The 16th Ordnance Battalion was originally constituted on 9 January 1942 in the Army of the United States as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 16th Ordnance Battalion. It activated on 10 January 1942 in Hawaii and inactivated on 19 April 1945 on Iwo Jima.

Allotted on 24 March 1954 to the Regular Army, it activated on 26 April 1954 at Fort Dix, NJ. The unit inactivated on 21 December 1956, at Fort Wadsworth, NY.

Headquarters transferred on 14 November 1986 to the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command and organized at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD. In May 2010 the 16th Ordnance Battalion relocated to Fort Gregg-Adams, VA.

The distinctive unit insignia was authorized on 13 November 1986, consisting of a gold disc encircled by a red scroll folded back upon itself in base and inscribed 'WE TRAIN TO" on the left and "MAINTAIN" on the right in gold letters, overall a black bomb emitting gold flames to top and two lightning bolts, one on either side, arcing to base, all superimposed by a gold right hand gauntlet grasping an upright gold sword with a white blade. Crimson (red) and yellow (gold) are the colors associated with the Ordnance Branch. The flaming bomb suggests the unit's mission. The two lightning bolts represent the unit's World War II combat action: the campaign streamer for Air Offensive, Japan and the Meritorious Unit Commendation for the Pacific Theater. The red color of the lightning bolts also refers to the Meritorious Unit Commendation and the Rising Sun on the Japanese flag. The gauntlet grasping the sword symbolizes the unit's readiness and its determination to accomplish its military mission.