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249th Engineer Battalion (United States)
Encyclopedia
The 249th Engineer Battalion (Prime Power) is a versatile power generation battalion assigned to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that provides commercial-level power to military units and federal relief organizations during full-spectrum operations. Additionally, the commander serves as the Commandant of the U.S. Army Prime Power School, the institution responsible for the development of Army and Navy power generation specialists.
On order, deploy worldwide to provide prime electrical power and electrical systems expertise in support of military operations and National Response Plan.
The 249th Engineer Battalion also supports other missions:
, Texas. The battalion was organized and under the command of only three captains
. The other officers that were supplied to the unit were second lieutenant
s from the 1943 class of West Point. Shortly after, the battalion participated in two maneuvers in Louisiana, known as the “Louisiana Maneuvers
”; there the battalion and its soldiers learned valuable lessons for war.
The 249th sailed from the United States to England in May 1944, after equipping and preparing for combat, the unit landed on Utah Beach
in August 1944 under the 1137th Engineer Combat Group commanded by Colonel
George A. Morris. In October through November, the soldiers were specially trained on using the Bailey bridge
in Trier
, France.
Later that year on 18 December 1944, the battalion was ordered to move from the Saar River
, where the unit was building a bridge, to the Ardennes
, commonly called the Battle of the Bulge
. Upon arriving to the front, the 249th was assigned to the 26th Infantry Division
, already engaged and in defensive positions along the southeast corner of the Buldge. The battalion was used in an effort to block the German advance by deploying landmines, obstacles and establishing roadblocks.
On 24 December, Brigadier General Harlan Harkness, the assistant division commander, ordered the battalion to advance and secure the towns of Arsdorf
and Bigonville
to the north of the 26th Infantry Division, near the area of operations of the 4th Armored Division, in order to relieve the occupied towns so the division could advance and attack the enemy line. Companies A and C were ordered into the town of Arsdorf where the battalion was engaged in fierce combat for two days. It was later learned that the town had never been secured by the 4th Armored Division.
In February 1945, the battalion was selected for the special task of crossing the Rhine River. On 19 March, the unit was assigned to the engineer task force charged with crossing the Rhine at Oppenheirn. The main thrust of the effort was to use assault boats to get troops from 5th Infantry Division across and later to construct a more stable pontoon bridge
. The battalion met little resistance across the river and quickly began constructing the bridge. After an accident resulting in a raft being sunk, the battalion moved downriver to Mainz
. After this bridge site was secure, the 249th was detached from the 1137th Engineer Group and was given the mission to secure and maintain the bridges on the Rhine River. In May 1945, when the war ended in Europe, the battalion was moved to Plattling, Germany where they built a camp for displaced refugees. In November 1945, the 249th Engineers was sent on their final orders to Camp Lucky Strike, near Marseilles, France and then redeployed back to the United States. The division was inactivated at Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia on 27 November 1945.
, working with contractors, and local and state entities to assess, they helped install and maintain emergency generators at critical facilities. By 5 September 2005, the 17th Street Canal
breach was closed. Blackhawk and Chinook
helicopters had dropped over 200 sand bags, with approximately 125 sandbags breaking the surface of the water. After the emergency is over, plans called for the canal to be drained and the wall repaired.
There were three 42" mobile pumps staged and two 42" and two 30" pumps were placed at the sheet pile closure. Sewer & water board, electric utility and the 249th Engineer Battalion (Prime Power) were completing pump house inspection. When the pumps began operation, a 40-foot-wide opening was made in the sheet piling to allow water to flow out of the canal.
Units
- Headquarters and Headquarters Company – Fort BelvoirFort BelvoirFort Belvoir is a United States Army installation and a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Originally, it was the site of the Belvoir plantation. Today, Fort Belvoir is home to a number of important United States military organizations...
, Virginia- Heavy Maintenance Section – Fort BelvoirFort BelvoirFort Belvoir is a United States Army installation and a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Originally, it was the site of the Belvoir plantation. Today, Fort Belvoir is home to a number of important United States military organizations...
