Honor is Their Strength

Photo By Capt. William Hill II | Soldiers from the 155th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team, Mississippi Army National Guard pause for a moment of silence while deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 9.2 in 2009. The 155th BSTB recently transitioned back to the 150th Brigade Engineer Battalion.  

MERIDIAN, MS, UNITED STATES

11.29.2016

Story by 2nd Lt. William Hill II 

Joint Force Headquarters - Mississippi National Guard

In the ever-evolving climate of modern warfare, force structure is an ongoing process to help units adapt to best support the fight.
The U.S. Army has been deployed to the Middle East for over a decade-and-a-half. In that time, there have been many changes in the organization of units at every level.
One such battalion that knows a great deal about change is the 150th Brigade Engineer Battalion, of the 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team, Mississippi Army National Guard.
The sappers have had the distinct responsibility of transitioning from a combat engineer battalion, to a special troops battalion, to a brigade engineer battalion most recently.
The battalion’s rich history dates back to World War II when the unit was part of the regular Army and comprised of mostly New Englanders who were drafted. They were awarded the prestigious Presidential Unit Citation for actions during the Great War.
In 1954, the number 150 was allotted to the MSARNG, and since then the battalion has fulfilled the roles of a transportation and quartermaster battalion before transitioning to an engineer battalion in 1994.
The next decade saw the sappers exceed expectations in support of the 155th ABCT through a National Training Center rotation at Ft. Irwin, Calif. and a year-long deployment to Iraq in 2005 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III.
The engineers were based out of Forward Operating Base (FOB) Dogwood located southwest of Baghdad. In order to meet the mission needs at the time, the unit operated as a provisional infantry battalion with engineer capabilities.
The 150th also performed multiple civil affairs and intelligence missions. They had previously trained as a support element and not as a standalone maneuver battalion. Their ability to adapt to the new mission set was a testament to the maturity and ability of the Soldiers in the unit.
The group utilized its engineer assets to fortify FOB Dogwood in order to operate as a primary FOB and logistically support nearly 1,200 Soldiers.
Twelve battalion-sized operations were conducted over the course of seven months, including joint operations with the Iraqi Army. Over 1,500 combat patrols, 150 logistical patrols, and 150 company-sized operations were carried out by the sappers. The unit also provided force protection for the FOB.
Despite its success, the engineer battalion was not without its share of tragedy. Four Soldiers were lost during the deployment, three to improvised explosive devices and one to a vehicle accident: Sgt. 1st Class Sean M. Cooley, Sgt. Larry R. Arnold Sr., Spc. Terrence Lee Sr., and Spc. Robert McNail.
The memories of these men are honored in the hallways of the battalion headquarters in Meridian, Miss., as well as in the battalion crest.
The four pillars at the top of the engineer tower represent the four fallen Soldiers. The Bouie knife hearkens back to the connection with the 155th ABCT and the “Mississippi Rifles.”
The white represents a railroad track, paying homage to Meridian, Miss. where the battalion is headquartered. The gauntlet represents engineers and the two stars pay tribute to the WWII and Iraq deployments.
The red, white, and blue reflect the state and national colors. The battalion motto, “Honor is Our Strength,” is at the bottom of the crest and serves as the foundation for everything the engineers do.
Staff Sgt. Paul Lampton, a member of the 150th BEB from 1994-2015, was tasked with creating the battalion’s crest when it transitioned to the 155th Brigade Special Troops Battalion in 2006, after returning from Iraq.
“Coming up with the motto was probably the hardest thing to do,” said Lampton. “I looked at the crest and how it honored our past and what a strong family we were as a battalion, and it just came to me - honor is our strength.”
The unit made the transition in 2006 from a combat engineer battalion to the 155th BSTB. It lost
two of its engineer companies, but gained military intelligence and signal companies, as well as detachments of military police and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) specialists.
Its overall capabilities changed, but its interoperability with the brigade was enhanced now that it was able to utilize the new capabilities that had formerly been directly under control of the 155th ABCT. This structure helped to ease some of the burdens at the brigade level while expanding the effectiveness of the battalion.
In 2009, the BSTB deployed to Iraq for a second time and the guardsmen once again showed their ability to adapt and overcome.
Initially, the battalion was tasked to accompany units, but received it’s own mission just before leaving the U.S. It was tasked with three main missions at Camp Taji, just north of Baghdad; convoy escort, base defense, and a personal security detail for VIPs.
In October 2016, the BSTB transitioned to the 150th BEB. The new battalion maintained the signal and military intelligence units while adding more engineers to meet the needs of the brigade.
“The BEB gives that commander a little more flexibility than they had with the special troops battalion, because over the years commanders across the Army had recognized that they just didn’t have enough engineer assets (within the BSTB) to effectively sustain their support of the brigade,” said Lt. Col. Kendrick L. Cager, the outgoing 150th BEB commander.
Cager was a former company commander in the battalion during its first deployment to Iraq. He is transferring his command to another former company commander from the 150th BEB, Maj. (P) Paul Lyon.
“I am awestruck at the opportunity to not only return to, but lead and serve, the Soldiers of the 150th Brigade Engineer Battalion,” said Lyon, the incoming 150th BEB commander. “This assignment is especially meaningful to me as I have served the 150th in numerous assignments over the years, culminating with a deployment to Iraq in 2005 as a company commander. I have seen, first hand, the caliber of Soldiers within this command and I look forward to serving with them again.”
The history of the 150th will continue to be written as the U.S. globally defends freedom. In true engineer fashion, the 150th BEB will strive to help its fellow units over, under, around, or through any obstacles to ensure success, for today and generations to come.

• Date Taken: 11.29.2016
• Date Posted: 12.02.2016 09:23
• Story ID: 216002
• Location: MERIDIAN, MS, US