More than 250 soldiers gathered at the College of Southern Idaho on Friday for the inactivation of the Idaho National Guard's 116th Brigade Engineer Battalion, marking the end of a unit whose lineage traces back to World War II. The 116th is the only National Guard engineering battalion to have served in both the Korean and Vietnam wars. Its legacy includes building bridges, clearing obstacles, and fighting alongside infantry. WATCH | Color Casing ceremony for the 116 Brigade Engineering Battalion Idaho National Guard inactivates 116th Brigade Engineer BattalionThe inactivation is part of a broader transformation of the Idaho National Guard, which is shifting from an armored brigade with tanks to a mobile infantry brigade equipped with infantry squad vehicles. As part of that change, the engineering battalion was inactivated, and its battalion and company colors were rolled up and cased during the ceremony.Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Albert Williams said closing the chapter on the 116th is bittersweet."We provide mobility, counter mobility, and survivability for the maneuver force, and then you end up taking great pride in that," Williams said.Williams added that the process of accepting the inactivation was not easy."I went through all stages of grief during this process. When you get to acceptance, you realize that the same reason you join the military is the reason why we have to move forward," Williams shared.The reorganization will bring additional changes across Idaho Guard units as the Army pursues a modernization effort focused on mobilization and new technologies.Capt. Austin Roeper, company commander for Bravo Company the same company he has been with throughout his entire military career said the transition means new roles and responsibilities for soldiers."This transition away from BEB means changing roles and responsibilities for all those soldiers, from things they've never done before, potentially drilling at new locations," Roeper explained.Roeper said the changes represent growth for the force."Everyone's going and learning new tasks, taking on new challenges, and growing the army in a really productive and positive direction," Roeper shared.As part of the reorganization, the 145th Brigade Support Battalion will relocate from Lewiston to the new Jerome Readiness Center in August. The new Jerome Readiness Center on Highway 93 will be dedicated to former Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne on June 25th.This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. ...read more read less