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13th Signal Battalion

As part of the Army's transformation towards a modular force, the 13th Signal Battalion was inactivated at Fort Hood on July 15, 2005. The majority of the 13th Signal Battalion's personnel continued to serve with the 1st Cavalry Division's Special Troops Battalions.

The 13th Signal Battalion is tasked with providing MSE and EPLRS network support to ATCCS including AFATDS, ASAS, FAADC3I, and CSSCS, in addition to providing TACLAN services. The battalion also provides routine support to the Division Headquarters, the Major Subordinate Commands and the Separate Battalions of the "First Team" on many of their internal training events. In addition, it annually supports one joint exercise.

When directed, 13th Signal Battalion deploys to a designated contingency area of operations, conducts reception, staging, onward movement and integration. On order establishes C4 and Information Systems Network in support of 1st Cavalry Division combat operations and redeploys.

Specified Tasks are:

• Install, Operate, and Maintain (IOM) the communications network for the 1st Cavalry Division.
• Be prepared to deploy in support of world wide contingency missions.
• Provide viable, effective family support to soldiers, civilians, and their families.

The 13th Signal Battalion was organized as the 7th Field Signal Battalion on 14 July 1917 at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. When the 1st Cavalry Division was activated in September 1921, the battalion was reorganized as the 13th Signal Troop, a charter member of the First Team.

The 13th Signal Company entered combat with the division in February 1942. Lorengau and Mamote, in the Admiralty Islands, were among the first campaigns in which it participated. Then came the "Flying Column" movement through Luzon, Leyte, and Samar, and other actions leading to the Japanese surrender and the occupation of Japan. In July 1950, the 13th Signal Company entered the Korean War by making an unopposed amphibious landing with the division at Pohang and proceeded immediately to the front, where it served with distinction as the eyes and ears of the division. The unit received seven battle credits for actions during the conflict, as well as the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation and Meritorious Unit Commendation.

The 13th Signal Company moved to Japan with the division in December 1951. The company returned to Korea as a battalion with the 1st Cavalry Division from 1957 to 1965. While eye-to-eye with communist North Korea, the Signal Battalion provided vital command and control communications as the division occupied positions along the demilitarized zone.

In July 1965, the battalion left Korea for South Vietnam. With the move to South East Asia, the division and the battalion were reorganized under the Air Cavalry concept. The Signal Battalion provided essential communications during such campaigns as the Tet Counteroffensive. The 13th Signal Battalion further distinguished itself by receiving the Meritorious Unit Commendation in 1968, 1969, and 1970.

On 20 February 1975, when the First Team was reorganized as an Armored Division, the 13th Signal Battalion relinquished its air mobile support capability and assumed its present role as the Signal Battalion of the First Team in its armor configuration. This new capability was exercised on maneuvers in West Germany during Return of Forces to Germany (REFORGER) 1979. On REFORGER 1983, 13th Signal Battalion reinforced its mission of providing fast reliable communications for 1st Cavalry Armor Heavy Division. In 1986, the 13th Signal Battalion participated in the highly successful Bold Eagle and Bold Shield exercises during which the battalion set the standard for communications in support of joint readiness exercises.

Again in 1987, 13th Signal Battalion deployed to Germany to provide exceptional communications for the First Team in support of REFORGER 1987. In October of that year, 13th Signal Battalion was chosen to test a new non-developmental procurement concept in tactical communications by field testing (normally accomplished by the contractor) the new Army Communications System, Mobile Subscriber Equipment (MSE) during its fielding by the United States Army. In both testing and fielding, 13th Signal Battalion continued its tradition of excellence and ensured the acceptance by the Department of Defense of this state-of-the-art communications system. For its actions during the fielding and acceptance of MSE, 13th Signal Battalion was awarded two Superior Unit Awards.

In August 1990, the 13th Signal Battalion was once again called upon to provide communications for the First Team on a foreign shore. In September 1990, the unit deployed to Saudi Arabia for Operation Desert Shield and later provided critical communications for the division during Operation Desert Storm. The 13th Signal Battalion was the first unit in the U.S. Army to deploy MSE into combat. Installing, operating, and maintaining communications equipment to support a vast communications network spanning over 280 kilometers, the 13th Signal Battalion again met the challenge of providing superior communications support for the First Team.

In June 1992, 13th Signal Battalion soldiers continued to gain more technical knowledge of MSE through an OY 4 Retrofit. This provided the division with packet switching capability for the first time. One short month later, 13th Signal Battalion was chosen to represent Army Corps and Division communications during the MEFEX Joint Exercise in 29 Palms, California. The battalion established a packet switch network which interfaced with the Air Force, Navy and Marines packet switching networks.

There were several force structure changes to the battalion from 1993 to 1995. In July 1993, the 13th Signal Battalion completed fielding a long-haul Multichannel Tactical Satellite platoon. The platoon provides the Division Commander a capability to "reach back" from deployed locations to CONUS while also providing a capability to integrate MSE nodes deployed throughout a theater area of operations. In October 1993, Bravo Company, 127th Signal Battalion was re-stationed from Fort Ord, California and redesignated as Charlie Company, 13th Signal Battalion. In 1994 the 13th Signal Battalion successfully executed the Initial Operational Test and Evaluation of the Enhanced Position Location Reporting System (EPLRS). The first EPLRS Platoon in the Army was activated in 1995 joining Delta Company, 13th Signal Battalion. In 1996 the 1st Cavalry Division completed fielding of the initial 670 EPLRS to units throughout the division, providing commanders and soldiers with situational awareness, position location, and a capability to exchange data messages.

The 13th Signal Battalion continues to be on the cutting edge of new technology as the most modernized signal battalion. The battalion provided TACLAN service to over 200 subscribers in the 1st Cavalry Division during the March 1997 Warfighter. The 13th Signal Battalion received three MSE software upgrades in 1996 and 1997, enabling the battalion's MSE systems to be fully interoperable with Joint Forces, while simultaneously enhancing speed of service to voice and packet switch subscribers. The Battalion completed the EPLRS VHSIC upgrade in May 1997. Additionally, the 13th Signal Battalion fielded 137 M1097 heavy HMMWVs in 1996 and over 150 tactical quiet generator systems in 1996 and 1997. From October to December 1996 the 13th Signal Battalion was deployed in support of the 1st Cavalry Division's participation in the Army Tactical Command and Control System (ATCCS) test.

In 1998,the battalion provided outstanding communications during Warfighter Ramp-up. Just one month later, it was announced that the 1st Cavalry Division would succeed the 1st Armored Division as the Stabilization Force in Bosnia for a one year period beginning in September 1998. Immediately, the staff of the 13th Signal Battalion began its mission analysis and began to train for this peacekeeping mission. A Battalion Task Force of 260 personnel began Individual Readiness Training in June 1998. The next month the Task Force deployed to the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) at Fort Polk, Louisiana to undergo rigorous training and provide communications for the Division Headquarters and 1st BCT. In August 1998 the Advanced Party deployed to Bosnia, followed by the main body the following month.