Mission
Provides fire-prevention/protection, aircraft-crash/rescue, natural cover-fire and HAZMAT responses within a Theater of Operation.
History
The 550th Engineer Detachment was constituted 27 October 1943 in the Army of the United States as the 1605th Engineer Map Depot Detachment and activated on 5 November 1943 at Portland, Oregon. It was reorganized and re-designated 1 February 1945 as the 1605th Engineer Map Depot Team. The 550th Engineer Detachment was re-designated 18 August 1945 as the 1605th Engineer Map Depot Detachment and inactivated 30 September 1945 in Germany and re-designated 13 November 1950 as the 550th Engineer Map Depot Detachment and allotted to the Regular Army.
The 550th Engineer Detachment was activated 15 November 1950 in Korea and inactivated 15 April 1953 in Korea. It was re-designated 8 June 1961 as the 550th Engineer Detachment and activated 1 July 1961 at Fort Hood, Texas. The detachment was inactivated 1 January 1966 in Korea and activated 1 December 1966 at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland. It undergone inactivation on 23 August 1968 in Vietnam and activated 25 July 1969 in Vietnam. It was inactivated 15 June 1970 in Vietnam and activated 21 June 1974 at Fort Lee, Virginia.
The 550th Engineer Detachment was inactivated 16 August 1987 at Fort Lee, Virginia and activated 16 October 2005 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The 550th Engineer Detachment recently returned from a deployment from Romania and is currently task organized under the 19th Engineer Battalion.
Awards & Honors
The 550th Engineer Detachment participated in WWII and earned campaign credits for Normandy (with arrowhead), Northern France, and Rhineland. During the Korean conflict, the 550th Engineer Detachment earned campaign credits for the CCF Intervention, First UN Counteroffensive, CCF Spring Offensive, UN Summer-Fall Offensive, Second Korean Winter, Korea, Summer-Fall 1952, and Third Korean Winter.
During the Vietnam conflict, the 550th Engineer Detachment earned the campaign credits for Counteroffensive, Phase II, Counteroffensive, Phase III, Tet Counteroffensive, Counteroffensive, Phase IV, Counteroffensive, Phase V, Summer-Fall 1969, Winter-Spring 1970, Sanctuary Counteroffensive.
The 550th Engineer Detachment earned the following decorations: Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered KOREA 1950-1951, and the French Croix de Guerre with Palm, World War II, Streamer embroidered NORMANDY BEACHES.
