35th Engineer Brigade (United States)

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 35th Engineer Brigade


caption=35th Engineer Brigade shoulder sleeve insignia
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country= United States
allegiance= United States Army
branch= Missouri Army National Guard
type= Combat Engineer
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size= Brigade
command_structure=35th Infantry Division
garrison=Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri
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motto="No Task Too Large"
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identification_symbol_label=Distinctive Unit Insignia
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The 35th Engineer Brigade is a combat engineer brigade of the United States Army National Guard of Missouri based at Fort Leonard Wood. It is a subordinate unit of the 35th Infantry Division.

Originally constituted as an infantry regiment, the brigade has undergone several changes before reaching its current state. Deployed at least twice during Operation Iraqi Freedom, it is currently serving in the Baghdad area.

Organization

As an active army national guard unit, the 35th Engineer Brigade is not a permanent formation, instead only being called upon when needed. [ [http://www.army.mil/organization/guardunits.html US Army National Guard Units] , United States Army. Retrieved 04-10-2008.] It is subordinate to the 35th Infantry Division, which is also a reserve unit. [http://web.missouri.edu/~crouchdp/35sub.htm 35th Engineer Brigade Homepage: Subordinate Units] , 35th Engineer Brigade Staff. Retrieved 04-10-2008.]

The brigade currently consists of four engineer battalions as well as several other units, in addition to its Headquarters and Headquarters Company and Special Troops Battalion. These units include the 110th Engineer Battalion based in Kansas City, Missouri, [ [http://web.missouri.edu/~crouchdp/110.htm 110th Engineer Battalion Homepage] , 110th Engineer Battalion Staff. Retrieved 04-10-2008.] , the 1140th Engineer Battalion based in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, [ [http://web.missouri.edu/~crouchdp/1140.htm 1140th Engineer Brigade Homepage] , 1140th Engineer Brigade Staff. Retrieved 04-11-2008.] the 1138th Engineer Battalion based at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, [ [http://web.missouri.edu/~crouchdp/1138.htm 1138th Engineer Battalion Homepage] , 1138th Engineer Battalion Staff. Retrieved 04-10-2008.] and the 203rd Engineer Battalion, based in Joplin, Missouri. [ [http://web.missouri.edu/~crouchdp/203.htm 203rd Engineer Battalion Homepage] , 203rd Engineer Brigade Staff. Retrieved 04-08-2008.] Additionally, there are several smaller units directly reporting to the brigade, including the 220th Engineer Company, the 880th Engineer Team (HAUL), the 1438th Engineer Company, and the 235th Engineer Detachment.

History

Originally constituted as the 138th Infantry Regiment in 1928, [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/35eng-bde.htm GlobalSecurity.org: 25th Engineer Brigade] , Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 04-12-2008.] the unit was reorganized and reconstituted several times, and did not receive its Shoulder Sleeve Insignia until 1984, and its Distinctive Unit Insignia in 1970. [http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Eng/35th%20Engineer%20Brigade.htm The Institute of Heraldry: 35th Engineer Brigade] , The Institute of Heraldry. Retrieved 04-13-2008.] The insignia were based on those of the 35th Infantry Division, which has been the commanding unit of the brigade through the entirety of its history.

The unit was relieved on April 15, 1959 from assignment to the 35th Infantry Division; and was concurrently converted and redisignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 101st Replacement Group. It was later reorganized and redesignated on April 1, 1963 as Combat Section, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 35th Command Headquarters, Divisional. It was converted and consolidated 16 January 1968 with the 1135th Ordnance Company.

The 35th Engineer Brigade provides command and control of combat engineer units assigned to I Corps for worldwide missions. It also directs training of Missouri Army National Guards Engineer units to meet US Army readiness standards prior to mobilization. Prepares Missouri Engineer units for State Emergency Duties (SED) for various missions and provides units for task force missions to Joint Task Forces (JTF) conducting missions across the operational continuum.

The 35th Engineer Brigade, was tasked in late 2000, with handling much of the planning pertaining to Operation Alaskan Road. Operation Alaskan Road is a Department of Defense Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) Exercise, a USCINCPAC sponsored multi-year exercise spread over a seven-year period, with a USD|33-million budget. The project aims to build a two-lane, 14.8 mile road with no more than a 7-percent grade across the island on Annette Island linking Metlakatla to the north side of the island. The project comes as fulfillment of a government promise that was originally made to Metlakatla, home of Alaska's last Indian reservation.

Elements of the brigade saw tours of duty in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005, assisting the 20th Engineer Brigade in construction and support duties. [ [http://www.defendamerica.mil/articles/may2005/a051005la1.html DefendAmerica.mil] , U.S. Army Sgt. Michael J. Carden, Multinational Corps-Iraq Public Affairs Office. Retrieved 04-13-2008.] The unit deployed again to the Baghdad area as part of Multi-National Division-Baghdad during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2007 and 2008. [http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17491&Itemid=1 Multi-National Force: Iraq] , Sgt. Henry Bauer, 35th Engineer Brigade. Retrieved 04-10-2008.] Missions of the brigade have been widely varied, some are humanitarian in nature, others have required the training and use of the brigade's complement of sappers. [ [http://www.armyengineer.com/news_info.html Army Engineer.com News] , Capt. Patrick Jenkins, 769th Engineer Battalion, 35th Engineer Brigade. Retrieved 04-10-2008.]

References

External links

* [http://web.missouri.edu/~crouchdp/35.htm 35th Engineer Brigade]
* [http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Eng/35th%20Engineer%20Brigade.htm The Institute of Heraldry: 35th Engineer Brigade]