page_title: 130th Engineer Brigade (United States)
section_title: Second tour in Iraq
hierarchical_section_title: 130th Engineer Brigade (United States) / History / Second tour in Iraq
caption_attribution_description: English: FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii - Private Laqwen Collette, a paralegal from the 130th Engineer Brigade, conducts first aid during the Warrior Task Training portion of the Paralegal Challenge. (photo by Staff Sgt. Crista Yazzie, USARPAC Public Affairs)
context_page_description: The 130th Engineer Brigade is an engineer brigade of the United States Army headquartered in Schofield Barracks, Hawaii that provides engineering support to the United States Army Pacific. The brigade specializes in combat engineering, construction, and bridging operations.
  The brigade traces its lineage back to an engineering regiment active during World War II, but the brigade itself did not see real-world action until the mid-1990s. As a part of the V Corps for most of the Cold War, the brigade was stationed in western Europe as a deterrent to a possible Soviet aggression and/or invasion. It finally saw action during Operation Joint Endeavor, providing bridging assistance for the international force in the Bosnia region. Several years later, the brigade was the primary engineering component during the invasion of Iraq in 2003. With numerous difficulties, the brigade was forced to take on several unexpected missions during its year in Iraq. It saw a second tour in 2005 and a third in 2009 in which it once again was the primary engineering component in the country.
context_section_description: The 502nd Engineer Company became the first V Corps company-sized unit to return for a second tour in Iraq when it deployed in September 2004. The company returned to Hanau in September 2005. In December 2004, the 130th Engineer Brigade's headquarters was informed that it would be deployed back to Iraq the next year. The brigade mobilized and began this new deployment in September 2005; it began operating in the country the next month. The 54th Engineer Battalion followed in October. The brigade eventually replaced the 130th, 194th, and 20th Engineer Brigades, becoming the only engineer brigade operating in the country. By December 2006, the brigade commanded all engineering formations in Multi-National Corps - Iraq, including engineers from other branches of the US Military, for a total of 3,300 soldiers. During the tour they were supported by the 412th Engineer Command.
  The 130th Engineers had a variety of reconstruction tasks during their second tour in Iraq. The top priority of the brigade was to "maintain and upgrade lines of communications" to "insure uninterrupted ground movement through the area of operations." This duty also included detection and removal of Improvised Explosive Devices. The brigade undertook numerous construction projects, primarily in building coalition forward operating bases, but they were tasked with construction projects for the Iraqi army and civilians as well. Many of the units of the brigade were integrated with military from other branches for projects. US Navy and US Marine Corps engineers operated side-by-side with 130th Engineer Brigade soldiers, and though commanders reported a "culture clash" between different branches of service, the soldiers, sailors, and Marines were able to adapt to the situation quickly.
  The brigade's Headquarters Company managed the engineer battalions but it also undertook its own missions, including humanitarian missions and public affairs assignments. It was supported by the brigade's Special Troops Battalion which provided a wide range of duties for the Headquarters. The task of detecting and removing IEDs proved particularly difficult for the brigade, as IEDs were a serious issue for coalition forces and the leading cause of casualties at the time. The 54th Engineer Battalion under the 130th was specially tasked with counter-IED operations on the over 300 kilometers of roads that the brigade was responsible for. The 249th Engineer Battalion was charged with maintaining the power grid throughout Iraq. They were required to assess 200 power stations throughout the country and make repairs to each one individually. The 84th Engineer Battalion was tasked with most construction projects in the Forward Operating Bases. These projects involved expansion of many of the larger FOBs as smaller ones were shut down and consolidated. One of the main focuses of the Battalion was the expansion of living quarters at Al Asad Air Base. The 565th Engineer Battalion was responsible for maintaining the supply yards housing building materials for the rest of the Brigade's battalions, and to ensure that the materials were dispersed and used as efficiently as possible. The brigade's mechanical and vehicle maintenance duties were provided by civilian contractors. These contractors also handled transportation of construction vehicles and vehicle parts to the theater.
  During the year of its deployment in Iraq, the brigade reported progress in numerous areas. Brigade commander Colonel Thomas Kula reported that "greater than 50 percent" of IEDs found on roads used by the Corps were recognized and disarmed before they could be used against coalition forces. The brigade also cleared 700 kilometers of road from trash and debris and filled more than 600 potholes caused by explosions. It also completed 1,800 mapping projects in the theater. The brigade also finished numerous building projects around Iraq. Soldiers of the 130th Engineer Brigade completed 345 construction projects during the year in the country, including emplacing four bridges and maintaining eight more, well digging pro
caption: A Brigade soldier performing simulated first aid during an exercise
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