212th Engineer Company To Celebrate 100th Anniversary

 
Paris, Tenn.–Tennessee Army National Guard’s Paris-based 212th Engineer Company is celebrating its 100 year anniversary this year. The event will be held Tuesday, September 26, at the Paris National Guard Armory at 285 County Home Road from 8  to 10  am. Paris-Henry County Chamber Coffee will be offering free coffee, drinks, and donuts to all attendees. The guest speaker will be Captain Nathan Browning, the current commander of the 212^th Engineer Company. In attendance will be the Mayor of Paris, Carlton Gerrell and Henry County Mayor, Brent Greer.
The Paris Army National Guard has a long and illustrious history. First formed in September 1917 as Battery D, 114^th 1^st Tennessee Field Artillery, this unit deployed to WWI. In January 1918 the Paris unit was reorganized into Company H Infantry and Battery A Field Artillery. These units deployed to WWII in September 1940. In 1947 the Paris unit was again reorganized into Company E, 117^th Infantry Regiment and Company B, 105^th Engineer Company. In 1954 the unit changed to Company B and Company E 230^th Engineer Battalion. In 1973 the unit was restructured into the 890^th Engineer Company. In 1999, the unit became Company C, 46^th Engineer Battalion and deployed to Iraq in 2002. On October 16, 2004 the unit reorganized and was re-designated as the 212^th Engineer Company.
The 212^th deployed to Kuwait in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2013. The unit has also deployed on numerous training missions at home and abroad.  The unit participated in the California border wall construction in 2005, Hurricane Katrina relief efforts in 2005, Arizona border wall construction in 2007, and a humanitarian mission to Dominican Republic 2009. The unit also deployed to Bulgaria in 2014, 2015, and 2016 to perform various construction missions and participated in another humanitarian mission to Guatemala in 2016.
During the unit’s approximately month long missions, Soldiers trained on their engineer skills, including; masonry, carpentry, electrical, plumbing and excavating. While participating in humanitarian missions, the unit built schools and clinics for impoverished communities.
These missions allowed Soldiers to improve on their skills in a real-world environment while providing necessary infrastructure improvements for people in need in partner countries.
All present and former members of the Paris Army National Guard units are encouraged to attend. The general public is also invited and will be welcomed at this event.