411th Engineer Brigade (United States)
Encyclopedia
The 411th Engineer Brigade (Theater Army) is a combat engineer brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...

 of the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

 headquartered in New Windsor, New York
New Windsor, New York
New Windsor is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was estimated at 25,244 in 2010 by the US Census.The Town of New Windsor is in the eastern part of the county, bordering the Town of Newburgh and the City of Newburgh....

. It is a major engineer command of the United States Army Reserve
United States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....

, and is only called upon when needed.

Tracing its lineage back to the 355th Engineer Regiment, the brigade assumed its predecessor's campaign participation credit and honors, which were received fighting in the European Theater of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. The reserve brigade did not participate in any Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...

 era fighting, and only saw periodic moves to various army bases around New York State. After the Cold War, however, the brigade saw several deployments to the Middle East in a supporting role for US-led contingencies. These included Operation Desert Storm and Operation Joint Endeavor. The brigade was also deployed once in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Organization

The 411th Engineer Brigade is a subordinate unit of the 412th Engineer Command
412th Engineer Command (United States)
The 412th Theater Engineer Command is a United States Army Reserve unit that conducts theater-level engineer operations for Eighth U.S. Army, Korea; U.S. Army Europe; and U.S. Army Pacific, supports continental U.S...

 and its Headquarters and Headquarters Company
Headquarters and Headquarters Company
In United States Army units, a headquarters and headquarters company is a company sized military unit, found at the battalion level and higher. In identifying a specific headquarters unit, it is usually referred to by its abbreviation as an HHC...

 is stationed at New Windsor, New York. It contains two subordinate battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...

s and separate companies which are also reserve units. The 479th Engineer Battalion (Combat) (Mechanized) headquartered at Watertown, New York and the 854th Engineer Battalion located at Saugerties, New York
Saugerties, New York
Saugerties, New York derives its name from Holland Dutch, Zager's Killetje. Zager , and Kill meaning creek or stream, with the suffix "t j e" to indicate small or little. The sawmill was on the Esopus Creek...

 are the Brigade's two principal components. Additionally, the Brigade commands the 306th Engineer Company (Combat) (Heavy) in Amityville, New York
Amityville, New York
Amityville is a village in the town of Babylon in Suffolk County, New York, in the United States. The population was 9,441 at the 2000 census.-History:...

 and the 328th Engineer Company (Combat) (Heavy) of Northfield, New Jersey
Northfield, New Jersey
Northfield is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 8,624.Northfield was incorporated as a city by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 21, 1905, from portions of Egg Harbor Township...

, and the 417th Engineer Company (Combat)(Heavy) in Bullville, New York
Bullville, New York
Bullville, New York is a hamlet in the Town of Crawford in Orange County, New York, USA. It is located at the junction of routes NY-17K and NY-302.Bullville was one of the original four important settlements in the Town of Crawford....

.

Origins

The 411th Engineer Brigade traces its lineage back to the 355th Engineer Regiment, which was first constituted on 15 October 1921 in the Organized Reserves. The regiment was organized in January 1922 with its headquarters at Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States and the home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Health Care...

.

It was ordered into active duty
Active duty
Active duty refers to a full-time occupation as part of a military force, as opposed to reserve duty.-Pakistan:The Pakistan Armed Forces are one of the largest active service forces in the world with almost 610,000 full time personnel due to the complex and volatile nature of Pakistan's...

 military service on 1 September 1942 at Camp White, Oregon
Camp White, Oregon
Camp White was an Army training base in Jackson County, Oregon, United States, during World War II. It was also the site of a prisoner-of-war camp. The camp was named in honor of George A. White, who served as adjutant general for Oregon starting in 1915. The camp was dedicated September 15, 1942...

 in preparation for deployment to Europe during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. During World War II, the regiment saw action in the European Theater, undertaking numerous bridging and mobility missions in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...

, Northern France, the Rhineland
Rhineland
Historically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....

 and the Ardennes
Ardennes
The Ardennes is a region of extensive forests, rolling hills and ridges formed within the Givetian Ardennes mountain range, primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France , and geologically into the Eifel...

 area. The Regiment was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation
Meritorious Unit Commendation
The Meritorious Unit Commendation is a mid-level unit award of the United States military which is awarded to any military command which displays exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service, heroic deeds, or valorous actions....

 for its service during the war. After the war was over in 1945, the regiment remained in the country until it was inactivated on 17 June 1946 in Germany. A year later, on 27 May 1947 the regiment was reactivated with its Headquarters in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...

. It was again deactivated on 31 December 1948 in Detroit.

