Formation and Early History
The battalion was organized 31 December 1861 in the Regular Army at Washington, D.C., from new and existing companies of engineers as a provisional engineer battalion. It was constituted 28 July 1866 as the Battalion of Engineers. The battalion was then expanded 14 March-7 June 1901 to form the 1st and 2d Battalions of Engineers. The 2d Battalion of Engineers was further expanded, reorganized and redesignated during July 1916 as the 2d Regiment of Engineers. The unit was expanded yet again during May and June 1917 to form the 2d, 4th, and 5th Regiments of Engineers. The 4th Regiment of Engineers was redesignated as the 4th Engineers in August 1917 and was thereafter assigned to the 4th Division in January 1918. After occupation service, the unit was inactivated in 1921 at Camp Lewis, Washington. Between 1927 and 1933 the unit was reassigned to support the 6th Division and six years later it was redesignated as the 4th Engineer Battalion activated (less Company A, which activated 24 July 1922 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina) 1 June 1940 at Fort Benning, Georgia. Reorganizations and redesignations led first as the 4th Engineer Motorized Battalion (September 1942) then the 4th Engineer Combat Battalion (August 1943) were formed. Soon after World War II ended, the unit was inactivated 19 February 1946 at Camp Butner, North Carolina. This did not last long however, with reactivation on 6 July 1948 at Fort Ord, California and subsequent redesignation as the 4th Engineer Battalion in June 1953.
Read more about this topic: 4th Engineer Battalion (United States)
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