Photo By Todd Lyman | U.S. Army Col. Michael J. Price, new U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic...... read more read more
KABUL— In three days the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers went from having three districts in Afghanistan to only one…one district with a huge mission--part of which is to continue the Corps legacy begun in late 2002 with only an area office.
Transatlantic Afghanistan District, the last district standing, was activated July 9 under the command of Col. Michael J. Price, who returns to Afghanistan from St. Paul District, which he commanded from July 2010 to this month. Maj. Gen. Michael Eyre, Transatlantic Division commander, hosted and presided. In the next two days Transatlantic District North in Kabul and Transatlantic District South at Kandahar would be inactivated and all responsibility to complete the Corps mission in Afghanistan would rest on the new district.
More than 150 people assembled at Camp Phoenix Patriot Square. The color guard presented the cased colors. Command Sergeant Major Roy Ward, Transatlantic Division, retrieved the cased colors and positioned himself before Eyre and Price. As the senior enlisted leader, the command sergeant major is the custodian of the unit’s colors. In this role Ward retrieved the cased Corps colors from the color guard and presented it to Eyre, who uncased the colors and presented the TAA colors to Price, signifying the transfer of command responsibility and authority.
“The passing of the unit colors demonstrates to the members of the unit that the mantle of leadership has been passed on to the new commander,” the narrator explained to the audience as Priced received the bright red flag emblazoned with the Corps castle.
Eyre addressed the crowd, “There was much accomplished by the two districts that we are inactivating on Wednesday and Thursday. They have served with distinction. But it is time to pull together a new team working as one, to stand up a new district…with a new identity. Working together we will move forward through 2014 and set the conditions for longer term support. The establishment of the Transatlantic District Afghanistan, which will be identified in short as TAA, will provide the continuity we need to focus on completion of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ vital mission in support of the war fighter…and to the citizens of Afghanistan.
The USACE mission in Afghanistan does not change today. This new district will have priority focus on building quality facilities for the Afghan National Security Forces.”
Price recognized distinguished guests, his fellow service members, his new command and friends by thanking them for attending. He also thanked the USACE commanding general, Lt. Gen. Thomas P. Bostick and Eyre for their confidence and trust allowing him to command TAA.
He said, “I am both honored and humbled to be taking on command of the new Transatlantic Afghanistan District. What we do is of huge importance to the security of Afghanistan and for the governance of this nation. I challenge every member of this district to commit to delivering the facilities that will enable the Afghan Security Forces to do their job and help secure this nation. There also should be no doubt that the Corps of Engineers remains committed to helping rebuild Afghanistan, by providing electricity, clean drinking water, water for farm irrigation and improving transportation. All of these efforts are of strategic importance to Afghanistan and for the United States.”
Eyre reminded the crowd in his remarks the challenges the Corps has ahead. He listed that we need to complete more than 300 projects valued at more than $3.5 billion during a time of continuing drawdown and retrograde.
Eyre said, “When all of the construction that USACE is responsible for is completed, there will be over 717 project facilities to support the 350,000 Afghan National Army and National Police personnel. This effort will help reinforce their capability to provide security and stability throughout Afghanistan.”
The ceremony concluded as all sang the Engineer song “Essayons” and Army song, “Army Goes Rolling Along.”
Price’s previous assignments include tours with Company C, 54th Engineer Battalion (Combat), Wildflecken, Germany; 326th Engineer Battalion, 887th Engineer Company (Light Equipment), at Fort Campbell, Ky.; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District in Kansas City, Mo.; 10th Mountain Division, 41st Engineer Battalion, and commander, Division Special Troops Battalion, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.; U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colo.; and the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle Barracks in Carlisle, Pa.
| Date Taken: | 07.12.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 07.13.2013 07:45 |
| Story ID: | 110157 |
| Location: | KABUL, AF |
| Web Views: | 593 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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