, Virginia
- Heavy Maintenance Section – Fort Belvoir
- A Company – Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
- 1st Platoon – Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
- 2nd Platoon – Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
- 3rd Platoon – Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
- 4th Platoon – Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
- B Company – Fort BraggFort Bragg, North CarolinaFort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke counties, North Carolina, U.S., mostly in Fayetteville but also partly in the town of Spring Lake. It was also a census-designated place in the 2010 census and had a population of 39,457. The fort is named for Confederate...
, North Carolina- 1st Platoon – Fort BraggFort Bragg (North Carolina)Fort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke counties, North Carolina, U.S., mostly in Fayetteville but also partly in the town of Spring Lake. It was also a census-designated place in the 2010 census and had a population of 39,457. The fort is named for Confederate...
, North Carolina - 2nd Platoon – Fort BraggFort Bragg (North Carolina)Fort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke counties, North Carolina, U.S., mostly in Fayetteville but also partly in the town of Spring Lake. It was also a census-designated place in the 2010 census and had a population of 39,457. The fort is named for Confederate...
, North Carolina - 3rd Platoon – Fort BraggFort Bragg (North Carolina)Fort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke counties, North Carolina, U.S., mostly in Fayetteville but also partly in the town of Spring Lake. It was also a census-designated place in the 2010 census and had a population of 39,457. The fort is named for Confederate...
, North Carolina - 4th Platoon – Fort BraggFort Bragg (North Carolina)Fort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke counties, North Carolina, U.S., mostly in Fayetteville but also partly in the town of Spring Lake. It was also a census-designated place in the 2010 census and had a population of 39,457. The fort is named for Confederate...
, North Carolina
- 1st Platoon – Fort Bragg
- C Company – Fort BelvoirFort BelvoirFort Belvoir is a United States Army installation and a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Originally, it was the site of the Belvoir plantation. Today, Fort Belvoir is home to a number of important United States military organizations...
, Virginia- 1st Platoon – Fort BelvoirFort BelvoirFort Belvoir is a United States Army installation and a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Originally, it was the site of the Belvoir plantation. Today, Fort Belvoir is home to a number of important United States military organizations...
, Virginia - 2nd Platoon – Fort BelvoirFort BelvoirFort Belvoir is a United States Army installation and a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Originally, it was the site of the Belvoir plantation. Today, Fort Belvoir is home to a number of important United States military organizations...
, Virginia - 3rd Platoon – Fort BelvoirFort BelvoirFort Belvoir is a United States Army installation and a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Originally, it was the site of the Belvoir plantation. Today, Fort Belvoir is home to a number of important United States military organizations...
, Virginia - 4th Platoon – Fort BelvoirFort BelvoirFort Belvoir is a United States Army installation and a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Originally, it was the site of the Belvoir plantation. Today, Fort Belvoir is home to a number of important United States military organizations...
, Virginia
- 1st Platoon – Fort Belvoir
- D Company – (USAR) – Providence, Rhode Island
- 1st Platoon – Cranston, Rhode Island
- 2nd Platoon – Cranston, Rhode Island
- 3rd Platoon – Cranston, Rhode Island
- 4th Platoon – Fort BelvoirFort BelvoirFort Belvoir is a United States Army installation and a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Originally, it was the site of the Belvoir plantation. Today, Fort Belvoir is home to a number of important United States military organizations...
, Virginia
- U.S. Army Prime Power School – Fort Leonard Wood, missouri.
Mission
The 249th Engineer Battalion also supports other missions:
- Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) (Korea generator maintenance)
- Chinhae generator maintenance
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers support to Presidentially Declared Disasters (primarily hurricanes)
- Operation Bright StarOperation Bright StarOperation Bright Star is a series of biennial combined and joint training exercises led by American and Egyptian forces in Egypt. These exercises began in 1980. They are designed to strengthen ties between the Egyptian and American militaries and demonstrate and enhance the ability of the Americans...
(EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
) - Limited Installation support missions
- Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom
- Task Force SAFE
- THAAD and JLENS Power Support
World War II
The Engineer Combat Battalion was constituted on 5 May 1943 at Camp BowieCamp Bowie
Camp Bowie is a United States National Guard training center located in west central Texas near the cities of Brownwood and Early.-History:Camp Bowie, in honor of the Texas patriot James Bowie, was a military training facility during World War II, and was the third camp in Texas to be so named...
, Texas. The battalion was organized and under the command of only three captains
Captain (OF-2)
The army rank of captain is a commissioned officer rank historically corresponding to command of a company of soldiers. The rank is also used by some air forces and marine forces. Today a captain is typically either the commander or second-in-command of a company or artillery battery...
. The other officers that were supplied to the unit were second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
s from the 1943 class of West Point. Shortly after, the battalion participated in two maneuvers in Louisiana, known as the “Louisiana Maneuvers
Louisiana Maneuvers
The Louisiana Maneuvers were a series of military exercises held all over north and west-central Louisiana, including Fort Polk, Camp Claiborne and Camp Livingston, in August and September 1941...
”; there the battalion and its soldiers learned valuable lessons for war.
The 249th sailed from the United States to England in May 1944, after equipping and preparing for combat, the unit landed on Utah Beach
Utah Beach
Utah Beach was the code name for the right flank, or westernmost, of the Allied landing beaches during the D-Day invasion of Normandy, as part of Operation Overlord on 6 June 1944...
in August 1944 under the 1137th Engineer Combat Group commanded by Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
George A. Morris. In October through November, the soldiers were specially trained on using the Bailey bridge
Bailey bridge
The Bailey bridge is a type of portable, pre-fabricated, truss bridge. It was developed by the British during World War II for military use and saw extensive use by both British and the American military engineering units....
in Trier
Trier
Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....
, France.
Later that year on 18 December 1944, the battalion was ordered to move from the Saar River
Saar River
The Saar is a river in northeastern France and western Germany, and a right tributary of the Moselle. It rises in the Vosges mountains on the border of Alsace and Lorraine and flows northwards into the Moselle near Trier. It has two headstreams , that both start near Mont Donon, the highest peak...
, where the unit was building a bridge, to 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...
, commonly called the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
. Upon arriving to the front, the 249th was assigned to the 26th Infantry Division
26th Infantry Division (United States)
The 26th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the United States Army. As a major formation of the Massachusetts Army National Guard, it was based in Boston, Massachusetts for most of its history...
, already engaged and in defensive positions along the southeast corner of the Buldge. The battalion was used in an effort to block the German advance by deploying landmines, obstacles and establishing roadblocks.
Arsdorf
Arsdorf is a village in the commune of Rambrouch, in western Luxembourg. , the village has a population of 261.Arsdorf was a commune in the canton of Redange until 1 January 1979, when it was merged with the communes of Bigonville, Folschette, and Perlé to form the new commune of Rambrouch. The...
and Bigonville
Bigonville
Bigonville is a small town in the commune of Rambrouch, in western Luxembourg. , the town has a population of 450.Bigonville was a commune in the canton of Redange until 1 January 1979, when it was merged with the communes of Arsdorf, Folschette, and Perlé to form the new commune of Rambrouch...
to the north of the 26th Infantry Division, near the area of operations of the 4th Armored Division, in order to relieve the occupied towns so the division could advance and attack the enemy line. Companies A and C were ordered into the town of Arsdorf where the battalion was engaged in fierce combat for two days. It was later learned that the town had never been secured by the 4th Armored Division.
In February 1945, the battalion was selected for the special task of crossing the Rhine River. On 19 March, the unit was assigned to the engineer task force charged with crossing the Rhine at Oppenheirn. The main thrust of the effort was to use assault boats to get troops from 5th Infantry Division across and later to construct a more stable pontoon bridge
Pontoon bridge
A pontoon bridge or floating bridge is a bridge that floats on water and in which barge- or boat-like pontoons support the bridge deck and its dynamic loads. While pontoon bridges are usually temporary structures, some are used for long periods of time...
