The brigade traces its lineage back to an engineering regiment active during World War II, but the brigade itself did not see real-world action until the mid-1990s. As a part of the V Corps for most of the Cold War, the brigade was stationed in western Europe as a deterrent to a possible Soviet aggression and/or invasion. It finally saw action during Operation Joint Endeavor, providing bridging assistance for the international force in the Bosnia region. Several years later, the brigade was the primary engineering component during the invasion of Iraq in 2003. With numerous difficulties, the brigade was forced to take on several unexpected missions during its year in Iraq. It saw a second tour in 2005 and a third in 2009 in which it once again was the primary engineering component in the country. The brigade deployed to Afghanistan as the Theater Engineer Brigade in support of Operation Enduring Freedom from 2013 to 2014.