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© 2013 KentuckyGuard
Story by Capt. Desiree Dillehay, 206th Engineer Battalion
Capt. Robert McWhorter, former commander of the 1123rd Engineer Company, compliments Soldiers of the unit during their annual training at Camp Atterbury, Ind. June 25, 2015. The unit was named the best engineer company in the Army National Guard for 2014, earning them the Itschner Award. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by SGt. Sandra Fariss)
FRANKFORT, Ky. — The Kentucky National Guard’s 1123rd Sapper Company was named Most Outstanding Engineer Company of the Year for 2014.
The Itschner Plaque is an award given to the most outstanding engineer company each year. First awarded in 1960, the award is named in honor of Army Lt. Gen. Emerson C. Itschner. In 1974, the competition for the Itschner Award was broadened to include the Army National Guard and the Army Reserve.
With hard work and dedication to the mission, to the 206th Engineer Battalion, the 149th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, and to the Kentucky Army National Guard, the 1123rd received the Itschner Award for the fiscal training year 2014.
Soldiers of the 112rd Engineer Company gather for a group photo at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, Calif., Aug. 21, 2014. The three-week rotation at NTC was the culminating event of a hard year of training for the unit. (Photo courtesy of the 1123rd Engineer Co.)
The level of proficiency that this company achieved during the evaluated period has inspired the unit’s leadership, who said the award serves as a testament to the Soldiers’ unwavering motivation, dedication to their unit, and their ability to learn, adapt and overcome any obstacle. Given the many hurdles National Guard units inherently face with training continuity between drill weekends, this unit’s Non Commissioned Officers and Officers are exceptionally outstanding.
“Winning the Itschner Award speaks of the caliber of Soldiers within the 1123rd Sapper,” said Lt. Col. James Richmond, commander of the 206th Engineer Battalion. “The unit is only eight years old and to have achieved superior achievements in strength, training, and performance in such a short time and against such a complex mission set is simply incredible.”
Richmond also added that few know what Sappers are in the military. “He is the Swiss Army Knife of Soldiers, in essence an infantryman who specializes in laying or clearing minefields,
demolitions, field defenses and general construction, as well as road and airfield construction and repair.”
Click here for more photos of the 1123rd.
Engineers with the 1123rd Sapper Company change a tire on an armored vehicle during a training exercise at Fort Irwin, Calif., Aug. 15, 2014. The unit’s hard work at NTC earned them respect from a variety of training supervisors and Reserve and active duty units. (Photo courtesy of 1123rd Engineer Co.)
For the 1123rd, a 20 day rotation at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California was the culmination of a rigorous six month journey. Originally, the 1123rd was considered to serve as a component of the Opposing Force (OPFOR), but the focus shifted and the Sappers had an opportunity to serve as a Brigade Special Troops Battalion (BSTB) enabler in order to perform route clearance missions. This assignment required a dramatic change in the unit’s task organization, moving from three Sapper platoons and a headquarters platoon to two Route Clearance Packages, one Company Intelligence Support Team and a headquarters platoon. The 1123rd had 14 training days from March to July to prepare for NTC. The pace of training became very intense and success hinged on detailed planning, commitment to excellence and, most importantly, leveraging the knowledge of experienced route clearance personnel to increase training efficiencies without compromising quality.
The Sappers executed their strenuous training plan and completed the NTC rotation with remarkable results. Competence, adaptability and readiness for any mission was proudly displayed throughout the exercise. The 1123rd received accolades from a variety of training supervisors and both reserve and active duty counterparts. The predominant theme conveyed during the course of training was the unit’s willingness and desire to learn and better themselves. A high level of motivation and a productive and professional culture was demonstrated to every Soldier in the company.
The 1123rd was given professional development and networking opportunities that would not have been available without a rotation at NTC. These opportunities allowed the 1123rd leadership to collaborate with their active duty counterparts and higher headquarters in order to establish the unit’s relevance and credibility. This paid dividends as the 1123rd maintained an active voice in their utilization and had the opportunity to contribute to missions for the battalion in addition to route clearance.
The 1123rd has gained an incredible amount of experience this year and is fully prepared to carry out its engineer mission, only now with the title of “the best.”
A Soldier with the 1123rd Engineer Company takes up a defensive position during a training exercise at Camp Atterbury, Ind., June 21, 2015. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Brooklynd Decker)
“The Soldiers are truly honored to receive this award,” said Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Elmore, readiness NCO for the 1123rd. “This unit went from standing up the 1123rd in 2009 to the best National Guard engineer unit in the country in 2014. Don’t know how else to put it except they are proud to be the BEST.”
