Photo By Melissa Buckley | U.S. Army Chief of Engineers and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of...... read more read more
FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — The U.S. Army Engineer School celebrated Engineer Regimental Week April 19 to 26 at Fort Leonard Wood.
Key events throughout the week mirrored this year’s theme, “Driving Change Across Domains,” including the Best Sapper Competition, a regimental run, the Home on Home Industry Symposium, a Close Terrain Shaping Obstacle Symposium, a briefing on wet-gap crossings, the Fallen Sapper Memorial and the Engineer Regimental Ball.
The celebration started with the 17th Lt. Gen. Robert B. Flowers Best Sapper Competition opening ceremony April 19 in Lincoln Hall Auditorium.
The competition consisted of events designed to test the critical skills and knowledge of two-person teams of combat engineers, as well as the agility, endurance and resilience of each competitor.
U.S. Army Engineer School Commandant, Col. Joseph Goetz, thanked the competitors.
“The spirit of the Sapper is in the 100 competitors sitting here today. It takes courage to put yourself out there,” Goetz said. “The entire regiment is proud of you. Each one of you have the potential to go back to your unit and be a giant — be the one to train, mentor and inspire others to be Best Sappers.”
At the awards ceremony April 23 in Nutter Field House, Capts. Matthew Cushing and Joseph Palazini, from the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, made history as the first team to win the competition twice, and also back to back.
Also on April 23, engineers participated in a regimental run, starting at Gammon Field.
The Home on Home Industry Symposium took place April 23 and 24. Senior engineer leaders and industry partners met in the Engineer Regimental Room at the John B. Mahaffey Museum Complex to discuss and develop a strategy for the Engineer Regiment with an organizational focus on achieving the regimental vision by 2040.
The USAES commandant’s and chief of engineer’s addresses took place April 25 in Lincoln Hall Auditorium.
Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood Commanding General, Maj. Gen. Christopher Beck, opened the address by talking about the Engineer Regiment’s leaders.
“They are knocking it out of the park. There are great things going on. They are really pushing the edge,” Beck said. “You should be proud of the work that you are doing.”
During his presentation, Goetz updated the audience on the direction the Engineer Regiment is headed and some of the new technology being developed.
“For the more seasoned leaders in the room, you are going to drive this change. For the younger leaders in this room, you are going to live this change. These Basic Officer Leader Course students will be battalion commanders in the Army of 2040. I am so optimistic about the future of our regiment,” Goetz said.
U.S. Army Chief of Engineers and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Lt. Gen. Scott Spellmon, and Senior Enlisted Advisor, Command Sgt. Maj. Douglas Galick, prepared a video for the address while they continue working on debris and wreckage removal of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
“We both want to send our regrets for not being there in person for regimental week,” Spellmon said.
According to Spellmon, the U.S. Army Engineer Regiment’s campaign plan is to build world-class engineers, support Army readiness, modernize the regiment and revolutionize the formation.
“I am filled with a sense of pride to wear the Army uniform and serve alongside each of you in this incredible regiment that we are a part of,” Spellmon said.
A Close Terrain Shaping Obstacle Symposium and wet-gap crossing briefing also took place on April 25. The Department of Training and Leader Development hosted brigade and battalion command teams in the Digital Training Facility to share current and future capabilities of terrain shaping obstacles, as well as how company grade officers are being trained to plan wet-gap crossing operations.
On a gloomy, rainy evening April 25, the Fallen Sapper Memorial service in Soldier Memorial Chapel recognized the lives and service of fallen engineers lost in war and support operations.
At the event and wreath-laying ceremony, there were photos displayed of three Army Reserve engineers from the 718th Engineer Company, 926th Engineer Brigade, who were killed in a drone strike Jan. 28 while deployed in Jordan.
Staff Sgt. William Rivers of Carrollton, Georgia, served as an interior electrician. Sgt. Kennedy Sanders of Waycross, Georgia, served as a horizontal construction engineer. Sgt. Breonna Moffett of Savannah, Georgia, also served as a horizontal construction engineer.
“Thank you for being here today to take the time to remember our fallen heroes,” Goetz said. “I encourage you to say their names and remember them as they were.”
Attendees could hear the pitter-patter of the rain outside while the melody of “Amazing Grace,” performed by bagpiper Dan Jackson, filled the chapel. The ceremony closed with the traditional playing of “Taps.”
The next day, April 26, Nutter Field House was transformed into an engineer gala, complete with a castle on the outside and a sea of red flags and decorations on the inside for the formal Regimental Ball.
At the ball, the final event of Regimental Week, this year’s regimental awardees were honored.
The 2023 Munson Outstanding Platoon Leader awardees are:
For the active-duty Army, 1st Lt. Reilly Rudolph, from the 523rd Engineer Support Company, 84th Engineer Battalion, 130th Engineer Brigade, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
For the Army National Guard, 1st Lt. Storey Valarie Bailes, from the 528th Engineer Brigade, Monroe, Louisiana.
For the Army Reserve, 1st Lt. Sara Decker, from the 390th Engineer Company, 844th Engineer Battalion, 206th Reserve Support Group, Chattanooga, Tennessee.
The 2023 outstanding warrant officer awardees are:
For the active-duty Army, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Michael Bridges, from the 3rd Power Station, Company C, 249th Engineer Battalion, Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
For the Army National Guard, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Craig Wadlow, from the 203rd Engineer Battalion, Joplin, Missouri.
For the Army Reserve, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Bradford Barclay, from the 279th Engineer Utility Detachment, 489th Engineer Battalion, 420th Engineer Brigade, Saint Charles, Missouri.
The 2023 Van Autreve awardees are:
For the active-duty Army, Spc. Thomas Pagano, from the 7th Engineer Dive Detachment, 84th Engineer Battalion, 130th Engineer Brigade, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
For the Army Reserve, Spc. Joshua Wofford, from the 375th Engineer Company, 467th Engineer Battalion, 926th Engineer Brigade, Huntsville, Alabama.
The 2023 Morris Outstanding civilian awardee was Rick Morales for the active-duty Army. Morales serves as the Engineer Organizational Integrator in the Office of the Chief of Engineers.
| Date Taken: | 05.02.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 05.06.2024 11:02 |
| Story ID: | 470410 |
| Location: | FORT LEONARD WOOD, MISSOURI, US |
| Web Views: | 146 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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