16th Engineer Battalion (United States)

16th Engineer Battalion

Coat of Arms
Active 11 December 1935 – 13 April 1946
7 March 1951 – 12 December 1957
3 February 1962 – Present
Country  United States
Allegiance Regular Army
Branch United States Army Corps of Engineers
Nickname "Catamounts." (Special Designation)[1]
Motto "SEMPER ALTIMO"
(Always To The Top)
ACE Colors Scarlet and White
Engagements World War II
Tunisia
Naples-Foggia
Anzio
Rome-Arno
North Apennines
Po Valley

Southwest Asia
Defense of Saudi Arabia
Liberation and Defense of Kuwait
Cease-Fire

Company B additionally entitled to:

World War II-EAME:
Algeria-French Morocco
Decorations Valorous Unit Award
IRAQ-KUWAIT

Army Superior Unit Award
1995–1996

Company A additionally entitled to:

Presidential Unit Citation (Army)
MT. PORCHIA
Insignia
Distinctive Unit Insignia

The 16th Engineer Battalion is a Combat Engineer Battalion in the United States Army, first establishedn in 1935

Contents

Lineage

Furth Germany till 1993

Honors

Campaign participation credit

  1. Tunisia;
  2. Naples-Foggia;
  3. Anzio (with arrowhead);
  4. Rome-Arno;
  5. North Apennines;
  6. Po Valley
  1. Defense of Saudi Arabia;
  2. Liberation and Defense of Kuwait;
  3. Cease-Fire

Company B additionally entitled to:

  1. Algeria-French Morocco (with arrowhead)

Decorations

Company A additionally entitled to:

Insignia

Coat of arms

Blazon

Symbolism

  1. Red and white are the colors used for the Corps of Engineers.
  2. The bar symbolizes a treadway bridge, the construction of which was a major combat mission of the organization.
  3. The cat-a-mountain, a European wildcat, indicates the stealth and swiftness required in combat engineer operations, and the soldiers of the battalion are known as "Catamounts."
  4. The black cat also connotes the darkness in which operations are conducted.
  5. The star from the flag of French Morocco represents service in that area during World War II.
  6. The inverted chevron symbolizes the battalion's spearheading of armored engineer activity in World War II.
  1. The six teeth on the gear wheel represent the unit's campaign service during World War II.
  2. Gold denotes excellence, while the gear wheel alludes to engineering.
  3. The scimitar honors the battalion's Valorous Unit award for IRAQ-KUWAIT, and the crossed palms highlight the unit's Southwest Asia campaigns.
  1. The coat of arms was originally approved for the 16th Armored Engineer Battalion on 25 April 1952.
  2. It was redesignated for the 16th Engineer Battalion on 12 September 1957.
  3. The coat of arms was amended on 5 December 1984 to correct the motto.
  4. On 21 October 1994 the coat of arms was revised to change the symbolism.
  5. It was amended on 29 September 1999.

Distinctive Unit Insignia.

  1. Red and white are the colors used for the Corps of Engineers.
  2. The bar symbolizes a treadway bridge, the construction of which was a major combat mission of the organization.
  3. The cat-a-mountain, a European wildcat, indicates the stealth and swiftness required in combat engineer operations, and the soldiers of the battalion are known as "Catamounts."
  4. The black cat also connotes the darkness in which operations are conducted.
  5. The star from the flag of French Morocco represents service in that area during World War II.
  6. The inverted chevron symbolizes the battalion's spearheading of armored engineer activity in World War II.
  1. The Distinctive Unit Insignia was originally approved for the 16th Armored Engineer Battalion on 25 April 1952.
  2. It was redesignated for the 16th Engineer Battalion on 12 September 1957.
  3. On 5 December 1984 the insignia was amended to correct the symbolism.
  4. On 21 October 1994 it was revised to change the description and the symbolism.

See also

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Army Center of Military History document "Lineage and Honors 16th Engineer Battalion".