However, the 1123rd Sapper Company is not just an operational machine. In addition to their rigorous training schedules, they incorporated time to give back to their community. The 1123rd is broken into two armories located in Leitchfield and Marion, Kentucky. Both locations have long been and continue to be involved with their respective communities. During the 2014 training year the two armories actively contributed to several community events, either during scheduled drill or by Soldiers volunteering outside of normal duty periods. The 1123rd participated by marching in the Christmas and Labor Day parades, provided speakers and representatives to three Veterans’ Day events and a Memorial Day ceremony. Additionally, they collaborated with the local American Legion for military funeral honors for veterans upon their family’s request.
“The level of proficiency that this company has achieved during the evaluated period is truly remarkable and serves as a testament to their unwavering motivation, dedication to their unit and their ability to learn, adapt and overcome any obstacle through Unbridled Service,” said Elmore.
The Soldiers of the 1123rd are revered throughout the 206th Engineer Battalion for always maintaining a high level of motivation in any training environment and with every mission; this training year they have raised the bar. Engrained into this company is a true sense of ownership and pride, where each Soldier maintains a stake in its success and proactively works to improve the unit.
Story by Staff Sgt. Debralee Best, 412th Theater Engineer Command
Sgt. John Gibbs, a Standard Army Maintenance System-Enhanced clerk with Kentucky National Guard’s 1123rd Engineer Company (Sapper) from Drakesboro, Ky., ground guides vehicles returning from situation exercise lanes. The 1123rd and a platoon from the U.S. Army Reserve’s 441st Engineer Company, route clearance, came together as one unit at National Training Center rotation 14-09 in Fort Irwin, Calif., Aug. 2-22. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Debralee Best)
FORT IRWIN, Calif. – Reserve and National Guard Soldiers usually train one weekend a month and two weeks a year. This training is normally not done side-by-side, but two units integrated this year for their extended combat training.
The Kentucky National Guard’s 1123rd Engineer Company, (Sapper), and a platoon from the U.S. Army Reserve’s 441st Engineer Company, route clearance, came together as one unit at National Training Center rotation 14-09 at Fort Irwin, California, Aug. 2 to 22.
“We actually had planned to have three [route clearance packages]. They were going to be the third one,” said Capt. Robert, McWhorter, 1123rd Engineer Company commander. ”They were going to bring 34 folks here, but ended up only able to bring 21 so our mission had to change and this is the neat part: we integrated them with us.”
The 441st combat engineer Soldiers we integrated into two packages as drivers and gunners. The mechanics and medics were also assigned within the 1123rd in their respective areas.
McWhorter said the change of mission was good for the 1123rd.
“For us it’s good because the 21 people they had basically get pushed into our two RCPs and that actually benefits everybody so we get to work side-by-side by them instead of mission-by-mission,” he said.
Spc. James McCarty (right), with the Kentucky National Guard’s 1123rd Engineer Company (Sapper) from Elizabethtown, Ky., asks Spc. William Wilson, 441st Engineer Company, route clearance, from Memphis, Tenn., about the fluid levels in their vehicle. The combat engineers worked together at the National Training Center rotation 14-09 in Fort Irwin, Calif., Aug. 2-22. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Debralee Best)
The 441st Soldiers said they felt accepted by the 1123rd.
“It’s a little interesting. I’ve never actually worked with National Guard, but they welcomed us with open arms from the get-go,” said U.S. Army Reserve Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Waters, 441st Engineer Company, platoon sergeant from Harrison, Arkansas. “What I like about them is they said, ‘I don’t want you to feel like the misfits because they’ve been in that situation themselves before.’”
Not only did the 441st feel accepted, but they saw the efforts made by the 1123rd for their integration.
“They accepted us with open arms. As soon as we got boots-on-ground in the box they put us in like they were one of theirs,” said U.S. Army Reserve Spc. Matthew Cooper, Field Maintenance Platoon, 441st Engineer Company, mechanic and vehicle recovery specialist, from Brighton, Tennessee. “I can’t complain. Capt. McWhorter is doing his best to make us feel at home and so are the [noncommissioned officers].”
McWhorter said he isn’t surprised the 441st was able to integrate so well. He attributes it to the cordiality of his Soldiers.
“We’re from Kentucky so that’s like hospitality 101,” he said. “They’re just honing skills they already had.”
While the units integrated well, they did have some growing pains while on missions.
“The question we had asked is, ‘hey, guys, how’s it going?’ and I think because it was [so early in the training], they said, ‘well, we’re still working it out. It’s still confusing who belongs to who, who is doing what.’ I think that makes sense. You have to build muscle memory,” said McWhorter. “When they actually showed up we had drawn 90 percent of the equipment. We were already there for a whole day and then they show up. We’re like, ‘alright, cool, all of our minds are blown. Let’s just go to sleep.’ Then we wake up and are trying to meld. So coming out here, having the couple days to set, I’d say if I asked the question again it would be a little more straight-forward to say, ‘we’re not confused because we’ve been on route clearance missions, we know who each other are now.’”
