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, MISSISSIPPI, 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.
In 1954, the number 150 was allotted to the MSARNG, and since then the battalion has fulfilled the roles of a transportation battalion and a 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.
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.
Over 1,500 combat patrols, 150 logistical patrols, and 150 company-sized operations were carried out by the sappers.
Despite its success during the deployment, 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.
In 2009, the BSTB deployed to Iraq for a second time and the guardsmen once again showed their ability to adapt and overcome. It was tasked with three main missions: convoy escort, base defense, and a personal security detail for VIPs.
In October 2016, the 155th 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.
“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,” said Lyon, the incoming 150th BEB 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 obstacle to ensure success, for today and generations to come.

• Date Taken: 11.29.2016
• Date Posted: 12.02.2016 09:34
• Story ID: 215994
• Location: MERIDIAN, MISSISSIPPI, US
• Hometown: MERIDIAN, MISSISSIPPI, US