History
The history of the 27th Engineer Battalion (COMBAT) (AIRBORNE) began on 16 January 1918 at Fort Meyer, VA, as the second battalion of the 37th Engineer Regiment. The unit entered World War I on the 10 July 1918, which its participation in the St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne campaigns. After the termination of hostilities, the unit was demobilized.
Twenty years later, World War II erupted, and on 14 July 1941, the 37th Engineer Regiment was reactivated at Camp Bowie, Texas. The regiment was broken up in March 1943. Its elements were then reorganized and redesignated. The lineage of the 27th Engineer Battalion (COMBAT) (AIRBORNE) springs from the 2nd Battalion, redesignated as the 209th Engineer Combat Battalion. The 209th disembarked at Bombay, India on 23 October 1943, and immediately set to work on the Ledo Road.
Subsequently, the 209th participated in the India-Burma Campaign. While a part of Merrill's Marauders (6th Ranger Battalion-5307th Composite), it participated in the surprise attack to seize a critical Myitkyina airfield. The battalion sustained 71 Killed in action and 179 wounded in action during the 70 day long battle. The 209th was inactivated at the conclusion of World War II, and in 1947, was redesignated as the 27th Engineer Combat Battalion.
Activated once more in 1950–1951 briefly at Ft. Lewis, Washington, and then at Ft. Campbell, KY, the unit on 23 October 1960 earned the nickname "Tiger Battalion" through its rugged field maneuvers and training.
On 21 July 1966, the battalion entered the Vietnam War, serving honorably and effectively in 13 campaigns, received five Meritorious Unit Commendations and the Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal (1st Class), with 19 campaign streamers for actions in Vietnam. On 31 January 1972, the battalion returned to the United States and relocated to Fort Bragg, NC, where it became a non-divisional combat airborne engineer battalion.
Components of the battalion participated in operation "Bright Star 82" deploying to the port city of Berbera, Somalia, which is located on the central North coast of Somalia on the Gulf of Aden. Bright Star 82 included deployment of factions of the 82nd Airborne Division to the Sinia Desert in Egypt. While in Somalia the 27th performed various infrastructure improvement projects for the Somalian people.
In 1983, units from of the battalion deployed in response to the Invasion of Grenada by Cuban forces. Cuban engineers blew craters in Grenada's airport runways. Engineers from the 27th repaired the runways, among other responsibilities.
On 23 August 1990, the battalion was again called upon, this time to Saudi Arabia, to support Operation Desert Shield. On the 24 February 1991, the battalion, attached to the French 6th Light Armored Division, became the lead engineer battalion for XVIII Airborne Corps in its push up the western allied flank during Operation Desert Storm. On the 27 March 1991, the 27th Engineer Battalion (COMBAT) (AIRBORNE) returned to its home at Ft. Bragg, NC.
The battalion deployed again in August 1992 to Dade County, Florida, for hurricane Andrew relief. The battalion remained in Florida as part of Task Force All-American until 26 September 1992. The most recent deployment was in response to Operation Uphold Democracy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The battalion deployed with the 20th Engineer Brigade from 22 September through 5 November 1994. The battalion worked with the 10th Mountain Division (Light) and established Base Camp Dragon and Castle.
The battalion colors bear a Presidential Unit Citation for action at Myitkyina Airfield, five Meritorious Unit Commendations for actions in Vietnam, one Meritorious Unit Commendation for actions in Southwest Asia, the Superior Unit award for AHAUS TAURA '90, the Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal (1st Class), and 19 campaign streamers.
In 1999, the Construction Platoon of HHC 27th ENG (C)(A) created a small memorial to its own Desert Storm veterans outdoors near their mess hall in Smoke Bomb Hill, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
As of October 1999, they had the last/only Airborne well-driller detachment/platoon left in the United States Army.
Company B of the 27th is the only company in the United States Army that specializes in rough terrain airborne insertion.
In November 2001, the battalion deployed to Kosovo in support of Operations Joint Guardian. They have participated in many actions and projects in Iraq and Afghanistan since.
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