Draft:Brigade Engineer Battalion (United States)

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A brigade engineer battalion (BEB) is a maneuver support and operations support battalion of the United States Army. A BEB is an organic part of a brigade combat team (BCT) providing combat engineer assets as well as specialized signals and military intelligence support. It consists of a headquarters and headquarters company, two engineer companies, a signals company, a military intelligence company, a tactical unmanned aircraft system platoon, CBRN reconnaissance platoon, and a forward support company (attached from the brigade support battalion.)[1]

A Brigade Engineer Battalion is only found within brigade combat teams, as more specialized brigades are typically augmented with engineer assets from higher headquarters as needed rather than containing them organically. The mission and skillset of the BEB can vary between the different types of BCTs, but overall perform the same basic functions.[2]

Overview[edit]

A BEB is a multifunctional support battalion that provides engineering assets, communications, and military intelligence to the brigade headquarters as well as the brigade as a whole. It is an expeditionary unit that deploys with the rest of the brigade. Typically, the BEB retains command and support relationships over the units within the battalion, however the BCT may transfer control of subordinate units to fit the needs of the mission. Due to the vast array of capabilities organic to the BEB, the battalion is often collocated and integrates closely with the BCT's command and staff.[3]

Organization[edit]

Headquarters and Headquarters Company[edit]

The Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) contains the battalion headquarters and command section, as well as provides sustainment functions for the engineer battalion to accomplish the mission. The company headquarters consists of a company commander, executive officer, first sergeant, and supply section. The HHC commander assists the battalion command section in establishing and coordinating security for a tactical operations center.

The battalion command section consists of the battalion commander, executive officer (XO), command sergeant major (CSM), and unit ministry team (UMT). The command section's job is to ensure that attached and subordinate units receive support from assets organic to the battalion, as well as oversee training and mission preparation.

The staff sections consist of the S1, S2, S3, S4, and S6 sections. S1 provides personnel support through managing soldier assignments and personnel records. S2 provides intelligence support within the battalion's area of operations and recommends intelligence tasks to the military intelligence company. S3 is tasked with training, operation, and plans for the battalion. S4 handles supply, maintenance, and transportation services. S6 manages internal communications equipment including radio and satellite networks.

Additional functions within the HHC is the battalion medical section and brigade CBRN reconnaissance platoon.[4] The medical section provides tactical combat casualty care, sick call, and triage for the battalion organically. Infantry brigade combat teams (IBCT) have a light CBRN reconnaissance platoon, while stryker brigade combat teams (SBCT) and armored brigade combat teams (ABCT) have heavy CBRN reconnaissance platoons. The CBRN reconnaissance platoon conducts mounted and dismounted CBRN reconnaissance and surveillance for the BCT throughout and around its area of operations.

Engineer Companies[edit]

The BEB is typically equipped with two engineer companies.

Company A consists of a company headquarters, two combat engineer platoons, and an engineer support platoon. The combat engineer platoons specialize in breaching and obstacle emplacement. The engineer contains a construction squad and a specialized breach squad. In an SBCT, the engineer support platoon is replaced with a standalone breaching squad and bridge section.[5]

Company B is generally the same as Company A, however the organization varies between the different types of BCTs. Regardless of BCT, Company B consists of a company headquarters, one combat engineer platoon, and one route clearance platoon. The route clearance platoon is tasked with neutralizing hazards and obstacles along friendly routes. In an SBCT, Company B also has an engineer support platoon with an additional bridging section and a construction squad. ABCT and IBCTs swap the engineer support platoon with a mobility support platoon that contains a construction squad and a breaching squad with an additional bridging team.[6]

Signal Company[edit]

The brigade signal company lives within the BEB. The signal company operates and maintains the brigade's organic communications networks while both stationary and on the move. The signal company works closely with the brigade support battalion's field maintenance company's communications-electronics maintenance element to repair and replace communications equipment.

The signal company consists of a headquarters and network support platoon and two network extension platoons. The headquarters and network support platoon contains the company headquarters and supply sections, a network operations section, a small command post support team, a retransmission team, and a communications-electronics maintenance support section. The two network extension platoons consist of a joint network node team, a data support team, and a retransmission team. The network extension platoons are tasked with providing network support to their assigned CPs to BCT CPs, brigade support areas, higher headquarters, and joint headquarters.[7]

Military Intelligence Company[edit]

The military intelligence company (MICO) is tasked with the collection information and intelligence, analysis, and dissemination of information for the BCT. It consists of a headquarters section, brigade intelligence support element platoon, an intelligence collection platoon, and a United States Air Force weather team that provides real time meteorological data to the brigade. A TUAS platoon and an electronic warfare platoon are also attached to the MICO, but are not organic to the unit.

The brigade intelligence support element platoon (BISE) consists of an all-source analysis and fusion section (responsible for overall analysis and disseminations of gathered intelligence), an information processing section (responsible for sorting collected information into usable intelligence), and an intelligence and electronic warfare systems integration (maintenance) section (responsible for maintaining the classified computer systems used by intelligence sections and conducting electronic warfare.)

The intelligence collection platoon consists of a human intelligence collection section (responsible for gathering information from human sources) and a signal intelligence technical control and collection section (responsible for intercepting and decoding enemy communications.)

In garrison, the MICO falls under the BEB. However, in field and wartime environments, the MICO is managed directly by the BCT's command team and provides intelligence support to the BCT commander and subordinate units.[8]

References[edit]

  1. ^ US Army, U. S. G. (2021). Army Techniques Publication ATP 3-34 Engineer Operations - Brigade Combat Team and Below April 2021. Independently Published. p. 28
  2. ^ ATP 3-34.22, p. 27
  3. ^ ATP 3-34.22, p. 29
  4. ^ ATP 3-34.22, p. 33
  5. ^ ATP 3-34.22, p. 34, para. 2-35
  6. ^ ATP 3-34.22, p. 34, para. 2-36
  7. ^ ATP 3-34.22, p. 34, para. 2-38-43
  8. ^ ATP 3-34.22, p. 34, para. 2-37
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