The 86th Signal Battalion ("Tigers") of the United States Army is an element of 11th Signal Brigade. It is based at Fort Bliss, Texas. The unit mascot is the Tiger.
Mission The 86th Expeditionary Signal Battalion enables mission command for supported units, without Signal assets. The Battalion engineers, installs, operates, maintains, and defends network communications in support of Combatant Commanders and Joint Force Land Component Commanders. The battalion currently provides support to the Brigade Modernization Command and 1st Armored Division during the Network Integration Evaluation (NIE) held bi-annually in the Spring and Fall at Fort Bliss, TX and White Sands Missile Range, NM.
History
The 86th Signal Battalion was first constituted on 23 March 1966 in the Regular Army as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 86th Signal Battalion. The battalion was officially activated on 1 June 1966 at Fort Bragg, NC. The battalion deployed to Vietnam from 1967 through 1971. On 30 April 1971 the battalion was officially deactivated in Vietnam.
The battalion was re-activated on 1 July 1977 at Fort Huachuca, AZ as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 86th Signal Battalion.
In April 2011 the battalion returned from a deployment from Afghanistan. Shortly after the deployment the battalion completed a BRAC move to Fort Bliss, TX.
Subordinate units The 86th Signal Battalion is an Expeditionary Signal Battalion or "ESB". It comprises the following units: Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) A Company (Expeditionary Signal Company) B Company (Expeditionary Signal Company) C Company (Area Signal Company)
Capabilities In the Spring of 2014 the battalion was fielded with Warfighter Information Network - Tactical Increment 1b (WIN-T Inc 1b). The battalion was the first ESB to be fielded with WIN-T Inc 1b. WIN-T Inc 1b, introduced the Network Centric Waveform into the tactical network which optimizes bandwidth and removed the military's reliance on costly civilian satellite services. It also introduced the colorless network. The colorless network enables the encryption of unclassified data when transmitted it over satellite and line of sight.
Honors Unit decorations Ribbon Award Year NotesMeritorious Unit Commendation (Army)1966-1987for service in VietnamMeritorious Unit Commendation (Army)1990–1991for service in Desert StormMeritorious Unit Commendation (Army)2002–2004for service in AfghanistanMeritorious Unit Commendation (Army)2006–2007for service in IraqMeritorious Unit Commendation (Army)2010–2011for service in Afghanistan
Campaign streamers Conflict Campaign Year(s) Vietnam War Counteroffensive II 1966–1967 Vietnam War Counteroffensive III 1967–1968 Vietnam War Tet Counteroffensive 1968 Vietnam War Counteroffensive IV 1968 Vietnam War Counteroffensive V 1968 Vietnam War Counteroffensive VI 1968–1969 Vietnam War Tet 69 Counteroffensive 1969 Vietnam War Summer - Fall 1969 1969 Vietnam War Winter - Spring 1970 1970 Vietnam War Sanctuary Counteroffensive 1970 Vietnam War Counteroffensive VII 1971 Operation Enduring Freedom Consolidation I 2002–2004 Operation Iraqi Freedom National Resolution 2006–2007 Operation Enduring Freedom Consolidation III 2010–2011
References
External links