27th Engineer Battalion (Combat) (Airborne)
"Tiger Battalion"

The mission of the 27th Engineer Battalion (Combat) (Airborne) is to conduct mobility, counter-mobility, survivability, and sustainment operations to support the combined units of the XVIII Corps as they accomplish their missions world wide.

The 27th Engineer Battalion (Combat) (Airborne) was organized on 16 January 1918 in the National Army at Fort Myer, Virginia, as the 2nd Battalion, 37th Engineer Regiment. The unit entered World War I on the 10 July 1918, which its participation in the Saint Mihiel and Meuse Argonne campaigns. After the termination of hostilities, the unit was demobilized in March 1919 at Camp Upton, New York.

The unit was reconstituted on 1 October 1933 in the Regular Army as the 2nd Battalion, 37th Engineers and activated on 14 July 1941 at Camp Bowie, Texas. The Battalion was redesignated on 1 August 1942 as the 2d Battalion, 37th Engineer Combat Regiment. The 37th Engineer Combat Regiment was broken up in March of 1943. Its elements were then reorganized and redesignated. The 2nd Battalion, 37th Engineer Combat Regiment was reorganized and redesignated on 15 March 1943 as the 209th Engineer Combat Battalion.

The 209th Engineer Combat Battalion disembarked at Bombay, India on 23 October 1943, and immediately set to work on the Ledo Road. Subsequently, the Battalion participated in the India-Burma Campaign. While a part of Merrill's Marauders, it participated in the surprise attack to seize a critical Myitkyina airfield. The 209th Engineer Combat Battalion was inactivated after the end World War II on 27 November 1945 at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey.

The Battalion was redesignated on 29 April 1947 as the 27th Engineer Combat Battalion and activated on 18 September 1950 at Fort Lewis, Washington. It was inactivated there on 26 October 1950. The Battalion was reactivated on 1 March 1951 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky and redesignated on 8 June 1953 as the 27th Engineer Battalion.

By 1960 earned the nickname "Tiger Battalion" through its rugged field maneuvers and training. On 30 September 1966, the Battalion entered the Vietnam War, serving honorably and effectively in 13 campaigns. On 31 January 1972, the Battalion returned to the United States and relocated to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where it became a non-divisional combat airborne engineer battalion.

On 23 August 1990, the 27th Engineer Battalion (Combat) (Airborne) was again called upon, this time to Saudi Arabia, to support Operation Desert Shield. On 24 February 1991, the Battalion, attached to the French 6th Light Armored Division, became the lead engineer battalion for XVIII Corps in its push up the western allied flank during Operation Desert Storm. On 27 March 1991, the 27th Engineer Battalion returned to its home at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

The Battalion deployed again in August 1992 to Dade County, Florida, to provide relief in the wake of Hurricane Andrew. The Battalion remained in Florida as part of Task Force All-American until 26 September 1992.

The Battalion deployed in response to Operation Uphold Democracy in Port Au Prince, Haiti. The Battalion deployed with the 20th Engineer Brigade, XVIII Corps from 22 September through 5 November 1994. The Battalion worked with the 10th Mountain Division (Light) and established Base Camp Dragon and Castle.

The Tiger Battalion deployed in support of Operation Joint Guardian from 7 October 2001 to 21 May 2002 in Kosovo. Again supporting the 10th Mountain Division, the Battalion completed a variety of traditional engineer missions, including culvert construction, steel girder bridge construction, and obstacle emplacement for border closures.

By 2007, as part of the modular transformation, the Battalion was reorganized inactivated its A, B, and C Companies and activated a Forward Support Company. It also gained control of the 57th Engineer Company (Sapper), 137th Engineer Company (Sapper), 161st Engineer Company (Support), and the 618th Engineer Company (Support) (Airborne).

By 2009, the units subordinate to the Battalion were the 57th Engineer Company (Sapper), 161st Engineer Company (Support), 264th Engineer Company (Route Clearance), 618th Engineer Company (Support) (Airborne), and 539th Engineer Detachment (Explosive Hazards Team).