30th Engineer Battalion (Topographic) (Airborne)
"Desert Knights"
As of 2006, the 30th Engineer Battalion had begun the process of transforming several of its subordinate companies and was to continue to transform through 2010 to a Construction Effects Battalion. By March 2009, however, the Battalion appeared to have been inactivated, along with the 175th Engineer Company (Topographic) (Airborne). The 100th Engineer Company (Topographic) (Airborne) was reassigned directly to the 20th Engineer Battalion.
The 30th Engineer Battalion (Topographic) (Airborne) conducted geospatial engineering missions in support of XVIII Corps, Third Army, and other Major and Unified Commands as directed from home station or upon deployment to any theater of the world. It would, on order, assume oversight of all geospatial assets in the Theater of Operations and directs their integrated employment. The Battalion's mission essential task list included: Conducting deployment operations, conducting force protection operations, conducting sustainment operations, conducting survey operations, conducting terrain analysis operations, conducting map production operations, commanding and controlling geospatial operations, and maintaining a theater database.
The 30th Engineer Battalion was activated in 1939 as an engineering base topographic battalion. During World War II, the Battalion deployed to North Africa, where it earned the Meritorious Unit Citation for combat action in Algeria. After a brief stay in the continental United States, the unit deployed to Hawaii in 1944, where it provided the Tenth US Army with topographic support and earned its second unit citation. After "V-J Day," the Battalion moved to the Presidio of San Francisco, where it was reorganized as the 30th Engineer Group (Topographic Survey). The unit mapped and surveyed Alaska and the Pacific Islands with aircraft and boat detachments.
After 16 years at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, the 30th Engineer Battalion moved to Fort Bragg, North Carolina in 1989, and became an integral part of the 20th Engineer Brigade (Combat) (Airborne). The 30th Engineer Battalion added to its ranks 3 diverse companies: the 362nd Engineer Company (Combat Support Equipment), the 264th Engineer Company (Medium Girder Bridge), and the 175th Engineer Company (Topographic). All of the Battalion's companies and detachments deployed and served as part of XVIII Airborne Corps, VII Corps or Third Army in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. The Battalion provided geodetic survey, firefighting, well-drilling, topography, bridging, and construction support from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to the Euphrates River.
From August 1993 to January 1994, the 362nd Engineer Company provided sustaining engineering. The Battalion deployed to Haiti in support of Uphold Democracy to provide terrain analysis, topography, bridging, and construction support in and around Port-au-Prince. In September 1995, the Battalion inactivated the 264th Engineer Company. In September 1997 the Battalion inactivated the 22nd and 865th Engineer Detachments (Well Drilling) and the 362nd Engineer Company. The 38th Engineer Detachment (Well Drilling) was reassigned to the 27th Engineer Battalion (Combat) (Airborne) in January 1998.
The 30th Engineer Battalion (Topographic) (Airborne) had a very productive year during 1999 supporting real world missions, as well as Warfighter exercises. The Battalion kicked off the year with the 175th Engineer Company (Topographic) (Airborne) supporting the 3rd Infantry Division Warfighter Exercises. For this exercise, the terrain platoon produced numerous terrain analysis products for the XVIII Corps' Staff.
In preparation for the 82nd Airborne Warfighter exercise, both the 100th and the 175th Engineer Companies provided the required standard topographic products of Tunisia. As the year progressed, the 100th Engineer Company was involved in Exercise Lucky Sentinel, the ramp-up for Exercise Bright Star '99. In support of both these exercises, the terrain platoon's first mission was to provide Modified Combined Obstacle Overlays (MCOO) and Drop Zone Imagery Maps, to include drop zone reference points.
In addition to these large-scale exercises in 1999, the terrain platoons provided support to numerous JRTC and NTC rotations. Their support proved to be invaluable to the commanders, planning cells and most importantly to the Warfighter. Now, a terrain team was requested as part of the divisions basic support requirements. The terrain platoon in the 100th Engineer Company (Topogaphic) (Airborne) continued to remain mission focused when they began the Euphrates Crossing Study. In order to assist the customers, the terrain platoon deployed a terrain team to Fort Polk, Louisiana to conduct Terrabase II training in support of the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment.
Along with the numerous missions that the terrain platoons had during 1999, the Defense Mapping School also evaluated them and conducted a survey of the Battalion's 81T MOS training, to assess the success and progress of the 81T certification. The results were reported at the Combined Annual Topographic Terrain Multi-spectral Imagery Conference (CATTMIC) in order to revise the program.
While the terrain teams were busy producing their products, the Map Production Platoons were making strides in their arena. The Isle of Aragon and the JRTC Special maps were the first products that were produced using the new color process printing methods. Due to the increase of digital data being passed down to the production platoon, the implementation of computer systems that could handle the manipulation, colors separation, and alteration of digital data became a necessity. The 30th Engineer Battalion (Topographic) (Airborne) developed this process, restructured a Topographic Support System Van to house the systems, and introduced it throughout the topographic community. This advancement significantly reduced the map reproduction time and removed the necessity for cartographic handwork on large-scale projects.
The Production Platoons also worked the reprint of Indiantown Gap, the Udari Range in Kuwait, and National Training Center North/South. In order to refine their skills on the new color process, the Production Platoons had their own Ramp Exercise. This consisted of 24-hour operations implementing the new color process from beginning to end of a project.
