| Unit Name: | 46th Engineer Battalion |
| Type: | Combat Engineer |
| Branch: | United States Army Corps of Engineers |
| Dates: | 1917-present |
| Specialization: | Construction Engineering |
| Command Structure: | 20th Engineer Brigade |
| Size: | Battalion |
| Garrison: | Ft. Polk, LA |
| Nickname: | Steel Spike |
| Motto: | TO ACHIEVE |
| Identification Symbol Label: | Distinctive Unit Insignia |
The 46th Engineer Battalion ("Steel Spike"[1]) is a military engineer unit in the United States Army that was formally established in 1917.
On order, the 46th Engineer Battalion deploys to command, to control, and to execute combat and/or general engineering in support of U.S. Army, Joint, and Coalition Forces.
The Battalion consist of the following units:
Constituted 7 December 1917 in the National Army as the 46th Engineers
Organized March–April 1918 at Camp Sheridan, Alabama
Converted and redesignated 18 September 1918 as the 46th Regiment, Transportation Corps
Regiment broken up 12 November 1918 and its elements reorganized and redesignated as follows:
29th Company, Transportation Corps, demobilized 13 July 1919 at Camp Devens, Massachusetts; 30th and 31st Companies, Transportation Corps, demobilized 2 July and 11 July 1919, respectively, at Camp Gordon, Georgia
Regiment reconstituted 1 October 1933 in the Regular Army as the 46th Engineers
Activated 14 July 1941 at Camp Bowie, Texas
Redesignated 18 March 1943 as the 46th Engineer General Service Regiment
Reorganized and redesignated 22 April 1944 as the 46th Engineer Construction Battalion
Reorganized and redesignated 15 June 1947 as Headquarters and Headquarters and Service Company, 46th Engineer Construction Battalion (organic elements concurrently absorbed)
Inactivated 15 March 1950 in Japan
Redesignated 22 September 1950 as the 46th Engineer Construction Battalion and activated at Fort Sill, Oklahoma (organic elements concurrently reconstituted and activated)
Reorganized and redesignated 23 November 1953 as the 46th Engineer Battalion
Battalion departs the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) in 1971 and is assigned to Fort Rucker, Alabama under the 18th Engineer Brigade. The battalion deploys to the Republic of Honduras in the fall of 1983 to construct base camp facilities and airfields as part of Operation Ahuas Tara II before returning to Fort Rucker in the spring of 1984. The battalion deploys to Operation Desert Shield in the fall of 1990, serving in Operation Desert Storm and returning to Fort Rucker in May 1991. In late 1993, segments of the battalion deployed to Colombia, South America to participate in the construction of several community and infrastructure projects. Those segments returned to Fort Rucker in early 1994. In mid-1994, the battalion is relocated to Fort Polk, Louisiana due to the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) and to support the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC). This relocation did not include Bravo Company.
1996: Deployment to Haiti in support of NATO mission under President Bill Clinton.
16 October 1999: Battalion reorganized as a multi-component unit; Company C concurrently inactivated. The 890th Engineer Company (Tennessee Army National Guard) reorganized and redesignated as Company C, 46th Engineer Battalion. This company was also located at Ft. Rucker Alabama. It was deactivated and moved to Ft. Polk La.
October 2005: the battalion was deployed to Iraq. During the one-year deployment, A Company and C Company were based from Al-Taqqadum with elements near Syria and Ramadi. B Company and HHC were primarily operated from Camp Ramadi. Elements of the battalion participated in the Battle of Ramadi (2006) establishing combat outposts (COPs) and patrol bases throughout the city. These operations were often executed under direct fire and/or indirect fire. Four members of the battalion were KIA during the duration of the deployment—two due to mortar attacks and two to improvised explosive devices.
October 2006: the battalion returns to the United States.
February 2010: B Company deactivated while still garrisoned at Fort Rucker, Alabama. The battalion is transformed from legacy to modular battalion on 16 February 2010.
World War I
World War II
Vietnam
Southwest Asia