USAREUR Units - 52nd Sig Bn

52nd Signal Battalion DUI

The 52d Signal Battalion was constituted 18 October 1927 in the Regular Army and later activated on 10 February 1941 at Fort Sam Houston, TX. On 2 February 1942, the battalion arrived in Australia, and subsequently worked its way through Dutch New Guinea, and eventually the Philippines before the end of the war. The battalion participated in a total of four campaigns during the war to include Dutch New Guinea, Leyte, Luzon, and the southern Philippines. It was during these campaigns that the battalion received the honor of being known as "MacAuthur's Own" The battalion completed its valiant service in the South Pacific and was inactivated in Korea on 25 January 1949.

On 15 October 1966, the battalion was reactivated in Can Tho, Republic of Vietnam, at Fort Lewis, and assumed operational control of all area communications facilities in support of IV Corps, US MACV Advisory Teams. Over the next four years, the 52d Signal Battalion would participate in twelve separate campaigns throughout the Republic of Vietnam. In the fall of 1971, the battalion began to stand down and was subsequently inactivated at Fort Lewis, Washington on 12 October 1971.

On 1 July 1974, less than three years later, the battalion was again activated at its present home at Patch Barracks, Vaihingen, Germany.

The battalion consisted of Heaquarters and Headquarters Company, the 578th Signal Company, and the 589th Signal Company.

The SOCEUR Signal Detachment (SSD) was formed, and joined the battalion, at the direction of the USCINCEUR in July 1984, to provide wartime communications support for Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR) and peacetime contingency/crisis communications. Since its creation, SSD has provided unique communciations support to SOCEUR including Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm and Southern Watch, Provide Hope (Rwanda), Provide Promise/Deny Flight and Joint Endeavor (Bosnia); Noncombatant Evacuation Operations (NEO) in Liberia and Sierra Leone; VIP support to U. S. dignitaries throughout the European and African continents; and survey support as part of USEUCOM Survey and Assessment Teams.

In 1986, the Information Mission Area and the United Kingdom Signal Company were added to the battalion.

In 1989, the 298th Signal Company, located at Kelley Barracks, Moehringen, joined the 52d Signal Battalion.

The conclusion of Operation Desert Storm ushered in a new era of reorganization for the battalion. In April 1991, the 52d Signal Battalion, minus the 587th Signal Company and the United Kingdom Signal Company, was transferred to the operational control of the 2d Signal Brigade.

On 1 November 1991, many of the missions and functions of the 578th Signal Company, 589th Signal Company and the 298th Signal Company were combined with Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 52d Signal Battalion.

On 17 June 1994, as a continuing part of reorganization, the 69th Signal Battalion's Augsburg Community Service Center was transferred to the 52nd Signal Battalion. The 52nd Signal Battalion was now responsible for the administration of all DOIM functions for Southern Bavaria.

The battalion's last reorganization occurred on 29 June 1994, when the 587th Signal Battalion was realigned from the 302nd Signal Battalion and the 52nd Signal Battalion assumed all responsibilities for the soldiers assigned to the 587th Signal Company.