| Unit Name: | 35th Engineer Brigade |
| Country: | United States |
| Allegiance: | United States Army |
| Branch: | Missouri Army National Guard |
| Type: | Combat Engineer |
| Size: | Brigade |
| Garrison: | Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri |
| Motto: | No Task Too Large |
| Notable Commanders: | Richard D. Dean |
| Identification Symbol Label: | Distinctive Unit Insignia |
The 35th Engineer Brigade is a combat engineer brigade of the United States Army National Guard of Missouri based at Fort Leonard Wood.
Originally constituted as an infantry regiment, the brigade has undergone several changes before reaching its current state. It deployed once during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Units within the brigade have deployed multiple times in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
As an Army National Guard unit, the 35th Engineer Brigade is under the command of the governor of Missouri in peacetime, but can be called upon when needed by the president.[1] The brigade’s lineage is linked to units of the 35th Infantry Division, which is also a part of the Kansas and Missouri Army National Guard, but it is not a part of the division at this time.[2]
The brigade currently consists of two engineer battalions as well as several other units, in addition to its Headquarters and Headquarters Company. These units include the 1140th Engineer Battalion based in Cape Girardeau, Missouri,[3] the 203rd Engineer Battalion, based in Joplin, Missouri.
The 35th Engineer Brigade was originally organized as the Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 138th Infantry Regiment at St. Louis, Missouri, on 17 July 1928. On 1 May 1940, the unit was reorganized and redesignated as the Headquarters Detachment, 1st Battalion, 138th Infantry. It was inducted into federal service on 23 December 1940 at St. Louis. On 1 March 1942, the 138th Infantry was relieved from the 35th Infantry Division. On 1 April, the detachment was reorganized and redesignated as the Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 138th Infantry. The regiment was inactivated on 20 July 1944 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi.
On 20 June 1946, the 138th Infantry was assigned to the 35th Infantry Division, and the 1st Battalion Headquarters Company was reorganized and federally recognized on 22 October 1946, at St. Louis. On 15 April 1959, with the adoption of the Pentomic Division concept and elimination of regiments, the unit was converted and redesignated as the Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 101st Replacement Group, and relieved from assignment to the 35th Infantry Division. On 1 April 1963, it was consolidated with the Finance Section, 35th Administration Company (see Annex 1), and the consolidated unit was converted and redesignated as the Combat Command Section, Headquarters Company, 35th Command Headquarters, Divisional. On 15 January 1968, it was consolidated with the 1135th Ordnance Company (see Annex 2) and the consolidated unit was converted and redesignated as the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 35th Engineer Brigade.
The unit received its Shoulder Sleeve Insignia until 1984, and its Distinctive Unit Insignia in 1970.[5] The insignia were based on those of the 35th Infantry Division, which has been the commanding unit of the brigade through the entirety of its history.[5] The 35th Engineer Brigade provides command and control of combat engineer units assigned to I Corps for worldwide missions. It also directs training of Missouri Army National Guards Engineer units to meet US Army readiness standards prior to mobilization. Prepares Missouri Engineer units for State Emergency Duties (SED) for various missions and provides units for task force missions to Joint Task Forces (JTF) conducting missions across the operational continuum.[6]
The 35th Engineer Brigade, was tasked in late 2000 with handling much of the planning pertaining to Operation Alaskan Road. Operation Alaskan Road is a Department of Defense Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) Exercise, a USCINCPAC sponsored multi-year exercise spread over a seven-year period, with a US$33-million budget. The project aims to build a two-lane, 14.8-mile road with no more than a 7-percent grade across the island on Annette Island linking Metlakatla to the north side of the island. The project comes as fulfillment of a government promise that was originally made to Metlakatla, home of Alaska's last Indian reservation.[6]
Elements of the brigade saw tours of duty in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005, assisting the 20th Engineer Brigade in construction and support duties.[7] The unit deployed again to the Baghdad area as part of Multi-National Division-Baghdad during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2007 and 2008.[8] Missions of the brigade have been widely varied, some are humanitarian in nature,[8] others have required the training and use of the brigade's complement of sappers.[9]
The unit was deployed to Joplin, Missouri to help secure the city in the aftermath of the 22 May 2011 EF5 tornado. During that time, members of the unit were accused of looting, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. In a telephone interview, Brigadier General Randy Alewel, commander of the 35th Engineer Brigade, confirmed that members of his unit were involved. He stated that, “We conducted an investigation and disciplinary action was imposed on those soldiers.” However, Alewell declined to say how many soldiers were involved, the extent of the looting, or what discipline they received.[10]