15th Engineer Construction Company
Capt. Seth A. Mykut
1st Sgt. Daniel T. Armstrong
Mission
On order, 15th Engineer Company deploys worldwide to execute horizontal engineering operations, supporting maneuver commanders by opening and maintaining critical lines of communications.
History
The 15th Engineer Company was constituted on 5 May 1943 in the Army of the United States as the 1222d Engineer Fire Fighting Platoon and activated on 15 July 1943 at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana. The 15th saw service during World War II in the Northern France and was inactivated there on 8 May 1946.
Just short of two months later on 30 June, the 1222d was reactivated in Japan, where it would spend the next two years. In the interim time, it was redesignated as the 538TH Engineer Fire Fighting Platoon on 30 June 1947, then reorganized and redesignated on 5 December 1947 as the 538TH Engineer Fire Fighting Company, and finally redesignated as the 15th Engineer Fire Fighting Company on 31 December 1947 before inactivating in Japan on 15 September 1948.
The 15th would again be activated and redesignated on 1 July 1966 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky as the 15th Engineer Company. With this redesignation, the 15th became Road Builders, a title that still proudly serves as their motto. Before its inactivation in 1972, the 15th would see service and distinguish themselves in several campaigns of the Vietnam War, including Counteroffensive (Phase III-VII), the Tet and Tet ’69 Counteroffensive, and the Sanctuary Counteroffensive. During this period, the 15th earned three streamers: the Valorous Unit Award, for actions from Dak To to Ben Het; the Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), for services from 1970 to 1971; and the Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal, First Class, also for actions during 1970 and 1971. The 15th was inactivated on 20 March 1972 in Vietnam.
Thirteen years later in April of 1985, the 15th was reactivated in Panama and would serve there until their inactivation in August of 1989. The 15th was again called into service on 16 October 2005, when it was activated at Fort Knox, Kentucky, under the 19TH Engineer Battalion, 20th Engineer Brigade. In August 2005, the 15th deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. During the 15 month deployment, the 15th trained Iraqi Engineers, constructed numerous fortifications for the Iraqi people, Iraqi Army and Iraqi Police, cleared roadways of debris, and conducted combat missions, along with a wide array of horizontal engineer work.
In April 2009, the Company deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. During the 12 month deployment, they established, refitted, and maintained multiple FOBs across the theater of operations. The Company then returned to Fort Knox, KY in April 2010, where they have been busy training to perform horizontal engineering in support of first responders in the event of a national disaster.
Awards & Honors
The 15th is authorized the Army Valorous Unit Award and the Army Meritorious Unit Commendation. The 15th has been nominated for the Army Meritorious Unit Commendation for its performance during Operation Iraqi Freedom from August 2006 through November 2007. She is also nominated for Meritorious Unit Award for her most recent deployment to Afghanistan, from April 2009 through April 2010.