A North Dakota Army National Guard unit will deactivate during a ceremony at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Minot Aug. 1.

The 818th Engineer Company (Sapper) is scheduled to deactivate and case its unit colors during the ceremony, according to N.D. Army National Guard information.

The casing ceremony symbolizes the deactivation of the 818th Engineer Company (Sapper) as it will be reorganized with the 817th Engineer Company (Sapper) in Jamestown. Most soldiers have transferred to other N.D. Army National Guard units, with the majority transferring to the 817th.

Unit History

The 818th Engineer Company (Sapper) traces back to Company C of the 164th Infantry. Organized on Dec. 8, 1906, at Williston, it was federally activated as Company E 1st Infantry, N.D. National Guard. The unit was mustered into federal service on June 19, 1916, for service on the Mexican border and mustered out of federal service in February 1917 at Fort Snelling, Minnesota.

Company C resumed state status on Feb. 14, 1917. On Oct. 4, 1917, the unit was again called into federal service and redesignated as Company E, 164th Infantry, and assigned to the 41st Division. The unit was demobilized Feb. 28, 1919, at Fort Dix, New Jersey, and was federally recognized Jan. 22, 1921, as Company E, 164th Infantry, at Williston and then reassigned to the 34th Division.

The unit was redesignated as Company B and ordered into service Feb. 10, 1941, at Willison until its inactivation on Nov. 24 ,1945, at Fort Lawton, Washington. It was reorganized and federally recognized May 1, 1947, at Williston. The unit was again ordered into federal service on Jan. 16, 1951, at Williston and released from active service on Dec. 2, 1954.

The unit was converted and redesignated on April 15,1955, as Company B, 164th Engineer Battalion. Company B was ordered into federal service on Oct. 15, 1961, and released from active federal service on Aug. 9, 1962, when it resumed state National Guard status.

The unit was ordered to active federal service for the first time in 40 years, on Dec. 18, 2003, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as Company A, 141st Engineer Battalion. Company A was deactivated on March 15, 2005, and redesignated as Company B, 164 Engineer Battalion.

On Sep. 1, 2008, the unit was reorganized and federally recognized as the 818th Engineer Company (Sapper). In April 2012, the unit was federally activated to serve in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and deactivated in March 2013.

Since 2004, the unit has lost three soldiers during the Global War on Terrorism era. On Nov. 4, 2004, Spc. Cody Wentz was killed in action while serving in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. On Dec. 3, 2012, Sgt. 1st Class Darren Linde and Spc. Tyler Orgaard of Bismarck were killed in action while serving in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

The unit has previously been awarded the Presidential Unit Citation and Philippine Presidential Unit Citation for service in World War II and the Meritorious Unit Citation for service in Afghanistan.

Upon the 818th Engineer Company (Sapper) reorganizing with the 817th Engineer Company (Sapper), it will become the 817th Combat Engineer Company – Infantry.