After the deactivation, the Regiment was broken up and its subordinate elements were redesignated. The regimental Headquarters and Headquarters Company
Headquarters and Headquarters Company
In United States Army units, a headquarters and headquarters company is a company sized military unit, found at the battalion level and higher. In identifying a specific headquarters unit, it is usually referred to by its abbreviation as an HHC...

 and Service Company were reorganized on 25 February 1949 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 411th Engineer Brigade, allowing them a larger staff with the ability to take command of more subordinate units. The regiment's 1st Battalion was reorganized and redesignated on 25 February 1949 as the 928th Engineer Construction Battalion. The 2nd Battalion was reorganized and redesignated on 15 March 1949 as the 929th Engineer Construction Battalion. The 3rd Battalion disbanded on 9 July 1953. The two separated battalions retained separate lineage from this point and the 355th Engineer Regiment ceased to exist.

Cold War years

The 411th Engineer Brigade was activated on 14 March 1949 at New York City. It was reorganized on 22 December 1950 as the 411th Engineer Aviation Brigade. A few years later, the Organized Reserve Corps itself was redesignated as the Army Reserve
United States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....

, and the brigade was delegated to Reserve status. On 1 January 1957, the brigade was again redesignated as the 411th Engineer Brigade. On 31 January 1968, the brigade headquarters was relocated to Fort Tilden, New York.

For most of its operational existence, the brigade remained in Reserve status except for a few brief activations in the Active Duty
Active Duty
ActiveDuty.com is a pornography company based in North Carolina, United States, that specializes in the production of pornographic movies featuring gay, straight and bi military men engaging in solo and gay sex acts...

 force. It was ordered into active military service on 24 March 1970 at Fort Tilden, New York, before being reverted to reserve status two days later. The brigade received its distinctive unit insignia
Distinctive unit insignia
A Distinctive Unit Insignia is a metal heraldic device worn by soldiers in the United States Army. The DUI design is derived from the coat of arms authorized for a unit...

 on 28 January 1971 and its shoulder sleeve insignia on 20 December 1973. On 3 January 1978 the brigade headquarters location was changed to Brooklyn, New York.

The brigade was again ordered into active duty to play a supporting role in the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...

 in 1990. It officially switched to active service on 6 December 1990 at Brooklyn, New York. It participated in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm and earned two campaign streamers for participation in the conflict. On 11 March 1991 it was released from active military service and reverted to reserve status. The next day, while still in the country, the brigade was one of numerous units thought to have been exposed to chemical agents released during the Khamisiyah Pit demolition. Much of the NATO invasion force in the country at the time is suspected to have been exposed to these agents.

On 1 April 1996, the brigade relocated to New Windsor, New York
New Windsor, New York
New Windsor is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was estimated at 25,244 in 2010 by the US Census.The Town of New Windsor is in the eastern part of the county, bordering the Town of Newburgh and the City of Newburgh....

. It provided engineer Support to Operation Joint Endeavor in Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...

 and Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...

 by augmenting the staff of the 412th Engineer Command, and by deploying the 139th and 141st Transportation Company Detachments to the region which were under the brigade's peacetime command and control.

Iraq War

The Brigade was alerted for deployment to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in late 2005. In the summer of 2006, it trained for three months at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin
Fort McCoy, Wisconsin
Fort McCoy is an active United States Army installation. It is located on 60,000 acres between Sparta and Tomah, Wisconsin, in Monroe County...

 to prepare. Its mission in Iraq was to integrate other smaller engineer units and provide engineer support to the other Army units operating in the country. The brigade headquarters took command of several other engineer battalions during this deployment. Among the units under brigade's control was the 502nd Engineer Battalion based in Hanau, Germany which worked on bridges around Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...

, as well as the 875th Engineer Battalion of the Arkansas Army National Guard
Arkansas Army National Guard
The Arkansas Army National Guard is a component of the Arkansas National Guard and the United States National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization...

 based at Camp Striker
Camp Striker
Camp Striker is one of several logistical and life support bases on Victory Base Complex, Iraq .Amenities on Camp Striker include a Burger King, Pizza Hut and Green Beans Coffee cafe, as well as an AAFES PX and several third-party markets. The Dining Facility is purported to be the second largest...

 and the active duty
Active duty
Active duty refers to a full-time occupation as part of a military force, as opposed to reserve duty.-Pakistan:The Pakistan Armed Forces are one of the largest active service forces in the world with almost 610,000 full time personnel due to the complex and volatile nature of Pakistan's...

 92nd Engineer Battalion. Also attached to the brigade's command was the Us Air Force's 557th Expeditionary RED HORSE
Red Horse
Red Horse may refer to:*Red Horse , an album and folk group formed by Eliza Gilkyson, John Gorka, and Lucy Kaplansky*The Red Horse, a novel by Eugenio Corti*Red Horse Beer, a beer brewed in the Philippines...

