130th Engineer Brigade ( United States ) The 130th Engineer Brigade is an engineer brigade of the United States Army based in Schofield Barracks , Hawaii . It provides engineering support to the United States Army Pacific command . The brigade specializes in bridging operations . The brigade traces its lineage back to an engineering regiment active during World War II , but the brigade itself did not see 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 for decades as a deterrent to a possible Soviet 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 in which it once again was the primary engineering component in the country . The brigade had a long history of supporting V Corps of United States Army Europe from 1969 until 2007 . That ended when the brigade was relocated to Hawaii to support United States Army Pacific as part of a major restructuring plan of the US Army . Reactivated in 2008 , the brigade is currently at home in Hawaii . Organization . The 130th Engineer Brigade is a subordinate unit of the 8th Theater Sustainment Command which is in turn subordinate to United States Army Pacific . It provides engineering assistance to US forces stationed throughout the Pacific Ocean region . The Brigade ' s Headquarters and Headquarters Company is stationed at Schofield Barracks and permanently commands two subordinate battalion s . The 65th Engineer Battalion and the 84th Engineer Battalion are both located at Schofield Barracks . The total force of the brigade and its subordinate elements is approximately 1 , 600 . As the brigade is modular in nature , it is able to take command and control of more units when deployed . History . Origins . The 130th Engineer Brigade traces its lineage to the 1303rd Engineer General Service Regiment which saw action in World War II . The regiment was activated on 15 July 1943 at Camp Ellis , Illinois . It was deployed to the European Theatre where it participated in the Battle of Normandy and subsequent invasion of Germany before being transferred to the Pacific after V - E Day . The 1303rd received campaign streamers for Normandy , Northern France , Rhineland , Ardennes - Alsace , Central Europe , and the Asian - Pacific theatre . It was deactivated in Japan on 31 January 1946 . The regiment was re - designated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company , 130th Engineer Aviation Brigade in Japan on 8 July 1955 before being activated in September of that year . Only a few months later , this brigade was inactivated on 25 June 1956 without having seen any deployment . On 16 June 1969 , Headquarters and Headquarters Company , 130th Engineer Aviation Brigade was re - designated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company , 130th Engineer Brigade and activated in Pioneer Kaserne , Hanau , Germany . The 130th Engineer Brigade was a consolidation of V Corps ' 37th and 11th Engineer Groups into a single unit that would provide more efficient command and control . It was subsequently put under the command of V Corps , as part of the US Army ' s force in Europe . The brigade received its shoulder sleeve insignia on 23 September 1969 , and its distinctive unit insignia on 3 November 1969 . Brigade members specially designed these with images alluding to the 1303rd Regiment ' s battle honors in World War II using scarlet and white , colors signifying US Army engineer units . The brigade remained in Germany in support of V Corps for almost 25 years , seeing no deployments . It underwent a shuffling of units as several of its battalions were reassigned elsewhere following the end of the Cold War in 1990 , and it gained new battalions from units deactivating elsewhere . Though three of the brigade ' s subordinate battalions deployed to support Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm , the brigade headquarters itself remained in Germany along with the rest of V Corps . The operations were conducted by VII Corps and XVIII Airborne Corps , which had significant engineer assets of their own . Throughout the early 1990s , the brigade would continue to see units come and go from its command as they were transferred from the restructuring 18th Engineer Brigade and the deactivating 7th Engineer Brigade . Operation Joint Endeavour . From December 1995 to January 1996 , all units in the brigade , except the 320th Engineer Company ( Topographic ) , deployed to Croatia or Bosnia and Herzegovina in support of Operation Joint Endeavor . The 320th Engineer Company deployed their topographic surveying platoon the following year . The 130th Engineer Brigade was tasked with building an assault bridge over the Sava River . Despite severe flooding conditions around the river and international pressure against such a structure , the brigade sent its units to begin work on the bridge . In December 1995 , the 502nd Engineer Company deployed to Zupanja , Croatia and placed the historic ribbon bridge over the river . This bridge , at was the longest assault floating bridge in military history . The company operated 24 - hours a day for three months crossing critical traffic in support of Task Force Eagle and NATO ' s Implementation Force . The company also assisted in the construction of a second bridge over the Sava River in Brčko - Gunja . The 502nd Engineer Company redeployed in May 1996 , with a rafting section remaining at Slavonski Brod to support the force restructuring of Task Force Eagle . The 130th Engineer Brigade would go on to construct seven fixed bridges in support of the operation . During the deployment , the brigade was also tasked with creating and maintaining maps and overlays of the area of operations . It would produce over 300 , 000 such maps . The 130th Engineer Brigade was also tasked with repairing and maintaining much of the Task Force ' s infrastructure . The brigade returned to Germany after the operation was complete . Throughout 1998 – 2002 it would train with German engineers , including German units from Lahnstein and Speyer , as well as the German Engineering School . The brigade also set up marksman competitions with German units , to give US soldiers the chance to earn the German Armed Forces Badge of Marksmanship , the German Sports Badge , and other badges . Over 2 , 500 of these badges would be earned by soldiers of the 130th over the years that it served in Germany . It also trained extensively in bridging operations at rivers throughout Germany . In summer of 2000 , the brigade participated in a joint engineering exercise in Moldova with US Navy Seabee s and the 505th Engineer Brigade of the North Carolina Army National Guard . The exercise was the first ever conducted in Moldova and featured numerous training scenarios as well as the construction of a medical clinic . Several other such exercises were conducted in nations throughout Europe including Albania , Romania , Georgia , Latvia , Bulgaria and Macedonia . They also performed annual humanitarian missions to Poland , working on community projects around the country with the assistance of Polish Armed Forces every September , as a training exercise . Operation Iraqi Freedom . The 130th Engineer Brigade mobilized in support of the Global War on Terrorism in 2003 . It was commanded by Colonel Gregg F . Martin . As preparations were being made for Operation Iraqi Freedom , the 130th Engineer Brigade was placed in charge of the largest engineering force in the theater . This included seven different engineering battalions as well as several separate group and company sized elements . Units of the brigade were then deployed to Kuwait in early 2003 , along with much of V Corps ' staff . They would provide command and assistance for the 3rd Infantry Division , 82nd Airborne Division and 101st Airborne Division as they crossed the border to Iraq and attacked to the capitol region of Baghdad from the south . Coupled with the landings of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team to the north , the operation would see the US Forces surround and destroy Iraqi forces in and around the capitol . The first obstacle facing the brigade was " the berm " , a 10 - kilometer - deep defensive obstacle complex that spanned Iraq ' s border with Kuwait . The berm consisted of large tank ditches , berms of dirt , electrified fencing , and razor wire . It was decided that the 3rd Infantry Division ' s Brigade Combat Teams would breach this berm in eight locations and move through . The 130th Engineer brigade analyzed the berms and provided a layout of them to coalition forces . The 130th Engineer Brigade then conducted the actual breaches in late March , using armored combat earthmovers to build roads for tracked vehicles , while armored vehicle - launched bridges set up for wheeled vehicles . The 130th worked with Kuwati engineers to breach the berm in 12 places , and the 3rd Infantry Division ' s Brigade Combat Teams moved though , starting the Iraq War . After combat forces moved through , the brigade and the Kuwatis then sealed off ten of these breaches to prevent Iraqi forces from using then , leaving two open for US forces that followed from the 82nd and 101st . After the breach , the 130th moved into Iraq . They provided support for the divisions as they advanced along the path to Baghdad . When a large sandstorm grounded aviation and large dust clouds became a problem , the brigade repurposed oil for use in dust abatement around airfields , allowing the 101st ' s fleet of AH - 64 Apache s to take off and engage Iraqi ground forces on 24 March . Retreating Iraqi units detonated many bridges to slow the 3rd Infantry Division ' s advance . The 130th Engineers conducted rapid repairs to allow the brigades to continue to move through . The brigade supported combat elements moving through An Najaf , clearing roads and pathways of debris and obstacles to allow rapid movement through the city . The 565th Engineer Battalion built the " birthday bridge " – the longest float bridge constructed in a combat theatre with a span of 580 meters – over the Tigris River in Tikrit on Saddam Hussein ’ s birthday , 28 April 2003 . After the invasion was over , the brigade was supposed to support the operation with bridging and infrastructure support . During the planning for the invasion , the engineers of the brigade were told that reconstruction in Iraq would be conducted by Department of Defense contractors and Iraqi civilians . They were not originally prepared to conduct major reconstruction efforts . When V Corps became the commanding element for the task force to rebuild Iraq , much of the invasion force , including the 130th Engineer Brigade , was sent to do jobs they had not been originally planned for , as basic utilities and sanitation conditions in Iraq were far below what was expected . Throughout the rest of 2003 and 2004 , the engineers engaged in a large number of initial reconstruction projects on basic utilities , including schools , water treatment plants , waste removal , and the nation ' s power grid . It was determined that the scale of these projects was much greater than what the US had expected or what had been encountered in previous contingencies . It was also decided that reconstruction was essential to the coalition since it would help win over the Iraqi people . By May 2003 , the brigade had been completely repurposed . Though originally tasked with demolishing obstacles , building fortifications , and bridging operations , the brigade was tasked entirely with construction projects . This conversion was a difficult process , as the brigade did not have the equipment and specialist units designed to handle reconstruction on a national scale . As more US military reconstruction units arrived in Iraq , the brigade grew to eight battalions and three groups . The 130th Engineer Brigade focused on bridging projects as was its specialty , but it ultimately found itself undertaking numerous different projects throughout the country for much of 2003 and into 2004 . Not all of its units were confined entirely to construction , though . The 502nd Engineer Company also conducted river patrol operations in Baghdad and Tikrit . This new mission for the company was essential for force protection , troop transportation , search and cordon operations , and to protect against sabotage on fixed bridges . In September 2003 , with the inactivation of the 38th Engineer Company ( Medium Girder Bridge ) , the 502nd Engineer Company became a multi - role bridge company with both float and fixed bridging capabilities and the only active bridge company in USAREUR . The 130th was headquartered at Logistical Support Area Anaconda for the majority of the deployment . Throughout Operation Iraqi Freedom , the headquarters commanded up to 15 , 000 engineers at one time , conducting missions including bridging , humanitarian assistance , topographic missions , dive missions , firefighting , base construction , river patrols , mine detection , missile removal and many more . Brigade units redeployed to Hanau in late 2003 and early 2004 . Most of the brigade ' s soldiers returned to Hanau on 5 February 2004 after numerous logistical delays . Most of the 130th Engineer Brigade ' s subordinate units would receive Meritorious Unit Commendation for their roles in the invasion of Iraq , though the Brigade ' s headquarters did not . Second tour in Iraq . 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 Brigade s , 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 Device s . The brigade undertook numerous construction projects , primarily in building coalition forward operating base s , 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 110th 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 projects throughout western Iraq , maintaining the power grid to 25 coalition bases , repairing and expanding services at FOBs throughout the region , and construction of outposts and checkpoints throughout the country ' s roadways with the assistance of Iraqi engineers . During the deployment , a total of 15 soldiers from the brigade were killed in action . The 130th Engineer Brigade returned to Hanau from its second tour in Iraq in October 2006 . Reactivation in Hawaii . With the US Army forces in Europe seeing drawdowns and redeployments , it was announced that V Corps would be eliminated , and the 130th Engineer Brigade would be moved elsewhere . The brigade formally left Hanau with a casing of the unit colors ceremony at Pioneer Kaserne on 4 May 2007 . Casing the unit ' s colors was a tradition formally signifying its inactivation and , for all official purposes , the brigade had ceased to be an active Army unit . The brigade headquarters became part of U . S . Army Pacific on 16 June 2007 . The brigade had originally been slated to relocate to Fort Lewis , Washington to replace the 555th Engineer Brigade , which was scheduled to be inactivated . But with the announcement of the Grow the Army plan in early 2007 , it was decided that no engineer brigades would be inactivated permanently , and the 130th Engineer Brigade would be moved to Hawaii instead . Both the 130th and 555th Engineer Brigades remained on active duty . The brigade was inactive for a year while it was reconstructed in Hawaii . As a part of the transformation of the US Army , the brigade was reorganized into a modular force with new and updated equipment and new personnel . The Brigade stood up provisionally on 27 June 2008 as it neared ready status . On 23 October , the brigade ' s colors were formally uncased at Schofield Barracks , Hawaii . This signified the end of the brigade ' s relocation to Hawaii as well as its completion and readiness to take on new missions . The brigade took command of the 6th , 65th and 84th Engineer battalions . The brigade was alerted for another deployment to Operation Iraqi Freedom in summer 2009 . There , its missions will once again include construction , route clearance , and training of Iraqi engineers . Since being alerted for deployment , the brigade began conducting vigorous Mission Rehearsal Exercise ( MRE ) training at Schofield Barracks . Among this training has been updated strategies for detection and clearance of Improvised Explosive Device s . The brigade began its deployment on 17 July 2009 , uncasing its colors in Mosul and taking command of construction projects in the area from the 18th Engineer Brigade . The 130th Engineer Brigade returned to Schofield Barracks Hawaii from the most recent deployment to Iraq on 4 June 2010 .