The battalion is notable in that it was the only battalion, of any kind, in the history of the United States Army to have entered combat as both an officially designated amphibious and airborne unit (though the Glider Infantry Regiments of the 11th Airborne Division conducted amphibious assaults in World War II).

During World War I, the battalion participated in the Battle of Saint-Mihiel and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive as a member of the American Expeditionary Force.

For its performance, the battalion was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation and the French Croix de Guerre with Palm.

[2] After the Invasion of Normandy, the battalion spent several months on the beach unloading troops and equipment, clearing roads, and repairing port facilities.

Later, the battalion was detached from the 5th Engineer Special Brigade and moved through Belgium and the Netherlands, supporting the Allied advance.

11 May 2001 – elements attached to the 11th Engineer Battalion and deployed to Kosovo (Operation Joint Guardian) in support of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).

22 September 2002 – deployed 20 soldiers from Vertical and Light Equipment platoons to Kuwait (Operation Enduring Freedom) in support of the Combined Joint Task Force at Camp Doha.

22 March 2003 – deployed to Northern Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom) in support of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).

The 37th Engineer Battalion was officially reactivated as part of the 2d Brigade Combat Team, 82d Airborne Division on 16 October 2013.