 Squadron, a contingent of Air Force engineers.

The brigade arrived in Iraq in September 2006. It assumed control of over 3,000 engineers from the US Army, US Navy, US Air Force and US Marine Corps, having taken over the duty from the 130th Engineer Brigade which was departing following the end of its deployment. During the deployment, the brigade had five principle duties: route clearance and sanitation, rapid crater repair, engineer support to the 3rd Infantry Division and other combat units, planning, design and construction of contingency operating bases, and command of tactical bridging assets. The first major project of the brigade after arriving in country in September 2006 was to assist Iraqi engineers in repairing and operating the run down and damaged water treatment plant at Al Bakir which provided a major source of fresh water from the Tigris River. The brigade allowed Iraqi engineers to lead this operation and played a supporting role in evaluating their work. One of the brigade's major projects was the construction of Forward Operating Base
Forward Operating Base
A forward operating base is any secured forward military position, commonly a military base, that is used to support tactical operations. A FOB may or may not contain an airfield, hospital, or other facilities. The base may be used for an extended period of time. FOBs are traditionally supported...

 (FOB) Hammer, which was completed in just 45 days. The base required construction materials from all over the country as well as foreign materials brought to Camp Victory
Camp Victory
Camp Victory is the primary component of the Victory Base Complex which occupies the area surrounding the Baghdad International Airport . The Al-Faw Palace, which served as the headquarters for the Multi-National Corps - Iraq , is located on Camp Victory...

 and Balad Air Base. The 411th Brigade's attached B CO 92nd EN BN soldiers focused primarily on land work, perimeter fences and ground fortifications totaling over nine kilometers, with a detachment from the RED HORSE USAF focused on construction of buildings and other "vertical" projects. After completion, the FOB had space for 4,000 soldiers, and was occupied by 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division.

After the completion of the FOB, 411th Engineer Brigade soldiers commenced construction on other facilities throughout Camp Liberty for other incoming Army units. At the same time, other units in the brigade were responsible for route clearance in the areas of Logistics Support Area Anaconda
Logistics Support Area Anaconda
Joint Base Balad, formerly Balad Air Base and Logistics Support Area Anaconda, or simply LSA Anaconda - formerly known as Al-Bakr Air Base and known in popular media as Camp Anaconda - is one of the largest United States military bases in Iraq...

 along routes used for military supply as well as civilian traffic. The brigade's soldiers used Buffalo mine protected vehicles
Buffalo (mine protected vehicle)
The Buffalo mine protected vehicle is a wheeled armored vehicle built by Force Protection Inc. It was designed based on the successful South African Casspir mine-protected vehicle. While the Casspir is a four wheeled vehicle, the Buffalo has six wheels. Buffalo is also fitted with a large...

 to clear these routes of suspected Improvised Explosive Device
Improvised explosive device
An improvised explosive device , also known as a roadside bomb, is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action...

s and other dangerous obstacles.

During this deployment, the brigade completed over 200 projects on every major Forward Operating Base in the country, and three major projects supporting the Iraq War troop surge of 2007
Iraq War troop surge of 2007
In the context of the Iraq War, the surge refers to United States President George W. Bush's 2007 increase in the number of American troops in order to provide security to Baghdad and Al Anbar Province....

. It completed over 400,000 kilometers of route clearance and blast hole repair using over 2,800 pieces of major equipment. The brigade headquarters returned home to New York in fall of 2007, after one year of deployment to Iraq.

Unit decorations

Meritorious Unit Commendation
Meritorious Unit Commendation
The Meritorious Unit Commendation is a mid-level unit award of the United States military which is awarded to any military command which displays exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service, heroic deeds, or valorous actions....

 (Army)
2006 2007 for service Iraq

Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army)

2006 - 2007

for service in Iraq
||
||Meritorious Unit Commendation
Meritorious Unit Commendation
The Meritorious Unit Commendation is a mid-level unit award of the United States military which is awarded to any military command which displays exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service, heroic deeds, or valorous actions....

 (Army)

||1944 - 1945
||for service the European Theater
Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army)

1944–1945

for service the European Theater

Campaign streamers

Conflict Streamer Year(s)
World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...

1944
World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

Northern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

1944
World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

Rhineland
Rhineland
Historically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....

1944–1945
World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

Ardennes-Alsace 1944–1945
World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

Central Europe 1945
Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...

Defense of Saudi Arabia 1991
Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...

Liberation and Defense of Kuwait 1991
Operation Iraqi Freedom Iraq 2006–2007


External links

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