35th Signal Brigade History

The 35th Signal Brigade, the largest unit of its type, originally activated in 1943 as the 931st Signal Battalion, the unit performed admirably in the Central Burma and India Burma Campaigns, earning the Meritorious Unit Citation. The Battalion was deactivated ate the end of World War II, but in 1967, it was reactivated and designated the 35th Signal Group. It became a brigade in 1979. The brigade originally consisted of a headquarters company, four signal battalions (25th Signal Battalion, 50th Signal Battalion, 327th Signal Battalion and 426th Signal Battalion) and a separate company, the 514th Long Range Extension Signal Company.

The 327th Signal Battalion, officially activated on June 30, 1952 at Tampa, FL in the United States Army Reserve. After deactivation in 1959, the battalion reactivated in the Regular Army in August of 1967 at Fort Bragg, NC. The "Night Hawk" battalion provided worldwide rapidly deployable force projection signal support for Joint Task Force Headquarters, XVIII Airborne Corps Main and Rear Headquarters, the Fort Bragg Sustainment Base, and designated Major Subordinate Commands during war and Operations Other Than War until its inactivation and reflagging ceremony to the 50th Signal Battalion on 15 June 2006.

The 50th Signal Battalion (Corps) (Forced Entry) (Airborne) provided world-wide contingency, force projection, signal support to the XVIII Airborne Corps. The 50th Signal Battalion was originally constituted on 16 December 1899 in the Regular Army, as Company H, Signal Corps, and organized in the Philippine Island, the unit subsequently moved to Fort Sam Houston, TX on 25 May 1915 and later designated as the 51st Telegraph Battalion in October 1917. The battalion inactivated on 24 September 1921 and reactivated in response to the Korean War on 24 October 1951 and redesignated the 50th Signal Battalion (Corps). In March 1970, the battalion became a part of the 35th Signal Group in, which supported the XVIII Airborne Corps. The battalion was reorganized and redesignated on 16 June 1983 as the 50th Signal Battalion (Corps Command Operations) (Airborne). The battalion subsequently reorganized and redesignated on 01 February 1989 as the 50th Signal Battalion (Corps) (Forced Entry) (Airborne).

The 51st Signal Battalion (Airborne), "Oldest and Finest" provided world-wide, rapidly deployable force projection for Joint Task Force Headquarters, Coalition Forces and designated Major Subordinate Commands during war and Operations Other Than War. The 51st Signal Battalion is recognized as the oldest continuously serving signal battalion on active duty within the United States Army until it's inactivation on 15 September 2006. The 51st Signal Battalion constituted on 3 June 1916 in the regular army as the 5th Telegraph Battalion at Camp Alfred Vail, New Jersey. The 51st has a long and distinguished history with service in World War I, WWII where it was awarded battle streamers, and the Korean conflict where it was awarded five battle streamers and its First Meritorious Unit Commendation, and the Korean Presidential Citation after its reorganization and redesignation on 1 March 1945 as the 51st Signal Operation Battalion. The battalion colors were retired on 19 January 1978 and on 16 March 1981 reorganized as the Command Operations Battalion of the 93d Signal Brigade, deployed to Operations Desert Shield/Storm in 1990. The battalion earned battle streamers for the Defense of Saudi Arabia and the Liberation and Defense of Kuwait. On 16 April 1993, the 51st Colors were uncased at Fort Bragg for the first time and re-designated as an Airborne provisional battalion. The battalion provided continuous MSE and Humanitarian support in Haiti and the Global War on Terrorism, in Afghanistan and Iraq three times earning the Iraq Campaign streamer and Meritorious Unit Citation for Operations Enduring Freedom.

Lineage and Honors

Headquarters and Headquarters Company
35th Signal Brigade

Brigade Honors

For actions during World War II (1941-1945) on the European and African Continents the following Campaign Streamers are awarded:

For actions during the Persian Gulf War (1990-1991) the following Campaign Streamers are awarded: