Engineer battalion celebrates 100 years as a unit

Photo By Staff Sgt. Johnathan Hoover | Retired Col. Brian Dosa, former commander for the 8th Brigade Engineer Battalion and guest speaker for 8th BEB’s 100th birthday celebration, speaks to Soldiers and Family members about his time with the unit at the West Fort Hood Gym June 30. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Johnathan Hoover, 2nd BCT PAO, 1st Cav. Div.)  

FORT HOOD, TX, UNITED STATES

07.06.2016

Story by Staff Sgt. Johnathan Hoover 

2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

“It’s a great day to celebrate the 100th birthday of the battalion,” said Lt. Col. Robert Kimmel, commander for 8th BEB, before promoting four Soldiers to the noncommissioned officer corps and two NCOs to staff sergeant.
“Our Families are very much a part of our team”, said Kimmel. “We certainly wanted to include them in our celebrations.”
After a competitive tug-o-war competition and a 3-legged race, designed to build unit cohesion and boost morale, leaders within the battalion participated in a round-robin style brief of the organization’s current capabilities and to show the progression of military vehicles over time.
Alpha Company were the winners of tug-o-war and Echo Forward Support Company won the 3-legged race.
“That’s my team,” said Matt Castiglinone, company commander for EFSC, 8th BEB. “The winning team.”
“The Trojan Horse battalion is the largest battalion-sized unit in the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team,” said Maj. Nathan Smith. “We have engineer companies, but we also have a signal company, a military intelligence company, and an unmanned aerial unit.
An official ceremony recognizing the anniversary took place at the West Fort Hood Gym.
“It’s a great privilege to be here,” said retired Col. Brian Dosa, former commander for 8th BEB and guest speaker.
` Dosa thanked everyone in attendance for the opportunity to be there and celebrate the 100th birthday of the greatest engineer battalion in the United States Army.
Prior to the introduction of Dosa, NCOs recited, from memory, creeds and different eras of the unit’s 100-year history.
“I was really impressed with the Soldiers who did the history and the creeds,” said Dosa. “I didn’t memorize my speech, I have my notes here.”
Dosa spoke of his time within the unit recounting stories from deployments and acts of heroism he observed as commander during his speech.
Dosa urged Soldiers to take what they do serious, take advantage of the opportunity to train, to be ready and prepared, as you never know what is ahead.
“What makes this battalion great is the people, the individual Soldiers,” said Dosa.
Dosa was presented with a battalion coin for being the guest speaker.
“We had a great time planning this event,” said 2nd Lt. Michael Gee, assistant operations officer. “It’s nice to see it come together and the Families having a great time.”
The 8th BEB stands ready to, on order, deploy to a specific theater of operations, integrate engineer forces, and conduct engineer operations in support of designated joint or combined operations.
Dosa said, the history book of the 8th BEB is still being written and each Soldier has a chance to be part of that.

160630-A-IU690-137

2nd Lt. James Fullen, Holden, Massachusetts native, maintenance control officer assigned to Echo Forward Support Company, 8th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, pulls a rope during a tug-o-war competition June 30 at the 1st Cavalry Division Museum on Fort Hood, Texas, to commence the celebration of 8th BEB’s 100th birthday.
(U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Johnathan Hoover, 2nd BCT PAO, 1st Cav. Div.)

160630-A-IU690-255

Pvt. Rolanda King, yellow shirt, and Spc. Kamron Saunders, black shirt, both assigned to Delta Company, 8th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, take a commanding lead in a 3-legged race after the closet competitors trip. The event was conducted during the celebration of the battalion’s 100th birthday on Fort Hood, Texas.
(U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Johnathan Hoover, 2nd BCT PAO, 1st Cav. Div.)

160630-A-IU690-473

Retired Col. Brian Dosa, former commander for the 8th Brigade Engineer Battalion and guest speaker for 8th BEB’s 100th birthday celebration, speaks to Soldiers and Family members about his time with the unit at the West Fort Hood Gym June 30.
(U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Johnathan Hoover, 2nd BCT PAO, 1st Cav. Div.)

160630-A-IU690-326

Sgt. 1st Class Jose Placker, Killeen, Texas native, platoon sergeant assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 8th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, educates Soldiers and Family members on the capabilities of a nuclear, biological, chemical reconnaissance vehicle during 8th BEB’s 100th birthday celebration at the 1st Cavalry Division Museum on Fort Hood, Texas, June 30.
(U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Johnathan Hoover, 2nd BCT PAO, 1st Cav. Div.)

• Date Taken: 07.06.2016
• Date Posted: 07.07.2016 16:48
• Story ID: 203347
• Location: FORT HOOD, TX, US