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FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, Calif - Before Staff Sgt. Jack Kuhn even settled in with the Wheeling, West Virginia based 463rd Engineer Battalion, his unique skillset became his immediate ticket to California. An urgent call from Fort Hunter Liggett needed his expertise, and his new leadership knew he was the right person for the mission.
The installation’s enduring electrical issues in January 2025, originating from the outside distribution network, led to power surges and blackouts. With critical systems at risk, the Fort Hunter Liggett Directorate of Public Works (DPW) initiated a request through U.S. Army channels for electrical and generator support.
The Vicksburg, Mississippi based 412th Theater Engineer Command knew it had the capability to support this request. It put out a notice across its subordinate units asking for electricians and power generation mechanics to volunteer to support these efforts. The New Windsor, New York based 411th Engineer Brigade reached out to subordinate 463rd Engineer Battalion, who answered without hesitation and found the right Soldiers to perform this highly technical mission.
Kuhn became the non-commissioned officer in charge of a small team made up of an electrician, Private First Class Tyler Sipes and power generation mechanic Private Brandon Pearce, bringing a powerful combination of skills to help provide solutions.
Within a week of receiving the request, the three Soldiers were put on annual training orders and boarded an airplane to California to join the mission. They linked up with the DPW team and a team of electricians and generator mechanics from Joint Base Lewis-McCord.
“From the moment we arrived, we were immediately welcomed like we part of the full-time staff,” said Kuhn. “They (DPW) gave us our left and right limits and sent us out there to work on as many generators and electrical systems as we could.”
Kuhn’s arrival to the 463rd could not have been any better timing. Along with his military training, he works as an apprentice generator mechanic as a civilian. This is an example of where civilian skillsets on top of military training provide tremendous value to this mission and the Army.”
“When they first arrived, we sat them down and talked with each Soldier to find out what their skills were and what their interests were and then let them run like a bat out of hell,” said the installation Energy Manager, Roberto Morelli, “Private Sipes said he was interested in learning to do lineman work. So, I sent him out with my team to do that just that. Their presence allowed me to focus on other areas and they became a huge force multiplier.”
Over the course of seven days, the team repaired dozens of generators, tracked down electrical faults, and completed several long-delayed projects — including rewiring the entire first floor of a barracks building.
“Their efforts not only caught us up with the immediate issues, but they also put us ahead a few months. Their presence allowed me to focus on other tasks needed across Hunter Liggett,” said Morelli. “They did a fantastic job.”
Located about three hours south of San Francisco, Fort Hunter Liggett is the Army Reserve’s largest training installation. Its scale demands constant maintenance and a deep bench of skilled personnel — making the 463rd Engineer Battalion’s rapid support all the more critical.
The 412th Theater Engineer Command is headquartered in Vicksburg, Mississippi. It provides command and control over approximately 10,000 U.S. Army Reserve Engineers from the Mississippi River to the Atlantic Ocean, ensuring our nation is ready to meet challenges at home and abroad.
| Date Taken: | 04.28.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.29.2025 11:18 |
| Story ID: | 496397 |
| Location: | FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 15 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, The 463rd Engineer Battalion Powers Emergency Response at Fort Hunter Liggett, by LTC Matthew Nowak, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
