Photo By Melissa Buckley | Capt. Evan Shortsleeve (left) and Sgt. Billy Akebe, from the 59th Chemical Company...... read more read more
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FORT DRUM, N.Y. – A team from the Fort Drum, New York-based 59th Chemical Company “Mountain Dragons” took first place out of 30 joint and international teams during the Best Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) Competition on Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.
Capt. Evan P. Shortsleeve, the commanding officer of the 59th Chemical Company (Hazard Response), and Sgt. Billy T. Akebe, the 2nd Platoon sergeant for the 59th Chemical Company, earned top honors during the competition.
U.S. Army 1st Lt. Sabreena Singh and Sgt. 1st Brandon Stubbs from the Schofield Barracks, Hawaii-based 71st Chemical Company came in second place and Capt. Reed Radford and Staff Sgt. Griffin Soderquist from the Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri-based 84th Chemical Battalion took third place.
A Litchfield, Conn., native and Norwich University graduate, Shortsleeve recently led his company through a rotational deployment to South Korea where the company served near the Korean Demilitarized Zone.
During the nine-month deployment, the Mountain Dragons supported the 23rd CBRN Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division and Eighth Army and contributed to security on the Korean Peninsula and stability in Northeast Asia.
Shortsleeve said his team had to maximize the training time available on Fort Drum and rely on the CBRN expertise in 59th Chemical Company to prepare for the competition.
“We involved our company warrant officer to create academic exams and situational training exercises that we brought with us as a training opportunity,” said Shortsleeve.
The team trained for many different scenarios, including reacting to a CBRN attack, marking a CBRN contaminated area and taking a 70-question exam in full CBRN protective equipment. They also marched seven miles through hilly terrain to prepare for the competition.
The 59th Chemical Company is assigned to the 83rd Chemical Battalion, 48th Chemical Brigade and 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Command, the U.S. Department of Defense’s premier CBRNE formation that enables military operations around the world and supports civil authorities across the nation.
From 19 bases in 16 states, Soldiers and Army civilians from the 20th CBRNE Command confront and defeat the world’s most dangerous hazards in support of joint, interagency and multinational operations.
The CBRN team from the 59th Chemical Company was the second Fort Drum-based 20th CBRNE Command team to win top honors in their profession this year.
Staff Sgt. Tyler A. Grieve and Sgt. Tristin E. Lindsey from the Fort Drum, New York-based 760th Ordnance Company (EOD), 192nd EOD Battalion, 52nd EOD Group, 20th CBRNE Command, prevailed over the other highly qualified and well-trained EOD teams during the all-Army EOD Team of the Year competition on Fort Liberty, North Carolina, April 21 – 26.
Shortsleeve attributes his team’s success to hard work, preparation and dedication. He challenges his Soldiers to be 1 percent better every day.
“Ultimately, some of the best and worst days of our lives will take place when we only have 10 percent in the tank,” said Shortsleeve. “My charge to our Soldiers is to maximize what that 10 percent is capable of so that they can compete and win in their lives and defeat our adversaries in any condition.”
“There is no secret to success anywhere in the Army,” he said. “Discipline equals freedom.”
Shortsleeve has witnessed firsthand the importance of being trained, equipped and ready for all potential contingencies. He reacted to a 15,000-pound Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device during a deployment to Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan.
Shortsleeve said he welcomed the opportunity to serve in the Chemical Corps because of the impact that chemical officers have across the Army and the U.S. military.
“I chose to serve as a Chemical Corps officer because I relish in the fact that nearly every unit has a slot for a chemical officer and that I would have more opportunities to serve in a wide array of organizations,” said Shortsleeve. “I also appreciate the demand to tactically apply our technical skills in a complex operating environment.”
Originally from Washington, D.C., Akebe said the competition scenarios are being incorporated into company training.
Akebe, who earned his master’s degree in cloud computing from University of Maryland, said the biggest challenge was the Dragon’s Dread, the final event of the competition.
“I overcame it by applying the training that my company commander and I conducted, applying the intestinal fortitude, resiliency and the Army Value Personal Courage,” said Akebe, adding that the company ethos of being 1 percent better every day contributed to the team’s success.
| Date Taken: | 07.12.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 07.12.2024 10:58 |
| Story ID: | 476040 |
| Location: | FORT DRUM, NEW YORK, US |
| Hometown: | LITCHFIELD, CONNECTICUT, US |
| Hometown: | WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, US |
| Web Views: | 305 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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