Occasionally, the terrain and production platoons had a chance to combine their skills and develop a product. The conflict in Kosovo in 1999 opened a new avenue of production for the Battalion. Both the 100th and 175th Engineer Companies brought their 4 platoons together and developed several imagery products for the soldiers in Kosovo. The challenge of taking a clear image produced on a high-resolution screen and mass-producing it on the Heidelberg Press was met with determination. These platoons were able to successfully create an image on paper with overlays of key terrain features and route reconnaissance map overprints for both Kosovo and Albania.
The 30th Engineer Battalion also provided topographic survey support to their customers. Before any mission began, both the survey platoons in the Battalion participated in the TerraModel Mobile Team Training that the Battalion had funded. This ensured that the platoons had a base knowledge of the new CAD software that would be used to draw the finalized products. During 1999, the Survey Platoons received an additional requirement of performing Airfield NavAid Safety Surveys for all Air Force airfields in the Atlantic region. The 100th Engineer Company received the Battalion's first Air Force mission, none other than the "Home of Air Force One," Andrews Air Force Base. The Survey Platoon was able to meet the requirements despite their minimal allotted time on the airfields due to the NATO Conference, the DoD Air Show, and the extensive arrivals and departures of the President and Vice President of the United States. Immediately after the Andrews AFB project, the Survey Platoon departed to Pope AFB to perform their next mission.
In order to continue the Army airfield safety requirements, the Platoon deployed to Aberdeen, Maryland and then Fort Rucker, Alabama. Meanwhile, the 175th Engineer Company picked up Airfield NavAid Safety missions in Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, and Minnesota. Unique to the company was the Airborne Survey Squad. These surveyors conducted 3 heavy drops prior to their survey missions, one into Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, one into Fort Eustis, Virginia, and the other into Fort Stewart, Georgia in support of the 20th Engineer Brigade Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise. Once they and their equipment hit the ground, they immediately began their mission on the airfields. All in all, both survey platoons had a very successful training year.
The 30th Engineer Battalion had a few deployments in support of real world mission. This included the 89th Firefighter Detachment deploying to Kosovo for 6 months in support of Task Force Falcon at Camp Bond Steel and 2 terrain analysis soldiers deploying to Bosnia for 8 months. The end results were nothing but accolades for the battalion.
With the 30th Engineer Battalion's mission came high visibility not only among the United States Armed Forces, but also internationally. Throughout 1999, the Battalion was host to a general officer from Chile and officers from Britain, Australia and Czechoslovakia. The Battalion also hosted visits from the Corps of Engineers and Sergeant Major and the Commandant of the Military Intelligence School from Fort Huachuca, Arizona. All of our visitors received a Battalion product, capability briefing, and a tour of the Battalion's sections.
The 30th Engineer Battalion's mission did not end with the tasking that from the XVIII Corps, Third Army and US Army Forces Command (FORSCOM). As with any unit in the Army they had to train. During the year there were several training events that involved more that just topography. The year kicked off with the popular "Post Support," which involved several Military Burial Team, Casualty Assistance Officers, and Range Details. As the year went on, the unit had 3 battalion-level FTXs, which focused on force protection and how their role was not just digging a foxhole of building a bunker. As usual, the exercises were accompanied by sever weather conditions. The soldiers endured torrential rains, hurricanes and even mosquito infested living conditions. The end result was realistic training for these topographic soldiers.
In September 2000, the 89th Engineer Detachment (Firefighting) was inactivated. By that time, the 30th Engineer Battalion consisted of 3 companies: a Headquarters and Headquarters Company, the 100th Engineer Company (Topographic) (Airborne), and the 175th Engineer Company (Topographic) (Airborne). The 100th Engineer Company was, like the Battalion, a theater asset, while the 175th Engineer Company existed to support XVIII Corps. The 30th Engineer Battalion (Topographic) (Airborne) provided full spectrum topographic support to XVIII Corps and the Third US Army. The 30th Engineer Battalion was a theater army unit, supporting a field army level headquarters in combat. The unit provided extremely accurate field surveying, detailed terrain analysis, and high-volume map production to the maneuver commander and soldiers. Most of what the unit did depends heavily on computer systems and digitized information.
The 30th Engineer Battalion deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 04-06. There it provided geospatial support to Multi-National Corps-Iraq. After returing, the 175th Engineer Company was inactivated. It also began transformation to a modular construction effects battalion. As part of the transformation, the Battalion had taken administrative or operational control over 4 companies and 8 detachments at both Fort Bragg, North Carolina and Fort Eustis, Virignia by 2007. These included the 100th Engineer Company (Topographic) (Airborne), 500th Engineer Company (Horizontal), 596th Engineer Company (Horizontal), 902nd Engineer Company (Vertical), 74th Engineer Detachment (Light Dive Team), 86th Engineer Detachment (Light Dive Team), 275th Engineer Detachment, 511th Engineer Detachment (Light Dive Team), 513th Engineer Detachment (Firefighting), 534th Engineer Detachment (Survey and Design), 544th Engineer Detachment (Light Dive Team), and the 569th Engineer Detachment (Heavy Dive Team). The 30th Engineer Battalion also gained the role of the rear detachment for the 20th Engineer Brigade's Headquarters during the Headquarters' deployments.
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