Lineage and Honors Information as of 30 April 2012
861st ENGINEER COMPANY
- Organized 17 August 1865 in the Rhode Island Militia at Providence as Company D (Emmet Guards), Rhode Island Guards Regiment
- Redesignated 1 May 1875 as Company D, 5th Battalion of Infantry
- Redesignated 1 June 1887 as Company H, 2d Regiment of Infantry; concurrently Rhode Island Militia redesignated as the Brigade of Rhode Island Militia
- (Brigade of Rhode Island Militia redesignated 15 April 1907 as the Rhode Island National Guard)
- Converted, reorganized, and redesignated 4 November 1908 as the 16th Company, 2d Artillery District, Coast Artillery Corps
- Redesignated 3 September 1914 as the 16th Company, 2d Coast Defense Command, Coast Artillery Corps
- Redesignated 18 December 1914 as the 16th Company, 1st Artillery District, Coast Artillery Corps
- Redesignated 2 January 1917 as the 16th Company, Rhode Island Coast Artillery
- Called into Federal service 25 July 1917; drafted into Federal service 5 August 1917
- Redesignated 31 August 1917 as the 16th Company, Coast Defenses of Narragansett Bay
- Demobilized 21 December 1918 at Fort Wetherill, Rhode Island
- Reconstituted 7 June 1920 in the Rhode Island National Guard as the 16th Company, Coast Artillery Corps
- Reorganized and Federally recognized 30 June 1920 at East Greenwich
- Reorganized and redesignated 1 September 1921 as the 3d Company, Coast Artillery Corps
- Reorganized and redesignated 31 January 1922 as the 347th Company, Coast Artillery Corps
- Reorganized and redesignated 1 October 1923 as Battery I, 243d Artillery (Coast Artillery Corps)
- Reorganized and redesignated 11 July 1924 as Battery I, 243d Coast Artillery
- Reorganized and redesignated 15 April 1940 as the Seachlight Battery, 243d Coast Arillery
- Inducted into Federal service 16 September 1940 at East Greenwich
- Redesignated 22 November 1940 as Battery K, 243d Coast Artillery
- Inactivated 10 April 1944 at Camp Forrest, Tennessee
- Disbanded 7 October 1944
- Reconstituted 25 August 1945 in the Rhode Island National Guard
- Redesignated 2 July 1946 as Battery B, 705th Antiaircraft Artillery Gun Battalion
- Reorganized and Federally recognized 19 August 1947 at East Greenwich
- Ordered into active Federal service 14 August 1950 at East Greenwich; released from active Federal service 13 July 1952 and reverted to state control
- Reorganized and redesignated 1 October 1953 as Battery B, 705th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion
- Reorganized and redesignated 1 April 1959 as Battery B, 1st Automatic Weapons Battalion, 243d Artillery
- Converted, reorganized, and redesignated 1 May 1962 as Company B, 243d Engineer Battalion
- Reorganized and redesignated 1 May 1968 as the 861st Engineer Company
- Ordered into active Federal service 19 January 2005 at East Greenwich; released from active Federal service 26 July 2006 and reverted to state control
- HOME STATION: East Greenwich
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CAMPAIGN PARTICIPATION CREDIT
- War on Terrorism
- Campaigns to be determined
DECORATIONS
BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF THE ARMY:
ROBERT J. DALESSANDRO
Director, Center of Military History
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