326th Engineer Battalion (United States) explained

Unit Name:	326th Engineer Battalion
Dates:	23 July 1918–present
Size:	Battalion
Command Structure:	101st Airborne Division
Garrison:	Fort Campbell, Kentucky
Garrison Label:	Headquarters
Nickname:	"Sapper Eagles" (special designation)
Colors Label:	Color of Beret
Battles:	World War II Normandy (with arrowhead) Northern France Rhineland (with arrowhead) Ardennes-Alsace Central Europe Vietnam Counteroffensive, Phase III Tet Counteroffensive Counteroffensive, Phase IV Counteroffensive, Phase V Counteroffensive, Phase VI Tet 69/Counteroffensive Summer-Fall 1969 Winter-Spring 1970 Sanctuary Counteroffensive Counteroffensive, Phase VII Consolidation I Consolidation II Southwest Asia Defense of Saudi Arabia Liberation and Defense of Kuwait War on Terrorism Campaigns to be determined
Website:	101st Airborne Division official homepage
Commander1 Label:	Commander
Commander2 Label:	Command Sergeant Major
Identification Symbol Label:	Background trimming^[1]
Identification Symbol 2 Label:	Former beret flash of the battalion worn on dark-blue berets from 1974-1979^[2] ^[3]
Identification Symbol 3 Label:	Combat service identification badge

The 326th Engineer Battalion (Sapper Eagles)^[4] is one of three air assault engineer battalions in the United States Army.^{[4] [5]} The 326th is part of the 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team ("Bastogne")(♣), 101st Airborne Division and has been a part of the 101st since World War I.^[4]

Lineage

The 326th Engineer Battalion's lineage of record:^[4]

• Constituted 23 July 1918 in the National Army as the 326th Engineers and assigned to the 101st Division
• Reconstituted 24 June 1921 in the Organized Reserves as the 326th Engineers and assigned to the 101st Division
• Organized in November 1921 at Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Regiment broken up 31 March 1942 and its elements reorganized as the 326th Engineer Battalion and remained assigned to the 101st Division
• 326th Engineer Battalion withdrawn 15 August 1942 from the Organized Reserves and allotted to the Army of the United States; concurrently redesigned as the 326th Airborne Engineer Battalion and activated at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana
• Inactivated 30 November 1945 in France
• Consolidated 18 June 1948 with the 49th Engineer Combat Battalion and consolidated unit redesigned as the 49th Airborne Engineer Battalion, an element of the 101st Airborne Division
• Allotted 25 June 1948 to the Regular Army
• Activated 6 July 1948 at Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky
• Inactivated 29 April 1949 at Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky
• Activated 25 August 1950 at Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky
• Inactivated 1 December 1953 at Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky
• Activated 15 May 1954 at Fort Jackson, South Carolina
• Redesignated 1 July 1956 as the 326th Airborne Engineer Battalion
• Redesignated 25 April 1957 as the 326th Engineer Battalion
• Inactivated 15 September 2004 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and relieved from assignment to the 101st Airborne Division Headquarters and Headquarters Company activated 19 October 2006 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky
• Assigned 17 April 2014 to the 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division

Decorations

The 326th Engineer Battalion's decorations of record:^[4]

• Presidential Unit Citation (Army), Streamer embroidered NORMANDY
• Presidential Unit Citation (Army), Streamer embroidered BASTOGNE
• Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered SOUTHWEST ASIA 1990-1991
• Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered IRAQ 2003-2004
• Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered IRAQ 2007-2008
• Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered SOUTHWEST ASIA 2011
• Army Superior Unit Award, Streamer embroidered 2001
• French Croix de Guerre with Palm, World War II, Streamer embroidered NORMANDY
• Netherlands Orange Lanyard
• Belgian Croix de Guerre 1940 with Palm, Streamer embroidered BASTOGNE; Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action at Bastogne
• Belgian Fourragere 1940
• Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action in France and Belgium
• Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1968-1969
• Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1971
• Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal, First Class, Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1968-1970

Company A additional entitled to:

• Presidential Unit Citation (Army), Streamer embroidered DAK TO
• Valorous Unit Award, Streamer embroidered TUY HOA
• Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1966
• Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1966-1967

Company B additionally entitled to:

• Valorous Unit Award, Streamer embroidered THUA THIEN PROVINCE
• Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1968

Company C additionally entitled to:

• Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1968

Notes and References

1. https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/ARN6028_DAPam670-1_Web_FINAL.pdf U.S. Department of the Army Pamphlet 670-1, Uniform and Insignia Guide to the Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOZGkh_621o All American Legacy Podcast Ep 25 - The French Hat
3. https://www.facebook.com/profile/100064748798653/search/?q=On%20episode%2025%20of%20the%20All%20American%20Legacy%20Podcast On episode 25 of the All American Legacy Podcast, we mention the blue beret of the 101st Airborne Division in the 1970s. Well, here is the proof.
4. https://history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/lineages/branches/eng/0326enbn.htm Lineage And Honors Information, 326TH ENGINEER BATTALION (SAPPER EAGLES)
5. https://home.army.mil/campbell/index.php/units/101st 101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION (AIR ASSAULT) "Rendezvous With Destiny"