168th Engineer Brigade

August 2015 May 2024 168th Engineer Brigade 168EngineerBdeSSI.svg 200 168th Engineer Brigade Shoulder Sleeve Insignia US United States 25px Mississippi Army National Guard 25px United States Army National Guard 1951 – Present Combat Engineers 25px 184th Sustainment Command Brigade Vicksburg, Mississippi HQ Monuments To Progress Iraq War War in Afghanistan Headquarters and Headquarters Company: Presidential Unit Citation Meritorious Unit Commendation (2) Colonel Thomas Howell 125px|center Distinctive unit insignia 200px 168th Engineer Brigade Flag The 168th Engineer Brigade is a Combat Engineer brigade of the United States Army based in Vicksburg, Mississippi. It is a part of the Mississippi Army National Guard and was redesignated from the 168th Engineer Group in 2008. Under the administrative and training supervision of the 184th Sustainment Command, the brigade is in turn responsible for the peacetime administration and training of two subordinate battalions spread through Mississippi: the 223rd Engineer Battalion and the 890th Engineer Battalion.https://ms.ng.mil/aboutus/units/184sc/Pages/default.aspx 184th Sustainment Command Mississippi National Guard 10 November 2019June 2026 InternetArchiveBot History The lineage of the 168th Engineer Brigade headquarters began with the organization and Federal recognition of the Vicksburg-based headquarters battery of the nondivisional 204th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion on 30 April 1951. The 204th was one of 20 new nondivisional units allotted to the Mississippi Army National Guard several weeks earlier on 16 March. The 168th Engineer Combat Group headquarters was soon allotted to the Mississippi Army National Guard to control its nondivisional engineer units.14 April 1951 State To Activate 21 Guard Units 3 The Clarion-Ledger https://www.newspapers.com/clip/63980151/activation-of-new-ms-arng-units/ As a result, the battery was converted into the Headquarters and Headquarters Company of the 168th Engineer Combat Group on 9 October. Battery C of the 204th at Laurel was reorganized as the new headquarters battery.30 October 1951 Headquarters Battery Assigned To Laurel 16 The Clarion-Ledger https://www.newspapers.com/clip/63980217/hhb-204th-aaa-aw-bn-to-laurel/ The group was redesignated as 168th Engineer Group on 1 February 1953. By mid-1953, it controlled the 114th Engineer Battalion, and the separate 138th, 139th, 146th, 156th, and 157th Engineer Companies. The group conducted two weeks of summer training that year at Fort McClellan with the other nondivisional Mississippi Army National Guard units.23 July 1953 State Guardsmen Move into Woods 6 Clarion-Ledger https://www.newspapers.com/clip/63943446/1953-ms-arng-nondiv-at/ On 15 June 1954 the Vicksburg-based Headquarters and Service Company and Medical Detachment of the 106th Engineer Battalion of the 31st Infantry Division were consolidated into the 168th Engineer Group headquarters when the former returned to state control following the Korean War mobilization of the division. The 106th Engineer Battalion headquarters had been organized at Vicksburg in 1934 as Company B, 106th Engineers and served with the 31st Division in World War II as Company B of the 106th Engineer Combat Battalion.168th Engineer Group https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/168eng-grp.htm 2020-11-24 globalsecurity.org The 85-strong group headquarters departed for Fort Stewart in February 2003 prior to a deployment to Iraq.11 February 2003 Full 168th Engineer Group called, leaving for Georgia base this week Vicksburg Post https://www.vicksburgpost.com/2003/02/11/full-168th-engineer-group-called-leaving-for-georgia-base-this-week/ 27 November 2020 The unit spent eleven months in Iraq stationed near Balad Air Base providing command and control to engineer units, returning to Vicksburg in April 2004.8 April 2004 From Iraq's war zone to Mama's catfish Vicksburg Post https://www.vicksburgpost.com/2004/04/08/from-iraqs-war-zone-to-mamas-catfish/ 27 November 2020 It was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation for its performance between 10 February 2003 and 9 February 2004 while under control of the 130th Engineer