216th Engineer Combat Battalion (Heavy)

The 216th Engineer Combat Battalion (Heavy) is an Ohio Army National Guard organization whose mission is to provide general engineering with limited mobility, countermobility, and survivability tasks. To construct, repair, and maintain main supply routes, landing strips, buildings, structures and utilities. To perform rear area security operations when required. As an organization of Citizen Soldiers we provide these services to both the people of Ohio and to our Nation.

Almost 12,000 soldiers trained in Central America by August 1999 as part of "Nuevos Horizontes." The majority of participants in "New Horizons" (as the exercise is called in English) are National Guard and Army Reserve troops deployed for two- or three-week rotations. They are providing humanitarian assistance and completing engineering projects in Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua -- four nations hit hard last fall by Hurricanes Georges and Mitch. In Nicaragua, the 216th Engineer Battalion (Ohio Army National Guard) and the 223d Engineer Battalion (Mississippi Army National Guard) were on the ground conducting engineer and medical exercises. Projects include three schools and three clinics. The 216th Engineer Battalion oversaw Joint Task Force Esteli until its completion. Ohio provided about half the joint task force's full-time staff, the equipment and the first two rotations of engineers. Mississippi and Pennsylvania provided large contingents later in the summer.