The 37th Engineer Battalion (Airborne) “Eagle Battalion” served as the combat engineer battalion of the 82nd Airborne Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team. From World War II through Iraq and Afghanistan, its paratrooper-engineers provided mobility, survivability, and combat support wherever the All Americans deployed. The battalion was officially deactivated in October 2024, but its legacy remains. Airborne Apparel Company is proud to offer reproductions and unique designs that celebrate the legacy of the 37th Engineer Battalion (Airborne).
The 37th Engineer Battalion was first constituted in 1918 as part of the 20th Engineers, and later reorganized and reactivated multiple times through the 20th century. By the post-World War II period, it had taken its place as a combat engineer battalion within the Army’s airborne force structure.
World War II Service
During World War II, the battalion deployed to the European Theater, where it provided combat engineer support during the Allied drive into Nazi-occupied Europe. Engineers of the 37th constructed bridges, cleared obstacles, built and repaired roads, and fortified positions under combat conditions, ensuring the advance of infantry and armor.
Cold War & Vietnam
The battalion remained active through the Cold War, and elements deployed to Vietnam, where airborne engineers conducted construction, route clearance, base development, and combat support in austere and hostile conditions.
Integration with the 82nd Airborne Division
The 37th Engineer Battalion became the dedicated airborne combat engineer battalion for the 82nd Airborne Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Nicknamed the “Eagle Battalion,” its paratrooper-engineers trained to parachute directly into combat zones alongside infantry, providing immediate engineer support for mobility, countermobility, and survivability operations.
Gulf War & Beyond
The battalion deployed during Operation Desert Storm (1991), supporting the liberation of Kuwait and conducting engineer missions in support of XVIII Airborne Corps. In the decades that followed, the Eagle Battalion participated in contingency operations, humanitarian relief, and peacekeeping missions across the globe.
Global War on Terror
Following 9/11, the 37th Engineer Battalion (Airborne) deployed multiple times to Iraq and Afghanistan. Its engineers specialized in route clearance, counter-IED operations, airfield construction, fortifications, and direct support of paratrooper assaults. Frequently among the first in theater, the battalion demonstrated the airborne engineer ethos: building, fighting, and surviving under fire.
Inactivation
On 16 October 2024, the 37th Engineer Battalion (Airborne) was officially deactivated at Fort Bragg as part of Army force restructuring. Its lineage, history, and honors remain a permanent part of the 82nd Airborne Division’s legacy. Former members of the Eagle Battalion carry forward its traditions, ensuring that the unique identity of an airborne engineer battalion is never forgotten.
Identity & Legacy
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Nickname: “Eagle Battalion”
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Motto: “Fortuna Infortuna Forti Una” — “Fortune or Misfortune is All the Same to the Brave”
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Affiliation: 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division
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Decorations: Presidential Unit Citations (World War II), Meritorious Unit Commendations (Vietnam, Southwest Asia, Iraq, Afghanistan), foreign decorations for WWII campaigns.
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Notable Service: Route clearance and airborne engineer insertions in Iraq and Afghanistan; combat engineering excellence at Bastogne’s heritage ceremonies with the 82nd.
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Distinctive Role: One of the Army’s few airborne combat engineer battalions, maintaining both airborne proficiency and heavy engineer expertise.
Enduring Significance
For more than a century, the 37th Engineer Battalion (Airborne) embodied the courage and skill of airborne engineers. From bridging rivers in Europe to clearing IED-laden roads in Afghanistan, the Eagle Battalion was the vital enabler for America’s paratroopers. Though deactivated in 2024, its history remains a cornerstone of airborne engineer heritage.
Airborne Apparel Company is proud to offer reproductions and unique designs that celebrate the legacy of the 37th Engineer Battalion (Airborne).