863rd Engineer Battalion
The 863rd Engineer Battalion is an engineer battalion of the United States Army first formed in 1942. The 863rd participated in World War II.
Organization
The battalion is a subordinate unit of the 372nd Engineer Brigade. As of January 2026 the battalion consists of the following units:- 863rd Engineer Battalion, in Darien
- * Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 863rd Engineer Battalion, in Darien
- * Forward Support Company, 863rd Engineer Battalion, in Darien
- * 317th Engineer Company, in Homewood
- * 372nd Engineer Company, in Pewaukee
- * 469th Engineer Company , in Machesney Park
- * 483rd Engineer Platoon, in Elwood
- * 485th Engineer Company, in Arlington Heights
- * 609th Engineer Detachment, in Milwaukee
- * 966th Engineer Company, in Milwaukee
- * 237th Engineer Detachment, in Sturtevant
- * 336th Engineer Detachment, in Sturtevant
- * 482nd Engineer Detachment, in Sturtevant
- * 628th Engineer Detachment, in Sturtevant
- * 750th Engineer Detachment, in Sturtevant
- * 923rd Engineer Detachment, in Sturtevant
Lineage and honors
- Constituted 15 July 1942 in the Army of the United States as the 1st Battalion, 922nd Engineer Regiment, Aviation
- Activated 1 August 1942 at Geiger Field, Washington, as the 1st Battalion, 922nd Engineer Aviation Regiment
- Redesignated 1 February 1942 as the 863rd Engineer Aviation Battalion
- Inactivated 15 June 1946 in the Philippine Islands
- Allotted 18 February 1949 to the Organized Reserve Corps
- Activated 24 March 1949 with headquarters at Chicago, Illinois
- Inactivated 17 January 1955 at Chicago, Illinois
- Redesignated 18 August 1959 as the 863rd Engineer Battalion
- Activated 1 October 1959 with headquarters at Aurora, Illinois
Campaign participation credit
- New Guinea
- Leyte
- Luzon
;Operation Inherent Resolve
Decorations
- Philippine Presidential Unit Citation, Streamer embroidered 17 October 1944 to 4 July 1945
- Valorous Unit Award, Medal awarded to 863rd Engineer Battalion for its performance in support of Task Force Strike, 2nd BCT, 101st Airborne Division throughout RC-South, Afghanistan, Operation Enduring Freedom; from 20 June 2010 to 15 April 2011.
Controversy
- Controversy briefly erupted shortly after ending operations in Afghanistan when the 863rd Engineer Battalion was accused of abandoning one of its attached subordinate units to adverse weather conditions during the demobilization process in order to allow its organic personnel not to be inconvenienced by Hurricane Irene.