Constituted in 1916 as an Engineer Regiment in the Enlisted Reserve Corps, the 15th Engineer Battalion can trace its military lineage back almost a century. Today, headquatered in Grafenwoehr, Germany, the 15th Engineer Battalion is comprised of four subordinate companies and one engineer detachment. The Soldiers, civilians and engineers of the battalion provide various supportive duties to Army units, including construction, engineering and mechanical work on other Army projects.
MISSION: The 15th Engineer Battalion commands and controls the execution of general engineering operations in garrison and deployed environments in order to support the operational commander.
The Solider, civilian and engineer teams of the 15th Engineer Battalion take pride in the mission embodied in their motto: "Drive On"
- Constituted 1 July 1916 in the Enlisted Reserve Corps as an Engineer regiment
- Organized 5 May 1917 at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the 5th Reserve Engineers
- Ordered into active military service 21 May-6 June 1917 at Oakmont, Pennsylvania
- Redesignated 9 June 1917 as the 5th Regiment of Engineers
- Redesignated 8 August 1917 as the 15th Engineers and allotted to the National Army
- Demobilized 15 May 1919 at Camp Sherman, Ohio
- Reconstituted 25 August 1921 in the Regular Army as the 15th Engineers Assigned 24 March 1923 to the 9th Division (later redesignated as the 9th Infantry Division)
- Redesignated 1 July 1940 as the 15th Engineer Battalion
- Activated 1 August 1940 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina
- Reorganized and redesignated 1 August 1942 as the 15th Engineer Combat Battalion
- Inactivated 30 November 1946 in Germany
- Activated 12 July 1948 at Fort Dix, New Jersey
- Reorganized and redesignated 25 May 1954 as the 15th Engineer Battalion
- Inactivated 31 January 1962 at Fort Carson, Colorado
- Activated 1 February 1966 at Fort Riley, Kansas
- Inactivated 25 September 1969 in Hawaii
- Activated 21 June 1972 at Fort Lewis, Washington
- Inactivated 15 April 1991 at Fort Lewis, Washington, and relieved from assignment to the 9th Infantry Division
- Headquarters and Headquarters Company activated 16 July 2008 in Germany (Support Company concurrently constituted and activated)
The colors red and white are the colors of the Corps of Engineers.
Description/Blazon: A Silver color metal and enamel device, 1 3/64 inches (2.66 cm) in height, and consisting of a shield blazoned: per bend, Argent and Gules.
Background: The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 15th Engineer Battalion (Separate) on February 24, 1941. It was redesignated for the 15th Engineer Battalion (Combat) on July 7, 1954.