37th Engineer Battalion (United States) - Timeline Since World War II

Timeline Since World War II

28 October 1954 – redesignated as 37th Engineer Battalion (Combat).

17 December 1954 – activated in Germany.

31 December 1958 – inactivated.

16 August 1987 – reactivated at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and assigned to the 20th Engineer Brigade.

13 October 1990 – deployed to Saudi Arabia (Operation Desert Shield; Operation Desert Storm).

27 September 1994 – deployed to Haiti (Operation Uphold Democracy).

11 May 2001 – elements attached to the 11th Engineer Battalion and deployed to Kosovo (Operation Joint Guardian) in support of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).

22 September 2002 – deployed 20 soldiers from Vertical and Light Equipment platoons to Kuwait (Operation Enduring Freedom) in support of the Combined Joint Task Force at Camp Doha. Redeployed to Fort Bragg on 22 March 2003. Deployed soldiers received Joint Service Medals and Joint Meritorious Unit Citations (permanent).

22 March 2003 – deployed to Northern Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom) in support of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). For its actions in Iraq, the battalion received the Meritorious Unit Commendation (1st Oak Leaf Cluster).

10 March 2006 – deployed to Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom) in support of Combined/Joint Task Force 76, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) and formed Task Force Eagle, the first US, Joint and Coalition Engineer Task Force in the CJOA. In addition to standard engineer operations, the battalion repeatedly engaged Taliban and other enemy forces and is credited with over 105 enemy killed. Redeployed to Fort Bragg on 11 March 2007.

The Battalion lost a First Sergeant Christopher C. Rafferty in support of (Operation Enduring Freedom). He was fatally injured while coordinating a response to a mortar strike July, 21st 2006 in Sharana, Afghanistan. The Battalion held a ceremony on Rafferty Field named in his honor after their redeployment back to Ft. Bragg.

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/ccrafferty.htm http://paraglideonline.net/092310_news1.html

On 5 June 2009 – deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The battalion served as an echelon above BCT unit assigned to the USF-I EN BDE, operating throughout Iraq with missions focused in northern and western Iraq primarily in support of the 1st BCT, 25th Infantry Division and the 3d BCT, 2d Infantry Division in Diyala, the 1st BCT, 82d Airborne Division in Al Anbar and the 3d Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment and 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment in Salah ad Din provinces. The battalion formed the basis of Joint Task Force Eagle Headquartered at Joint Base Balad and composed of over 1000 soldiers and airmen. JTF Eagle elements were also based at Forward Operating Bases Warhorse, Al Asad and Ramadi. The Joint Task Force included the 887th Engineer Company (Support), Fort Campbell, KY; 50th Engineer Company (Multi-Role, Bridge), Fort Leonard Wood, MO; the 739th Engineer Company (Multi-Role, Bridge), Granite City, IL; Terrain Team, 70th Engineer Company (Topographic), Schofield Barracks, HI; Air Force Detachment 6 (TACON); Facilities Engineer Team 2 (DS); 732d Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron and 266th Military Police Company (OPCON), Manassas, VA. Joint Task Force Eagle's mission focused on partnering with Iraqi Army engineers, building capacity, IED defeat operations, construction, bridging, general engineering, and security.

One company of special consideration is the 618th ESC (A) “The Nasty”. The 618th ESC (A) “The Nasty” is the most decorated company associated with the 307th EN BN. The 618th ESC (A) “The Nasty” has accompanied the 307th EN BN on every major deployment in recent history.

The colors of the 37th Engineer Battalion were inactivated again effective 16 September 2010 when the unit was reflagged as the 307th Engineer Battalion, formerly assigned to the 82d Airborne Division.