One of two route clearance packages consisting of Soldiers from the Kentucky National Guard’s 1123rd Engineer Company, (Sapper), and a platoon from the U.S. Army Reserve’s 441st Engineer Company, route clearance, return from a situational exercise lane at National Training Center rotation 14-09 in Fort Irwin, Calif., Aug. 2 to 22. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Debralee Best)
After a few missions, the units did work out the kinks.
“I think they’re becoming a team,” said Waters. “They’ve been out running mission and it always takes a few days to get to know people, understand where they’re coming from. There is always that concern your going to butt heads with people at certain points, but I haven’t seen a whole lot of that. From what I’ve seen, they work pretty decent together.”
While becoming a team is important, the training received is essential because the units need the experience.
“You’ve got two companies where 40 percent of the experienced people left. Now you’ve got 60 percent of the folks who, including me and most of my lieutenants, are new,” said McWhorter. “So, I think that’s actually a great place for us to be because we’re all learning together.”
Not only will this training help prepare the inexperienced units, but it is also helps the units learn to work with other components and other services.
“I think it’s beneficial to work with National Guard, active duty, Marines, other coalition forces, because you don’t know who you’re going to be integrated with, especially in an RCP,” said Waters. “You’ve got to be able to understand and develop relationships with all different types of military units.”
McWhorter said he also believes building relationships is important, but he thinks the Soldiers of the 441st who didn’t attend the training at NTC will be disappointed they didn’t build those relationships and attend the training during this exercise.
“What I’m looking forward to is seeing the training value of this place because I’ve heard it’s great, I’ve heard stories about it. We are at the end of a long road. I think both these units are going walk away a lot better,” said McWhorter. “Then for 441st when they go home they’re going to have a really strong RCP platoon and they’re going to benefit and the others are going to wish they went.”
But, Waters has been so impressed by the training that he is already planning to try to bring the rest of company to NTC.
“I know these guys are getting good training out here. It’s going to be good for the unit when we get back. What I’m hoping for is that we bring this training back to the 441st Engineer Company and bring back some different ideas we’ve gathered from the 1123rd and we can move forward in getting prepared for a deployment,” said Waters. “Getting better prepared for actually deployment, then hopefully within a couple years, maybe we can bring the company out here as a whole.”
Story by Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Elmore, 1123rd Sapper Company, Operations NCO
Soldiers of the 1123rd Engineer Company train on the Buffalo Surrogate Vehicle as part of their train-up for Route Clearance operations in Afghanistan. The Buffalo is a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle with a hydraulic arm used to interrogate suspected Improvised Explosive Devices.(KYNG photo by Sgt. Kelly Burch, 1123rd Unit Public Affairs Historian Representative)
FORT KNOX, Ky — The 1123rd Engineer Sapper Company of Leitchfield, Kentucky had the opportunity to receive some practical hands on training at Fort Knox, Ky., Nov. 3, 2012. The 1123rd continually trains to remain proficient on demolition, obstacle emplacement and reduction as well as mobility and counter-mobility operations.
Soldiers of the 1123rd Engineer Company train on the Buffalo Surrogate Vehicle as part of their train-up for Route Clearance operations in Afghanistan. The Buffalo is a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Vehicle with a hydraulic arm used to interrogate suspected improvised explosive devices.(KYNG photo by Sgt. Kelly Burch, 1123rd Unit Public Affairs Historian Representative)
The training mission of the 1123rd was to conduct route clearance operations during the training. The Soldiers received vital training and experience by being able to, for the first time, use recently acquired Buffalo armored vehicles or MRAP (Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected). The Buffalo was built for protection from IEDs and up to 45 pound landmine explosion under any wheel.
“As a sapper company this was the first time we’ve had a chance to focus collective training solely on route clearance missions,” said Sgt. 1st Class Geoffrey Gleitz. “From task organization to planning and then to the execution of our mission, all focused around route clearance. As a platoon we were able to start developing SOPs based off of our training, previous experiences and current TTPs.”
According to Soldiers of the unit, the sappers’ aggressive nature allows them to adapt to any mission the Army hands out. Only a handful of the Soldiers in the 1123rd had any experience in route clearance. They relied on their leadership, embedded expertise, and natural drive for success to complete the training.
This was the first time the 1123rd had the opportunity to incorporate the Buffalo for training on a training weekend. Individually, Soldiers were instructed by members of Counter IED Integration Cells on hand held detection systems. Soldiers also received several briefs that were supported by Kentucky’s Pre-deployment Training and Assistance Element.
The 1123rd is gearing up for a potential deployment to Afghanistan in 2013.
“Continued mission focused training like this will allow us to develop as we prepare for future operations,” said Gleitz.
Soldiers of the 1123rd Engineer Company soldiers are instructed by members of Counter IED Integration Cells on hand held detection systems at Fort Knox, Ky., Nov. 2, 2012.(KYNG photo by Sgt. Kelly Burch, 1123rd Unit Public Affairs Historian Representative)
