Background
When the 40th Signal Construction Battalion returned from Europe in 1945, few could have predicted the unit's path over the next eight decades. The segregated battalion that had strung communications cables across wartime Europe would be deactivated within months, only to be reborn during the Korean War as an integrated unit deploying to Cold War Germany, then Vietnam, and eventually Iraq and Afghanistan.
From Victory to Demobilization (1945-1950)
The transition from wartime service to peacetime reality came swiftly—on January 25, 1946, the battalion was inactivated at Camp Gruber, Oklahoma.
The Army downsized dramatically after the war, with little need for heavy construction units. Some veterans stayed in touch and would re-enlist when the battalion reactivated.
The outbreak of the Korean War and escalating Cold War tensions prompted the Army to reconstitute critical signal units. On August 31, 1950, the 40th Signal Construction Battalion was redesignated as the 40th Signal Battalion (Construction) and reconstituted in the Regular Army, setting the stage for its return to active service.
Cold War Reactivation and Integration (1950-1965)
On September 19, 1950, the 40th reactivated at Camp Gordon, Georgia, drawing new recruits and several World War Two veterans who re-enlisted. In January 1952, the battalion deployed to Germany as a segregated unit, but the Army soon integrated Black and white personnel across signal companies.
Under the 301st Signal Group, the 40th rebuilt communications across the American occupation zone, connecting bases and NATO headquarters with multi-pair wire lines and training German technicians. The unit was redesignated the 40th Signal Battalion (Construction) in October 1953 and remained in Germany until April 1956.
After returning to Fort Gordon, the battalion moved to Fort Bragg in 1964, where it supported the 18th Airborne Corps and assisted with Operation Power Pack in the Dominican Republic in 1965.
Vietnam War Service (1966-1972)
In September 1966, the 40th deployed to Vietnam under Lieutenant Colonel Kirby Lamar, joining the 1st Signal Brigade as the Army's only heavy communications cable-construction battalion. Operating under the 160th Signal Group, companies spread across South Vietnam.
By 1970, the battalion had installed over 500 miles of multi-pair telephone cable connecting major bases like Saigon, Long Binh, Da Nang, and Cam Ranh Bay. Soldiers worked under constant threat—enemy fire hit construction sites regularly, and they often re-spliced lines under fire while stringing wire through jungles and rice paddies.
The unit also built microwave relay towers, trained South Vietnamese signal troops, and supported Special Forces camps. Many senior NCOs were World War Two and Korean War veterans. The battalion redeployed in June 1972, earning Meritorious Unit Commendations and several valor decorations.
Fort Huachuca and Modern Operations (1973-Present)
On January 22, 1973, the 40th activated at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, under the U.S. Army Communications Command. The battalion shifted from traditional cable work to systems engineering, installing microwave links, satellite terminals, and secure voice systems while continuing cable missions connecting the post to Phoenix and Tucson.
The 40th supported Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, providing communications for U.S. Army Central Command Forward and the 22nd Support Command.
After 9/11, the battalion entered its busiest period since Vietnam. Now called the 40th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, it deployed repeatedly to Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Horn of Africa. Major deployments included Operation Iraqi Freedom (2005-2007), Iraq again (2007-2009), Operation New Dawn (2010-2011), and Kuwait (2014).
The mission evolved beyond cable construction to network operations, cyber defense, and data center work. Soldiers became network operators, cyber defenders, and data center technicians using tactical edge computing and satellite terminals.
In 2021, B Company (the "Big Dawgs") deployed to Europe for Operation Atlantic Resolve, installing network nodes across Poland and the Baltic states. The battalion continues participating in exercises like Project Convergence and Joint Warfighting Assessment.
The 40th has evolved from a segregated cable construction unit to a modern expeditionary communications force, reflecting broader Army changes including desegregation, technological advances, and global deployments. Veterans who re-enlisted after World War Two provided continuity during Cold War reactivation, while later generations installed thousands of miles of cable in Vietnam and Iraq before embracing digital operations.
Today at Fort Huachuca, the battalion continues its core mission: keeping American forces connected wherever they serve.