130th Engineer Brigade

As part of the modular transformation of the US Army, combat support and combat service support assets were variously restructured. As a result of the this transformation, a general realignment of US forces in the pacific region as part of a draw down of forces forward deployed in Japan and Korea, and a similar draw down in Europe, the 130th Engineer Brigade when it was inactivated in 2007 and reactivated in 2008 assigned to the 8th Theater Sustainment Command, US Army Pacific (USARPAC).

Previously, as the V Corps engineer brigade in Germany, the Brigade's mission had been to provide mobility, counter-mobility, survivability, construction, topographic, and other engineering in support of V Corps throughout US European Command (EUCOM) and Central Command (CENTCOM) areas of responsibility (AORs).

The 130th Engineer Brigade was constituted on 5 May 1943 in the Army of the United States as the 1303rd Engineer General Service Regiment. It was activated on 15 July 1943 at Camp Ellis, Illinois.

The Regiment played an important role during World War II, with campaign credits for: Normandy, North France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe and the Asian-Pacific Theatre. At the end of the conflict the Regiment was deployed to Japan for occupation duty, where it was inactivated on 31 January 1946.

While inactive, Headquarters, Headquarters and Service Company, 1303rd Engineer General Service Regiment was redesignated on 8 July 1955 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 130th Engineer Aviation Brigade. The remainder of regiment thereafter had separate lineages. The unit was formally activated on 25 September 1955 in Japan. It was inactivated there on 25 June 1956.

On 16 June 1969, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 130th Engineer Aviation Brigade was redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 130th Engineer Brigade, and was activated in Hanau, Germany. The Brigade at that time consisted of the 54th, 317th, 547th, 549th, and the 559th Engineer Battalions. With exception of the inactivation of the 549th Engineer Battalion in 1986, this was the organization of the Brigade until December 1990.

In January 1991, the 54th and 317th Engineer Battalions deployed to southwest Asia to participate in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. In February 1991, during Operation Desert Storm, the 1457th Engineer Battalion, Utah Army National Guard, deployed to Germany and was assigned to the 130th Engineer Brigade to provide combat engineer support to training. Also during Operations Desert Shield and Storm, the 130th Engineer Brigade gained the 78th, 237th, and the 565th Engineer Battalions, formerly of the 7th Engineer Brigade.

As units returned from Operation Desert Storm, the 9th Engineer Battalion joined the Brigade. Between June and July 1992, 3 former units of the 18th Engineer Brigade, 94th Engineer Battalion, 649th Engineer Battalion, and 6970th Civilian Support Center, were assigned to the 130th Engineer Brigade.

Inactivation, redeployments to CONUS and re-stationing within Germany changed the Brigade's composition after March 1991. The 54th Engineer Battalion was inactivated on 15 January 1994. Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 565th Engineer Battalion was inactivated on 15 December 1993. The 93rd Engineer Company and 516th Engineer Company were inactivated on 15 November 1993. B Company, 94th Engineer Battalion was inactivated on 15 December 1993 and C Company was reflagged as B Company on 16 December 1993. The 649th Engineer Battalion was inactivated on 15 May 1994. The 54th and 565th Engineer Battalions were subsequently reactivated. The 94th Engineer Battalion was also subsequently returned to full strength.

In October 1995, the Brigade deployed to Grafenwoehr, Germany for training in preparation for deployment to Bosnia-Herzegovina. From December 1995 to January 1996, all units in the Brigade, except the 320th Engineer Company (Topographic), deployed to Croatia or Bosnia-Herzegovina in support of Operation Joint Endeavor.

As of 2005, the Brigade in Germany consisted of the 54th Engineer Battalion (Combat) (Mechanized) in Bamberg, the 94th Engineer Battalion (Combat) (Heavy) headquartered in Vilseck, the 565th Engineer Battalion in Hanau, the 38th Engineer Company, the 320th Engineer Company (Topography), the 502nd Engineer Company (Multi-Role Bridge), and Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 130th Engineer Brigade in Hanau.

The 130th Engineer Brigade deployed in support of the Global War on Terrorism in 2003 and ultimately supported Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Brigade was located at Logistical Support Area Anaconda for the majority of the deployment. Throughout Operation Iraqi Freedom, the headquarters supported up to 15,000 engineers at one time conducting missions ranging from bridging, humanitarian assistance, topographic missions, dive missions, firefighting, base construction, river patrols, mine detection, missile removal and many more. The unit returned in February 2004.

In September 2005, the 130th Engineer Brigade Headquarters and the 320th Engineer Company were called upon to support the efforts in Iraq and deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom 05-07. The 54th Engineer Battalion then joined the Brigade in Iraq in November 2005. The Brigade Headquarters provided command and control to over 3,500 Soldiers and Airmen across Iraq. From September to November of 2006, the 130th Engineer Brigade Headquarters with the 320th Engineer Company and the 54th Engineer Battalion, redeployed back to Germany.

The Brigade then transformed under the DOD and USAREUR Rebasing and Restructuring strategy. The 94th Engineer Battalion executed a return to CONUS and was reassigned to the 4th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. The 54th Engineer Battalion and the 502nd Engineer Company were reassigned to the 18th Engineer Brigade, US Army Europe (USAREUR). The 320th Engineer Company was inactivated on 16 June 2007.

In 2007, the 130th Engineer Brigade Headquarters was realigned under the United States Army Pacific (USARPAC) and relocated to Hawaii, thus ending almost 38 years of service in Germany. The 130th Engineer Brigade (Provisional) was activated in June 2008, and on 23 October 2008 the 130th Engineer Brigade formally uncased its colors at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. The Brigade was task organized with the 65th, 84th and 6th Engineer Battalions with the mission of preparing and certifying 2 battalions for deployment by the fall of 2008. 6th Engineer Battalion was subsequently assigned to the 3rd Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, US Army Alaska.

Between 2008 and 2009, the 130th Engineer Brigade built its personnel strength to 100 percent, completed Unit Set Fielding, and executed a rigorous Road-to-War training plan culminating in its Mission Rehearsal Exercise at Fort Hood, Texas, validating the brigade for another deployment to Operation Iraqi Freedom. The unit subsequently deployed to Iraq in 2009, attached to Task Force Marne, led by the 3rd Infantry Division. It finished its rotation in Iraq on 29 May 2010.