. The battalion met little resistance across the river and quickly began constructing the bridge. After an accident resulting in a raft being sunk, the battalion moved downriver to Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
. After this bridge site was secure, the 249th was detached from the 1137th Engineer Group and was given the mission to secure and maintain the bridges on the Rhine River. In May 1945, when the war ended in Europe, the battalion was moved to Plattling, Germany where they built a camp for displaced refugees. In November 1945, the 249th Engineers was sent on their final orders to Camp Lucky Strike, near Marseilles, France and then redeployed back to the United States. The division was inactivated at Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia on 27 November 1945.
Hurricane Katrina
The 249th deployed teams to the Gulf Region under Joint Task Force KatrinaJoint Task Force Katrina
Joint Task Force Katrina was a joint operation between the United States Department of Defense and the Federal Emergency Management Agency created on August 31, 2005 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi to organize relief efforts along the Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The operation was...
, working with contractors, and local and state entities to assess, they helped install and maintain emergency generators at critical facilities. By 5 September 2005, the 17th Street Canal
17th Street Canal
The 17th Street Canal is a drainage canal in Greater New Orleans, Louisiana, that flows into Lake Pontchartrain. The canal forms a significant portion of the boundary between the city of New Orleans and Metairie, Louisiana...
breach was closed. Blackhawk and Chinook
CH-47 Chinook
The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is an American twin-engine, tandem rotor heavy-lift helicopter. Its top speed of 170 knots is faster than contemporary utility and attack helicopters of the 1960s...
helicopters had dropped over 200 sand bags, with approximately 125 sandbags breaking the surface of the water. After the emergency is over, plans called for the canal to be drained and the wall repaired.
There were three 42" mobile pumps staged and two 42" and two 30" pumps were placed at the sheet pile closure. Sewer & water board, electric utility and the 249th Engineer Battalion (Prime Power) were completing pump house inspection. When the pumps began operation, a 40-foot-wide opening was made in the sheet piling to allow water to flow out of the canal.
Lineage
- Constituted 25 February 1943 in the Army of the United States as the 249th Engineer Combat Battalion
- Activated 5 May 1943 at Camp BowieCamp BowieCamp Bowie is a United States National Guard training center located in west central Texas near the cities of Brownwood and Early.-History:Camp Bowie, in honor of the Texas patriot James Bowie, was a military training facility during World War II, and was the third camp in Texas to be so named...
, Texas
- Inactivated 28 November 1945 at Camp Patrick HenryCamp Patrick HenryCamp Patrick Henry is a decommissioned United States Army base which was located in Warwick County, Virginia. After World War II, the site was redeveloped as a commercial airport, and became part of City of Newport News in 1958 when the former City of Warwick and Newport News were politically...
, VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
- Redesignated 23 March 1948 as the 442d Engineer Construction Battalion and allotted to the Organized Reserves
- Activated 8 April 1948 with Headquarters at Ames, IowaAmes, IowaAmes is a city located in the central part of the U.S. state of Iowa in Story County, and approximately north of Des Moines. The U.S. Census Bureau designates that Ames, Iowa metropolitan statistical area as encompassing all of Story County, and which, when combined with the Boone, Iowa...
- (Organized Reserves redesignated 25 March 1948 as the Organized Reserve Corps; redesignated 9 July 1952 as the Army Reserve)
- Inactivated 22 May 1950 at Ames and Council Bluffs, IowaCouncil Bluffs, IowaCouncil Bluffs, known until 1852 as Kanesville, Iowathe historic starting point of the Mormon Trail and eventual northernmost anchor town of the other emigrant trailsis a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States and is on the east bank of the Missouri River across...
- Redesignated 25 June 1952 as the 249th Engineer Construction Battalion
- Redesignated 9 December 1954 as the 249th Engineer Battalion; concurrently withdrawn from the Army Reserve and allotted to the Regular ArmyRegular ArmyThe Regular Army of the United States was and is the successor to the Continental Army as the country's permanent, professional military establishment. Even in modern times the professional core of the United States Army continues to be called the Regular Army...
