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"Essayons" | | ||
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Lyrics and Music by Jo Johnston Synthesized by Malcolm Dale | ||||
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| "Fire In The Hole - Explosive Destruction Of Captured Weapons" |
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Introduction
The 1st Cavalry Division, a major subordinate command of the US Third Mobile
Armored Corps, is a 19,000 soldier, heavy armored division stationed at Ft.
Hood, TX. As one of the two "on-call" heavy contingency force divisions of the
Army, the First Team has an on-order mission to deploy by sea, air or land to
any part of the world on a short notice. The following narratives, divided in
timeline eras of major operational missions, describes the threat environment,
tactical conditions, evolution of equipment technology and the strategic
methodology employed by one of the subnorate units of the 8th Engineer
Battalion, Engineering Brigade. The Battalion's accomplishments and and the
honors they achieved are summarized in the sections that follow.
Officially, the 20th Engineer Battalion was reorganized and relieved from
assignment to the Engineering Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood on
May 24, 2005 and on 16 August, 2007, the 8th Engineer Battalion was then
reactivated and on 16 October, 2007, was reorganized as a modular formation
within the 36th Engineer Brigade. By 12 June, 2008, the Battalion stood up,
trained, and deployed with the 937th Clearance Company, the first in the Army,
87th Sapper Company and the Battalion Headquarters in support of Operation
Iraqi Freedom 08-10.
On 01 July, 1916, the 8th Engineer Battalion was constituted in the Regular
Army as 1st Battalion Mounted Engineers.
On 29 July 1917, the unit was reorganized and redesignated the 8th Engineer
Battalion (Mounted) and on 27 November, 1917 assigned to 15th Cavalry
Division. The 8th was relieved from this assignment 12 May, 1918 and 27 July,
1921 assigned to 1st Cavalry Division. On 01 June, 1930, The Battalion was
reorganized and redesignated 8th Engineer Squadron.
On 15 March 1943, it was reorganized and redesignated 8th Engineer Combat
Squadron. The Squadron served with distinction in the Pacific Campaign
participating in the capture of key islands, namely Los Negros, Leyte, and
Luzon. 8th Engineers were some of the first US Soldiers to return to the
Philippines and later were the first into Tokyo, Japan on 05 September,
1945.
On 25 March 1949, the 8th was redesignated 8th Engineer Combat Battalion.
July 18, 1950 the 8th continued its service in Korea helping to establish the
Pusan Perimeter. Along with mobility, counter-mobility and survivability
projects, Engineers fought as infantry and were responsible for the holding of
Hill 755. After serving for 549 continuous days, the 8th was rotated out of
Korea but would return again in 1952 and 1953.
In 1965, the 8th served in the jungles of Vietnam with the dual mission of
supporting combat operations and of constructing support facilities. Using the
new air-mobile capabilities, the 8th built signal complexes and firebases
throughout the country in areas that would have previously been inaccessible.
These firebases created stepping stones allowing for the initial invasion
into Cambodia in May of 1970.
In August of 1990 the 8th was put on alert for operations in Southwest Asia.
By October, the 8th was dispatched to the Arabian Desert and had begun
establishing defenses along key boarders with Kuwait and Iraq. The 8th was
responsible for clearing paths for units from the 2nd Armored Division to
begin their assault.
The battalion deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II,
conducting combat operations in support of the 1st Cavalry Division in the Al
Wahda District of Baghdad.
On May 24, 2005, the 8th Engineer Battalion was inactivated at Fort Hood and
on 16 August, 2007, the 8th Engineer Battalion was then reactivated and on 16
October, 2007, was reorganized as a modular formation within the 36th Engineer
Brigade. By 12 June, 2008, the Battalion stood up, trained, and deployed with
the 937th Clearance Company, the first in the Army, 87th Sapper Company and
the Battalion Headquarters in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 08 -10.
This folio of material highlights of the many subsequent historical critical
missions performed by members of the 8th Engineer Battalion, whose actions,
operations and the many critical issues resolved over its 90+ years history to
meet the changing threat and the honors they achieved are summarized in the
following sections:
Table of Contents
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Copyright © 1996, Cavalry Outpost Publications ® and
Trooper Wm. H. Boudreau, "F" Troop, 8th Cavalry Regiment (1946 - 1947). All
rights to this body of work are reserved and are not in the public domain, or
as noted in the bibliography. Reproduction, or transfer by electronic means,
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Revised 27 Oct '12 SpellChecked