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18th
Engineer Brigade
U.S. Army, Europe
Looking for more information from military/civilian
personnel assigned to or associated with the U.S. Army
in Germany from 1945 to 1989. If you have any
stories or thoughts on the subject, please contact me .
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Brigade
History |
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18th Engineer Bde DUI |
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(Source: Official website of the 18th Engr Bde in Eruope) |
On 21 October 1977, the 18th Engineer Brigade was reactivated at Karlsruhe, Germany. For the next 15 years, the Brigade served as the principal construction brigade for the United States Army, Europe and 7th Army. During this period, the Brigade performed numerous construction, rehabilitation and renovation missions in military communities and training areas throughout USAREUR. Most noteworthy were the massive range upgrade of the Grafenwohr Major Training Area in the early 80's and the construction of the Range 23 complex at the Wildflecken Major Training Area in 1989 and 1990. Additionally, the Brigade was responsible for providing topographic support to the European Theater.
In 1990 and 1991, during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, the 18th Engineer Brigade provided rail and sea deployment support to the VII Corps and, in addition, deployed a Combat Heavy Battalion and Topographic Company to support VII Corps operations in Southwest Asia. In April 1991, the Brigade Headquarters, along with a subordinate Combat Heavy Battalion, deployed to Zakho, Iraq in support of Operation Provide Comfort. While there, the Brigade coordinated all engineer efforts of a Joint and Combined engineer force providing construction and relief support to the Kurdish refugees. The 18th Engineer Brigade was awarded the Joint Meritorious Unit Award for its action during Operation Provide Comfort. As part of the reduction of forces in Europe, the Brigade was inactivated on 15 October 1992.
Prior to inactivation of the 18th Engineer Brigade, in June and July 1992, three former units of the 18th, the 94th Engineer Battalion, 649th Engineer Battalion, and 6970th Civilian Support Center, were assigned to the 130th Engineer Brigade.
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(Source: HQ USAREUR News Release, 21 Jan 2003) |
The 18th Engineer Brigade (Theater Army) was reactivated 21 January 2003 at Heidelberg, Germany in a ceremony attended by more than 150 people. USAREUR Chief of Staff Major General Anthony R. Jones unfurled the colors of the brigade, cased in 1992 at another ceremony just 50 kilometers away in Karlsruhe, Germany. Jones presented the colors to the new commander, Colonel William H. McCoy, Jr., who also serves as USAREUR's Deputy Chief of Staff, Engineer. McCoy then passed them to Engineer Regimental Command Sergeant Major William D. McDaniel, Jr., for inclusion in the color guard.
McCoy told the attendees the brigade will be at full strength by the end of the year and praised the efforts of the USAREUR staff and others who made the reactivation possible. McCoy challenged his soldiers to be "ready to deploy, tactically and technically proficient." He told USAREUR Commanding General B. B. Bell, "Sir, we are ready." Specialist Abraham Santana was picked by his first sergeant to be the first soldier to receive and carry the colors. "It's really an honor to carry this flag because of the Army tradition behind it." |
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If you have more
information on the history or organization of the 18th Engr Bde,
please contact me . |
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Newspaper Articles |
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(Source: SWORD AND CASTLE, June 1968) |
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4. Page 1 (334 KB) |
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5. Pages 4 & 5 (408 KB)
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Related Links:
18th
Engineer Brigade (TA) - Official website of the 18th Engr Bde, Germany
79th Engineer Combat Battalion (Heavy) - Joe Nisil's page on the 79th Engr Bn and Gerszewski Barracks, Knielingen (Karlsruhe), 1979-81 |
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