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554th Engineer Battalion
"Straight Ahead"

The 554th Engineer Battalino conducts Commissioned and Warrant Officer training, Advanced Individual Training (AIT) and multilevel international Engineer training at Fort Leonard Wood, and Fort Belvoir, VA, to produce motivated, disciplined and fit warriors who are values based and combat ready to lead, fight and win future battles.

The 554th Engineer Battalion was originally activated in September 1942 as the 354th Engineer General Service Regiment (Colored), the unit trained at Camp Maxey, TX. The regiment arrived in England in July 1943 and began construction of camps and depots to house the invasion forces.

Landing on Utah Beach, in July 1944, the Regiment immediately began construction of railroad marshaling and classification yards near Cherbourg. When these yards were finished in December, the Regiment had expended over 2 million man-hours, constructed 34 miles of track and created yards with a capacity of 4,020 rail cars.

In addition to railway repair, the Regiment expanded depots, operated rock quarries and sawmills, constructed rest areas and POW camps, and repaired roads and bridges.

Near Saarbrucken, Germany, in March 1945, the Regiment reconstructed 30 miles of railroad track and 22 bridges. Moving across the Rhine River the Regiment was working on almost 200 miles of track and 33 bridges when it was re-deployed to the United States in July 1945. The Regiment was inactivated at Fort Belvoir, VA, on 6 November 1945. The Regiment was awarded campaign streamers for Northern France, Rhineland, and Central Europe.

Re-designated as the 554th Engineer Battalion (Construction) the unit was reactivated at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri on 15 November 1954. The Battalion supported Army Reserve and National Guard Units throughout the 5th Army Area. At Fort Leonard Wood, the Battalion constructed housing, roads, airfields, rifle and grenade ranges, Piney Hills Golf Course, and relocated Iowa Avenue. The Battalion was inactivated on 26 March 1963.

On 12 February 1966, the Battalion was reactivated on Fort Knox, KY, and deployed to the Republic of Vietnam arriving on 13 April 1967. Serving under the 20th Engineer Brigade, the Battalion completed a phenomenal number of projects including base camp construction, the improvement of lines of communication, development of airfields and flight line facilities and operational support and pacification measures. The Battalion participated in thirteen campaigns and was awarded two Meritorious Unit Citations, two Vietnamese Crosses of Gallantry with Palm, and two Vietnamese Civil Action Honor Medals, 1st Class. The Battalion was inactivated on 1 March 1972.

On 7 November 1986, the Battalion was transferred to the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command and reactivated at Fort Belvoir, VA. The Battalion was the last unit to displace from Fort Belvoir and follow the Engineer School to Fort Leonard Wood.

The Battalion is involved in all Engineer Officer training (Warrant Officers, Platoon Leaders and Company Commanders), and Advanced Individual Training (AIT) for three topographic MOSs: Lithographers (81L), Topographic Analysts (81T), and Geodetic Surveyors (82D). All Engineer Officers are associated with this unit whether for actual training or command support.