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4 Engineer Lead the Way Command Sergeant Major Butler J. Kendrick, Jr. Regimental Command Sergeant Major January–April 2014 (Continued on page 6) G reetings to the best regiment in the U. S. Army as we continue to be Engineer Strong. The last few months of 2013 defnitely provided the Army with multiple challenges and uncer- tainty about our forces: How many Soldiers will be cut, how many will remain, and what opportunities will we have in the future? The 1st Engineer Brigade consistently leads the Army as the predominant force for training. On average, the brigade trains more than 2,000 Soldiers at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, every week, including commissioned offcers, warrant offcers, NCOs, Soldiers in training, counter explo- sive hazards classes, and Sapper Leader Course attendees. Despite the hectic sched- ule, the organization still fnds the time, personnel, and resources to conduct training outside Fort Leonard Wood. The Urban Master Breacher Course mobile training team from the 35th Engineer Battalion is training Soldiers from the U.S. Army Special Operations Command and the 27th Engineer Battalion at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. We con- tinue to receive excellent feedback on the training. Due to budget constraints, I have not been able to visit as many units as I'd like, but what a great visit the com- mandant, Brigadier General Anthony C. Funkhouser, and I had as we spent time with the Sapper Eagles of the 326th Engineer Battalion (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Transitioning to the recently implemented bri- gade engineer battalion (BEB), newly assigned Screaming Eagles conducted a patch ceremony for their former—but now new—101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) patch. The morning started with an awesome session of Sapper athlete warrior physical training. The event featured fan- tastic team building and strenuous effort displayed by all levels of leadership. The day fnished with an address to the outstanding offcers and NCOs of the battalion. It was my great pleasure to visit the U.S. Army Human Resources Command and discuss key issues about the manning of the BEB and other key components of the Regiment with the engineer team. While at Fort Knox, Kentucky, I visited the Soldiers of the 19th Engineer (Sea- horse) Battalion during their deployment ceremony. It was great to see the activation of the 42d Engineer Company and the casing of the battalion colors. The 19th Engineer Battalion has always enjoyed tremendous support from its veteran population—old and new, near and far—and this extraordinary ceremony was no exception. Well done, Seahorse Battalion. "The military organization we know today as the National Guard came into existence with a direct declaration on December 13, 1636. On this date, the Massachusetts General Court in Salem, for the frst time in the history of the North American continent, established that all able-bodied men between the ages of 16 and 60 were required to join the militia. The North, South, and East Regiments were established." 1 The Army National Guard cele- brated its 377th birthday on 13 Decem- ber 2013. Best wishes to the great National Guard portion of the Engi- neer Regiment. The BEB is off to a great start, and the engineer leader- ship is embracing change as it comes. The BEB continues to be the main effort for the Regiment. As of now, the plan is to stand up 13 BEBs in 2014 and 19 in 2015. The follow- ing four Regular Army brigade combat teams (BCTs) and their respective BEBs will activate in October 2014: ■ 91st BEB, 1st BCT, 1st Cavalry Division. ■ 3d BEB, 3d BCT, 1st Cavalry Division. ■ 127th BEB, 1st BCT, 82d Airborne Division. ■ 37th BEB, 2d BCT, 82d Airborne Division. The Army National Guard BEB implementation will occur from fscal year 2014 to 2018. The U.S. Army Engi- neer School is working closely with the National Guard Bureau to identify key lessons as the Regular Army BCTs restructure so that the lessons can be applied to the Army National Guard BCTs. With the great depth and history of our Regiment, it is inevitable that many of our greatest will depart before we are ready to see them go. I am saddened by the loss of some great Soldiers who have eternally departed our formation, and I would feel remorse if I did not take the time to mention these great heroes that we have lost. The Regiment should take the time to salute and recognize the signifcant contributions by, and the loss of, the following legendary leaders: ■ Lieutenant General (Retired) John "Jack" W. Morris II, 91, 44th Chief of Engineers, died 20 August 2013. ■ Lieutenant General (Retired) Elvin R. Heiberg III, 81, 46th Chief of Engineers, died 27 September 2013. EN ClearWay-LeadWay.indd 7 3/12/2014 1:09:12 PM