Photo By Master Sgt. Douglas Roles | CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait — First Sgt. Melissa Vine and Capt. Andrew Eshelman with the...... read more read more
Subscribe
By Sgt. Amber Criswell
35 EN BDE, Task Force Muleskinner Public Affairs
CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait — The 458th Engineer Battalion, an Army Reserve unit from Johnstown, Pa., also known as Taskforce Maverick, has successfully completed its nine-month deployment in the Middle East in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. The unit operated out of four countries and 17 locations providing the full range of engineer functions. The unit’s soldiers completed 350 troop labor construction projects, including six landing zones and nine bridge emplacements and assisted with extensive counter-mobility efforts.
Col. Anthony Adrian, commander of the 35th Engineer Brigade, Task Force Spartan, praised the 458th during a transfer of authority ceremony May 24 in which he also welcomed the incoming unit, the 983rd Engineering Battalion, an Army Reserve unit from Ohio.
“Throughout the deployment, Taskforce Maverick provided effective, efficient and professional engineer support to Operation Inherent Resolve during a crucial time in their campaign. They depart with their outstanding reputation intact, and the gratitude of those they supported,” Adrian said.
Commander of Taskforce Maverick, Lt. Col. Stella Carroll commended her soldiers. She said that in the past nine-months the unit executed over 1,500 missions including vertical and horizontal construction, work orders, bridge inspections, repairs, emplacements, area clearance operations, combat patrols, technical surveys, design support requests and engineering assessments. She credited the unit with saving over $22 million in construction troop labor.
“You gave your heart and soul to the engineer mission. You spent countless hours in austere conditions. There was no project you turned down. You found a way to get it done no matter the challenge. You found a way to acquire building materials, improve design, remove conflicts, get special tools and fix equipment and got soldiers to construction sites by creative means,” Carroll said. “Rain or shine, sandstorm or flood, day or night, earthquake or hail storm, it just didn’t stop you! It was an honor to serve with you. I am truly humbled for having this wonderful opportunity.”
Adrian also received the 983rd Engineer Battalion. He told soldiers of the incoming unit that they “enter this fight during a period of operational transition.”
“Welcome to the Muleskinner Team! Your team will be instrumental in enabling these transitions by realigning bases and shaping the battlefield for future operations,” Adrian said. “I look forward to working with you and getting to know you over the next four months as you take the helm and work to advance the engineer fight to the next level.”
Carroll gave some advice to the incoming battalion, saying: “Every day will bring its own challenges. Embrace them and overcome.”
Lt. Col. Kevin Bigenho, 983rd commander, accepted the mission with great confidence.
“I assure you that the 983rd will pick up where the 458th left off, and we will continue to deliver exceptional engineering support to our customers within the areas of operation,” Bigenho said. “To Lt. Col. Carroll and the 458th, you definitely set the bar high. To the 983rd, it’s go time! Strike, Build, Hold.”
The 983rd’s nine-month long mission will consist of engineering projects to provide essential life support and vital force protection, allowing friendly forces freedom of movement and maneuver while denying the enemy the same.
279th Engineer Utilities Detachment and 665th Engineer Utilities Detachment
Along with the 458th Battalion, a couple of the subordinate companies have also completed their missions. The 279th Engineer Utilities Detachment (EUD), an Army Reserve company from St. Charles, Mo. handed off the reigns to the 665th Engineer Utilities Detachment, an Army Reserve company out of Brookville, Pa.
The commander of the 279th EUD, Capt. Francisco Arocho wished the 665th Engineers best of luck on their deployment.
“Remember that you are only the fourth EUD in support of Operation Inherent Resolve,” he said. “Make us proud and remember those that have paved the way for you.”
Arocho also thanked his soldiers. He said it’s a pleasure and honor to command the unit.
“We challenged the status quo and we did things our way. I wasn’t sure what I was getting into when I assumed command of this unit three months prior to deploying,” Arocho said. “You all instilled a sense of confidence and pride that I never knew I had. You embodied the engineer spirit and overcame multiple challenges and made things happen. Essayons and Ex Visus! Phantom 6 out.”
