Currently stationed in Columbus, the 16th Engineer Brigade of the Ohio Army National Guard was originally constituted in the National Guard as the Headquarters, 62nd Field Artillery Brigade, a part of the 37th Division. It was inducted into Federal service in 1940, and was redesignated as the HQ, 37th Division Artillery in 1942. It would not be designated as Engineer unit until February 1968, when it was given its current designation and relieved from assignment to the 37th Division.
The Brigade has been ordered into active Federal service at least twice since the launch of the War on Terrorism, with the first call coming 10 September 2005 at Columbus, Ohio. Deployed to Iraq, the HQ and HQ Company, 16th Engineer Brigade was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation in 2009 for its support of the 4th Infantry Division between December 2005 and November 2006.
Roughly four years later, the Brigade again deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and in 2013 its selection for a Meritorious Unit Commendation for providing Engineer Support to Brigade Combat Teams and coordinating Civil Reconstruction efforts in the Area of Responsibility of U.S. Division-South and Multi-National Division-Baghdad from October 2009 to June 2010 was officially approved.
Nicknamed the “Iron Castle” brigade because of the eye-catching imagery found on the unit patch (i.e., Shoulder Sleeve Insignia), the 16th has also had extensive peacetime service in offering assistance on various construction projects across the country and around the globe. From improving U.S. Border Patrol access along the Rio Grande to constructing roadways through the rugged mountains of Honduras, the Brigade’s motto of “Blast Build Battle” serves as a reminder of its role of support both during peacetime and in war.
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