Brigade.DA GO 2007-03 https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/go0703.pdf 13 The 168th Engineer Group headquarters was planned to be eliminated during the modular reorganization but instead was redesignated as the 168th Engineer Brigade headquarters in a 13 January 2008 ceremony due to its readiness and performance.12 January 2008 Vicksburg Guard unit to be redesignated A4 The Mississippi Press AP NewsBank This resulted in an increase of the headquarters authorized strength from 83 to 125 personnel.12 January 2008 Miss. Army National Guard's 168th Engineer Group to be redesignated WDAM7 AP https://www.wdam.com/story/7614858/miss-army-national-guards-168th-engineer-group-to-be-redesignated/ 25 November 202014 January 2008 Orders increase 168th's numbers Vicksburg Post https://www.vicksburgpost.com/2008/01/14/orders-increase-168ths-numbers011408/ 25 November 2020 Notified of a deployment to Afghanistan, the roughly 139-strong brigade headquarters departed for pre-deployment training at Camp Shelby in December of that year.Barrett Danny 10 December 2008 First, Hattiesburg; next, Afghanistan Vicksburg Post https://www.vicksburgpost.com/2008/12/10/first-hattiesburg-next-afghanistan168th-engineer-brigade-of-the-mississippi-army-national-guard-being-deployed/ 27 November 2020 The brigade headquarters coordinated engineer operations in Paktika and Parwan Provinces while in-country between 1 March and 19 November 2009, and was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation for its performance.20 January 2011 Department of the Army Permanent Orders 020-07 https://history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/HRC/2011/020-07_20110120_HRCMD_CC.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20120916220940/http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/HRC/2011/020-07_20110120_HRCMD_CC.pdf dead 16 September 2012 27 November 2020 Commanders The following officers have commanded the group and brigade: Brigadier General Johnny M. Sellers (2010–2012)Brigadier General Johnny M. Sellers https://www.nationalguard.mil/portals/31/Features/ngbgomo/bio/2/2396.html 2020-11-25 nationalguard.mil Colonel Joe D. Hargett (October 2012–October 2014)Chief, Joint Staff https://ms.ng.mil:443/leadership/Pages/Chief-of-the-Joint-Staff.aspx 2020-11-25 ms.ng.mil en-US Colonel Trent Kelly (October 2014–August 2016)Clark Jim 5 November 2014 Kelly takes command of Engineer Brigade Lee County Courier http://www.leecountycourier.net/news/kelly-takes-command-of-engineer-brigade/article_1c1e0e0a-fdb8-53d1-bde8-33b90ea69e6e.html 25 November 2020Brigadier General John T. Kelly https://www.nationalguard.mil/portals/31/Features/ngbgomo/bio/3/3358.html 2020-11-25 nationalguard.mil Colonel Ilos Ducksworth (2016–2018)796091150608252930 nationalguardMS The MSNG congratulates our Col. Ilos Ducksworth! He is now the new commander of Vicksburg's 168th EN Bde! He replaces Col. Trent Kelly. Mississippi National Guard 8 November 2016 Colonel Kelvin Nichols (2018–2020)Shannon Christopher 16 May 2020 Change of Command, 168th Engineer Brigade Joint Force Headquarters, Mississippi National Guard https://www.dvidshub.net/news/370156/change-command-168th-engineer-brigade 25 November 2020 DVIDS Colonel Kendrick Cager (2020–2024) Colonel Rob Enochs (2024) Honors The 168th Engineer Brigade headquarters is entitled to the following campaign participation credit:168th Engineer Brigade Distinctive Unit Insignia https://tioh.army.mil/Catalog/Heraldry.aspx?HeraldryId=5903&CategoryId=3372&grp=2&menu=Uniformed%20Services&ps=24&p=0 2020-11-27 tioh.army.mil World War II (as Company B, 106th Engineer Combat Battalion): New Guinea (with arrowhead), Southern Philippines Iraq Afghanistan The 168th Engineer Brigade headquarters is entitled to the following decorations: Presidential Unit Citation (106th Engineer Combat Battalion cited) Meritorious Unit Commendation, streamer embroidered "Southwest Asia 2003-2004" Meritorious Unit Commendation, streamer embroidered "Afghanistan 2009" References External links 168th Engineer Brigade Homepage 168 Category:Military units and formations established in 2008 Category:Military units and formations in Mississippi Category:Vicksburg, Mississippi