Carroll congratulated the 279th EUD. She said the unit had an incredible tour.
“You exceeded my expectations! You had some amazing projects. Wherever you went, general officers wanted to come and visit and see your outstanding work first hand,” Carroll said. “Your dedication to mission completion, working with all hands-on deck till 0200 hours to ensure a new dining facility was ready and available for 2,000 soldiers to use for their Thanksgiving meal. Great leaders and engineers, going above and beyond to execute missions flawlessly.”
The 279th EUD collectively received over 150 coins of excellence on their tour. The unit also had no safety incidents for the entire deployment, which Carroll found “remarkable based on the number of construction hours you worked.” The 279th EUD executed over 300 missions to include vertical and horizontal construction projects with work orders as well.
The 665th EUD will continue the engineer mission. The unit is led by Capt. John Kennelly. He motivated his soldiers for the new mission, saying: “Let’s show the Army what we can do!”
The 770th Engineer Company and the 387th Engineer Company
An Army Reserve horizontal company, the 770th Engineer Company out of Penn Yan, N.Y., also under the 458th Engineer Battalion is ending its nine-month deployment and passing the torch to the 387th Engineer Company, an Army Reserve unit, from Scottsdale, Ariz.
Capt. Joshua Snyder, the commander of the 770th Engineer Company, started his departing words with the beginning of their deployment. “We suffered through one of the coldest field problems at Fort Dix, N.J., where we started developing skills we used during this deployment. When we finally made it to Kuwait, we were ready for the challenge.”
The 770th had over 200 missions in three different countries, building tactical assembly areas which supported sister services and coalition partners, giving them the ability to defeat U.S. adversaries. The company built retrograde facilities and developed drainage solutions across the theater to combat the rainy season. Force protection of critical assets was increased across the theater and the company ran logistical patrols to assist in resupplying ammunition, food and water to keep the fight moving forward.
“You were innovative, forward thinking, and determined to excel. We say, ‘Dig Deep,’ this is not just the motto of the company. It is a way of life and a promise to ourselves, superiors, subordinates and our customers that we accept and can complete the mission, no matter the challenges,” Snyder said.
Snyder received the 387th Engineer Company. “I have seen your soldiers. They are hungry and ready for this mission! Get out there and ‘Dig Deep’!”
The 387th commander, Capt. Andrew Eshelman, thanked Snyder and the 770th. “Congratulations! You built something out of nothing, over and over again. We will continue this mission.”
Carroll also had words for the outgoing 770th and the incoming 387th.
“Soldiers of the 770th Engineer Company, it is hard to believe your journey has come to an end. Extraordinary work building the largest base in the northern part of the area of operations from scratch. Establishing initial force protection, communications, base life support and then continuing to build every horizontal capability required to operate a base, to standard,” Carroll said. “You had opportunities to train and conduct missions with the Marine Corps, repairing and constructing airfields. You name it, you built it. Your dedication to mission was one of a kind, working 24-hour construction operations under austere conditions, sleeping under the Middle Eastern stars to meet mission requirements. Unbelievable and surreal.”
“Soldiers of the 387th Engineer Construction Company, remember your training, leverage your technical experts to coach, teach and mentor others. Maintenance is the center of gravity and make safety part of your culture. Watch out for each other. You have a great company. I wish you the very best,” Carroll guided.
The new engineer units will serve roughly nine-months in the Middle East in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. This operation, which began in October of 2014, is aimed at formalizing ongoing military actions against the rising threat posed by terrorist groups in the Middle East. Welcome to the 35th Engineer Brigade team. No Task Too Large!
| Date Taken: | 05.24.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 06.13.2018 08:04 |
| Story ID: | 280748 |
| Location: | KW |
| Web Views: | 1,073 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, 35th Engineer Brigade bids farewell to 458th Battalion, welcomes 983rd, by MSG Douglas Roles, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
