Photo By Melissa Buckley | Incoming and outgoing U.S. Army Engineer School leaders prepare to complete the...... read more read more
FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — The U.S. Army Engineer School has a new commandant and top enlisted leader following a combined change-of-commandant, change-of-responsibility ceremony May 30 on the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence Plaza.
The change of commandant was from Brig. Gen. Stephen Kolouch to Col. Timothy Hudson. The change of responsibility was from Command Sgt. Maj. Zachary Plummer to Command Sgt. Maj. David Palmer.
Maj. Gen. Christopher Beck, MSCoE and Fort Leonard Wood commanding general, served as the reviewing officer for the event.
During his remarks, Beck said Fort Leonard Wood has two main priorities.
“One is to drive change and one is to train. (The) people who do this are commandants and command sergeant majors,” Beck said. “The two outgoing leaders have made an incredible difference for the engineer regiment, MSCoE and the U.S. Army.”
Kolouch is headed to the United Kingdom where he will serve with the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps.
During his remarks Kolouch said he was full of gratitude for everyone who is part of the regiment, especially those who are responsible for training Soldiers.
“You take citizens off the street and make them Soldiers. When we wake up to go to physical training, you are already conducting PT with new Soldiers. As we lay our heads on our pillows to go to bed, we know there are drill sergeants out there watching over new Soldiers,” Kolouch said. “To the cadre that deliver our officer and warrant officer professional military education — you develop leaders of confidence, equipped to go to units and be engineer experts.”
Kolouch said Hudson and Palmer are the best people to take over leadership of USAES because of their knowledge, skill and experience.
“All that I ask is that engineers everywhere heed their direction and all the folks that gave support to me will give that same support to them,” Kolouch said.
Plummer is departing to be the command sergeant major for the Pacific Ocean Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
After wishing them well on their next assignments, Beck welcomed Hudson and Palmer, saying he was excited to add them to the Fort Leonard Wood team.
Hudson is coming from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Oklahoma, where he served as the Tulsa District commander.
“Hudson has excelled in every job prior to coming here. We look forward to your leadership to continue to build on what Kolouch has done so incredibly well,” Beck said.
During his remarks, Hudson said he and Palmer were, “grateful to be joining this great team.”
He said they are proud to be engineers, love the regiment and are glad to be “home.”
“We look forward to serving the engineer regiment and look forward to serving this community,” Hudson said.
Palmer comes from Fort Irwin, California, where he served as the garrison command sergeant major.
“He brings and incredible breadth of experience across tactical units, multiple deployments, and experience in U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command as a drill sergeant,” Beck said.
More photos from the ceremony are available on Fort Leonard Wood’s Flickr page.
| Date Taken: | 05.30.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.06.2025 11:16 |
| Story ID: | 499844 |
| Location: | FORT LEONARD WOOD, MISSOURI, US |
| Web Views: | 25 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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