated in the Lorraine and Meuse-Argonne campaigns and was awarded the French Fourragère and two awards of the Croix de Guerre for valorous service. Sergeant Wilbur E. Colyer of Company A received the Medal of Honor for advancing under fire and destroying a series of enemy machine gun positions near Verdun, France, in 1918.

Between the wars

The regiment arrived at the port of New York 3 September 1919 on the USS Orizaba, and was transferred 4 October 1919 to Camp Zachary Taylor, Kentucky. It was transferred again on 16 September 1920 in a permanent change of station to Camp Dix, New Jersey. Transferred in September 1922 to Fort DuPont, Delaware. Company D constructed a 368-foot pontoon bridge across the Winooski River at Burlington Vermont, in November 1927 to replace a bridge washed out during the heavy floods that fall. The company remained on duty to maintain the bridge until October 1928. Company A (commanded by First Lieutenant Leslie R. Groves) was attached to the 29th Engineer Battalion (Topographic) 15 October 1929-25 July 1931 and conducted surveys in Nicaragua for possible canal routes across Central America. In April 1933, the regiment assumed command and control of the Delaware Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) District. In 1931 and 1933 the unit was responsible for floating six sets of officer quarters from Fort Mott in Pennsville, New Jersey, just across the Delaware River. The regiment undertook a construction and renovation project from February to November 1934 at Camp Dix to improve roads, build artillery shelters, and construct vehicle maintenance buildings. Other projects included four identical sets of brick duplexes and a 398-seat movie theatre, all of which still stand today. From 1934 to 1936, the unit was commanded by Colonel Ulysses S. Grant III, a grandson of the former general and president. The regiment assisted in the summer training of Organized Reserve engineer units of the First, Second, and Third Corps Areas at Fort DuPont 1922-39. On 9 October 1939, the 2nd Battalion was redesignated as the 27th Engineer Battalion (Combat) and relieved from the 1st Division, while the 1st Battalion was redesignated on 12 October 1939 as the 1st Engineer Battalion (Combat); the regiment, less the 1st and 2nd Battalions, was disbanded on 16 October 1939.

World War II Prior to the start of World War II, the 1st Engineer Regiment was reorganized as the "1st Engineer Combat Battalion" and again assigned to fight as part of the 1st Infantry Division. In October 1939, the 1st Engineer Regiment was reorganized, separating into two battalions. Companies A, B and C formed the 1st Engineer Battalion and Companies D, E and F formed the 27th Engineer Battalion.

In 1942, the battalion was redesignated the "1st Engineer Combat Battalion" and landed with the initial forces in the North Africa invasion. In 1943, the battalion cleared underwater obstacles and destroyed enemy pillboxes during the landings on Sicily. During the Normandy landings at Omaha Beach in 1944, the battalion led the assault forces, breaching gaps in the extensive enemy mine and wire obstacles and clearing the combat trails leading off the beaches.

The battalion received the Presidential Unit Citation for actions at Gafsa, at Tunisia, Omaha Beach, and the Croix de guerre 1939-1945 with palm for its actions in the Kasserine and Normandy as part of the 1st Infantry Division. The battalion was awarded the Fourragère cited at the orders of the Médaille militaire for four citations at the orders of the armed forces. The battalion fought as part of the 1st Infantry Division during the remainder of the war in the European Theater and after 10 years of occupation duty moved to Fort Riley, Kansas.

In 1953, the 1st Engineer Combat Battalion was redesignated the "1st Engineer Battalion (Combat)", continuing to support the 1st Infantry Division.

Vietnam War On 2 May 1965 the battalion, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Howard L. Sargent, Jr., deployed to South Vietnam as part of the 1st Infantry Division. For five years the battalion cleared obstacles, built roads, airfields, basecamps and bridges in support of numerous combat operations including Junction City I and II and the Tet Offensive of 1968. The battalion's DieHard Tunnel Rat section cleared the extensive Vietcong tunnel systems with little more than small arms and demolitions. The battalion received four Meritorious Unit Commendations for actions during the Vietnam War.

Some time following its return to Ft. Riley, the battalion was reorganized as a mechanized engineer battalion, composed of one headquarters company ("HHC"), four line companies (A-D) and an assault float ribbon bridge company (E Company).

During the next 20 years at Fort Riley, the battalion took part in numerous training exercises, National Training Center (NTC) rotations in the Mojave Desert, and REFORGER deployments to and from West Germany. During this period, Company D, 1st Engineers, was detached and stationed in northern Germany as part of a forward-deployed combat brigade of the 1st Infantry Division known as 1st Infantry Division (Forward), or "1st IDF".

Desert Shield and Desert Storm Following the invasion of Kuwait by the military forces of Iraq, the battalion deployed with the 1st Infantry Division to Southwest Asia in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in December 1990, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Steven R. Hawkins (later Brigadier General). The battalion supported the destruction of the Republican Guard Division "Hammurabi".

Equipped with M113 Armored Personnel Carriers, Mine Clearing Line Charges and M728 Combat Engineer Vehicles, the battalion breached and cleared lanes through Iraqi obstacle belts that allowed the passage of two divisions including the British "1st Armoured Division".VUA Citation Elements of the battalion destroyed 58 Iraqi tanks, 41 anti-aircraft artillery pieces, and other large quantities of ammunition and war material. The battalion was one of the first operators of the new M9 Armored Combat Earthmover, a critical obstacle breaching asset.

The battalion returned to Fort Riley in 1991, receiving the Valorous Unit Citation for actions in Southwest Asia.Program, Change of Command Ceremony, 1st Engineer Combat Battalion (Mechanized), LTC Steven R. Hawkins to LTC Joseph Schroedel, May 1992.

Post-Desert Storm reorganization In 1992, engineer battalions across the Army were significantly reorganized. Known as the Engineer Restructure Initiative ("ERI"), under this new organization, the 1st Engineer Battalion, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel (later Brigadier General) Joseph Schroedel, was separated into three distinct organizations.

The first organization, composed of Company A, Company B, and a portion of the 1st Engineers' headquarters remained as the 1st Engineer Battalion.