Photo By Staff Sgt. Cesar Salazar Jr. | Lt. Col. James M. Schmitz, incoming commander of the 724th Engineer Battalion, 157th...... read more read more
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CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis. – The Wisconsin Army National Guard’s 724th Engineer Battalion, 157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, welcomed a new command team during a combined change of command and change of responsibility ceremony at the battalion’s headquarters in Chippewa Falls, Wis., March 7.
During the ceremony, Lt. Col. Paul Cusick relinquished command of the battalion to Lt. Col. James Schmitz, and Command Sgt. Maj. Hayden Eckelberg transferred responsibility of the battalion to Command Sgt. Maj. Ryan Hernandez. The ceremony was attended by Wisconsin Army National Guard senior leadership and Soldiers of the battalion, emphasizing the significance of the leadership transition.
“Today, the two gentlemen who are going to transition from the battalion, I’ve had the distinct pleasure to know both of them for – I can’t make this up – decades,” Col. Bryan D. Huebsch, commander of the 157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, said in his remarks. He continued, “Here you are all these years later. Absolutely fantastic officers.”
The change of command ceremony incorporated traditional elements, including the passing of the guidon, which symbolizes the transfer of authority and responsibility of command from the outgoing commander to the incoming commander.
“It’s just a real great opportunity to command the 724th Engineer Battalion,” Cusick said. “This team is better than they were yesterday, and they have a great new commander coming in after me. I’m just really proud of this whole team.”
Cusick enlisted in the Wisconsin Army National Guard in 1995 and served as a human resource and signal support specialist for 12 years before receiving a direct commission as a signal officer in 2007. Throughout his career, he served in multiple assignments including platoon leader with the 106th Engineer Quarry Detachment, company commander of the 950th Engineer Company (Route Clearance), battalion operations officer and executive officer of the 173rd Brigade Engineer Battalion, brigade engineer for the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, and brigade operations officer and deputy commander of the 157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade. Cusick now serves as the director and chief information officer of the Command, Control, Communications, & Computers Directorate at the Wisconsin National Guard Joint Force Headquarters.
Cusick’s deployments include Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, Operation New Dawn in 2010, Operation Inherent Resolve in 2016, and Operation Enduring Freedom in support of Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa in 2022.
Incoming commander Schmitz enlisted in 1998 as a chemical operations specialist, serving on active duty and in the Wisconsin Army National Guard before commissioning through the Reserve Officer Training Corps as an engineer officer in 2006. His assignments include route clearance platoon leader, mechanized sapper company commander, brigade assistant engineer officer, battalion operations officer, and commander of the 924th Engineer Facilities Detachment.
Schmitz’s operational deployments include mobilizations with the 724th Engineer Battalion during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn, relief program manager with the 82nd Agribusiness Development Team in Afghanistan, liaison officer to the U.S. Embassy in Muscat, Oman, brigade protection advisor for the Joint Multinational Training Group - Ukraine with the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, and most recently as a crisis response planner and forward coordinating element team leader for Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa with the 157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade. He also served on state active duty as a liaison officer in Polk and Barron Counties during tornado relief efforts in 2019.
Schmitz gave thanks to his predecessor, state leadership, and mentors for their continued support and trust as he steps into his role. He also expressed gratitude to his family for their support throughout his career.
“To the Soldiers of the 724th… it's my honor to be your commander,” Schmitz said in his closing remarks. “I look forward to serving with you. Of the north! Essayons!”
The change of responsibility ceremony marked the transition between the battalion’s senior enlisted leaders. The transfer of the noncommissioned officer saber symbolized the passing of duty, responsibility, and authority from the outgoing command sergeant major to the incoming command sergeant major.
Eckelberg assumed responsibility for the 724th Engineer Battalion in May 2024 and served as the command sergeant major for Task Force Badger during the Department of Defense mission supporting the Department of Homeland Security along the southwest border of the U.S.
“It was a dream come true being able to lead the amazing Soldiers of this battalion,” Eckelberg said. “It challenged me on a consistent basis, but this was a dream to have that opportunity.”
Eckelberg has served in various leadership positions across the battalion, from team leader through command sergeant major. He also served as an instructor, Officer Candidate School platoon leader, and commandant of the 426th Regiment Regional Training Institute. He deployed in support of Operation Noble Eagle in 2003, Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2004, Operation Enduring Freedom in 2012, and the southern border mission in 2024. He is assigned as a legislative liaison and senior enlisted advisor with the National Guard Bureau’s Office of Legislative Liaison.
“Take care of your people, hold them and yourself accountable, get results, and know how you’re doing,” Eckelberg said to the Soldiers of the battalion in his closing remarks.
Hernandez assumed responsibility for Task Force Badger in October 2025 to support the battalion’s transition during the southwest border mission while he was serving as the operations sergeant major for the task force. He served in numerous leadership positions including team leader through platoon sergeant, branch chief at the 426th Regiment Regional Training Institute, and first sergeant positions at Company A (Forward Support), 950th Engineer Company before serving as the senior intelligence sergeant for the 724th Engineer Battalion.
“The strength of this battalion has never been found in its building, its equipment, or its history books,” Hernandez said in his remarks. “It has always been found in its Soldiers and leaders who show up every day ready to do the hard work.”
The 724th Engineer Battalion embodies the dual-mission aspect of National Guard service of serving local and mobilizing in support of major operations. Throughout its history, the battalion mobilized for missions across the world, including Panama, Kuwait and Afghanistan, and has been activated for multiple state emergencies responses. The battalion falls under the 157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade and encompasses a Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Alpha Company (Forward Support), the 273rd Combat Engineer Company (Armor), 829th Engineer Vertical Construction Company, and the 950th Engineer Route Clearance Company.
The 724th Engineer Battalion traces its origins to 1946 when it was constituted as the 724th Engineer Combat Battalion, which was then assigned to the 32nd Infantry Division and headquartered in Ashland, Wis. The unit was reconstituted as the 724th Engineer Battalion in 1953. In 1972, the 264th Engineer Group was formed and would become the battalion’s higher headquarters. The battalion was reorganized in 2008, and the headquarters’ location was moved to Chippewa Falls.
In March 2003, the 724th Engineer Battalion mobilized as one of the first units deployed during the Iraq War and operated in southern Iraq as Task Force Badger. More recently, the battalion was activated to support security operations during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in July 2024. The battalion headquarters also mobilized in support of U.S. Border Patrol operations along the southern border in October 2024.
| Date Taken: | 03.07.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 03.10.2026 16:21 |
| Story ID: | 560224 |
| Location: | CHIPPEWA FALLS, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 215 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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