- Activated 9 February 1955 in Germany
- Inactivated 15 October 1991 in Germany
- Activated 16 November 1994 at Fort Belvoir, Virginia
World War II
- Northern France
- Rhineland
- Ardennes-Alsace
- Central Europe
Decorations
- Meritorious Unit CommendationMeritorious Unit CommendationThe 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) for SOUTHWEST ASIA 1990–1991
- Meritorious Unit CommendationMeritorious Unit CommendationThe 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) – PENDING – 26 May 3 – 18 Dec 03
- Army Superior Unit Award for 25 Aug 92 – 28 Oct 92
- Army Superior Unit Award for 1994–1995
- Army Superior Unit Award for 1995–1996
- Army Superior Unit Award for 2005 (Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, & Wilma)
- Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian ArmyBelgian ArmyThe Land Component is organised using the concept of capacities, whereby units are gathered together according to their function and material. Within this framework, there are five capacities: the command capacity, the combat capacity, the support capacity, the services capacity and the training...
for actions in the Ardennes
See also
- U.S. Army Prime Power School
- Civil engineering and infrastructure repair in New Orleans after Hurricane KatrinaCivil engineering and infrastructure repair in New Orleans after Hurricane KatrinaThough Hurricane Katrina did not deal the city of New Orleans a direct hit on August 29, 2005, her storm surge precipitated catastrophic failures of the levees and flood walls. The Mississippi River Gulf Outlet breached its levees in approximately 20 places...
- Fort BelvoirFort BelvoirFort Belvoir is a United States Army installation and a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Originally, it was the site of the Belvoir plantation. Today, Fort Belvoir is home to a number of important United States military organizations...
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- Coats of arms of U.S. Engineer BattalionsCoats of arms of U.S. Engineer BattalionsCoats of arms of U.S. Engineer Battalions are heraldic emblems associated with units in the US Army. By Army regulation, all regiments, and some other units, of the US Army organized under a Table of Organization and Equipment are authorized a coat of arms to be displayed on the organization's...
External links
Army websites
Articles
- U.S. Army Prime Power: A Tradition of Innovation and Excellence from Engineer: The Professional Bulletin for Army Engineers
- Prime Power Battalion switches command by Melinda Rodriguez, Fort Belvoir Eagle
- Prime Power Lights Up Anaconda by Sgt. KaRonda Fleming, Public Affairs Office
- 249th Engineer Battalion Soldiers and IMA Provide Emergency Backup Power to Hawaii Wastewater Treatment Plant, by Sergeant First Class Christopher P. Woolley and Major Paul B. Olsen, P.E., Public Works Digest, July–August 2004, p. 40.
- Training prepares 249th for six-month Iraq duty by Julie LeDoux, Fort Belvoir Eagle
- Engineers Hold Disaster Training by Quentin Melson, Fort Belvoir Eagle
- Prime Power Battalion Switches Command 2007, by Melina Rodriquez
- 249th Engineers Respond to California Wildfires, by SSG Scott Yeager
- Army Corps Battalion Generates Power by Thomas Farragher, Boston Globe, 9 September 2005
- 249th Engineer Battalion activates C Company by Bernard Tate
- The 249th Activates Charlie Company by Paul Bello, Fort Belvoir News
- TF SAFE improves electrical safety in Iraq by Joan Kibler
- Power Surge, 249th Engineer Battalion Responds to Electrocutions in Iraq by LTC Paul B. Olsen, P.E.
- Soldiers Power Up Peace in Iraq, Afghanistan by SSG Michael Carden
- Leadership Changes Hands at the 249th Engineer Battalion by Jacqueline Leeker, Fort Belvoir Eagle
Other publications
- Bridge to the Past: 249th Engineer Battalion from Combat to Prime Power by COL John K. Addison, Retired
- Prime-Power Considerations for Engineer Planners, by Captain Geoff Van Epps
- 249th Engineer Battalion Responds to Terrorist Attacks
- Powering the Forces by Captain E.S. Pinchasin and Captain J.S. Boyette, September 2006
- Reflections on Building Great Engineers, Engineer Magazine, December 2009 by LTC Paul B. Olsen, P.E.