FORT BRAGG, N.C. – The 20th Engineer Brigade welcomed Col. Jefferson D. Burges as its commander and bid farewell to Col. Sean R. Shields during a change of command ceremony June 12, 2026, at the 1st Sgt. Christopher C. Rafferty Memorial Field on Fort Bragg.
Burges assumed command from Shields, who had served as the brigade’s commander since May 2024. The ceremony marked the formal transfer of authority within the brigade, underscoring the trust placed in its leaders and the continuity of command that sustains the brigade’s mission.
“I was able to touch the magic because people like us in the Castle Brigade do things like this,” Shields said during the ceremony. “It has been an honor to serve with you.”
Shields, who entered the Army in 2001 from Carlisle, Pennsylvania, has served for nearly three decades in leadership positions across the infantry, Ranger and airborne communities. His previous assignments include the 82nd Airborne Division, the 1st Infantry Division, the 75th Ranger Regiment, Special Operations Joint Task Force - Afghanistan/NATO Special Operations Component Command - Afghanistan, and as an Army officer in Headquarters, Department of the Army.
Throughout his career, Shields has deployed in support of Operation Unified Response, Haiti in 2010, the domestic response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, one deployment to Iraq during the initial assault with 2nd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, and four deployments to Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne Division, 1st Infantry Division, and Special Operations Joint Task Force - Afghanistan. He has also deployed to Kuwait in support of Operation Spartan Shield and Operation Inherent Resolve. Most recently, Shields deployed several times to Eastern Europe in support of Security Force Assistance Brigade operations. His awards and decorations include Ranger Tab, Sapper Tab, Parachutist Badge and Air Assault Badge.
“The talent here is immense,” said Shields. “We mastered the fundamentals of combat engineering with capabilities that range from the sky all the way down to the deep sea.”
Burges comes to the 20th Engineer Brigade from the Joint Multinational Readiness Center, Hohenfels, Germany, where he served as the Engineer Task Force Senior. He was commissioned in the Army in 2003, from Castroville, Texas and was first assigned to the 27th Engineer Battalion (Airborne) under the 20th Engineer Brigade, where he served as the Company Executive Officer and Platoon Leader.
His previous assignments include 54th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 173rd Combat Engineer Company (Airborne); Joint Readiness Training Center; 307th Airborne Engineer Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, and the 4th Engineer Battalion. He has deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Inherent Resolve, Iraq. His awards include the Combat Action Badge, Expert Soldier Badge, as well as Master Parachutist, Pathfinder, and Air Assault Badges, in addition to Ranger and Sapper Tabs.
“To the soldiers of the Castle Brigade, it is good to be home,” said Burges. “You continue to represent the very best the nation has to offer. I'm honored to stand in your presence.”
As the brigade commander, Burges will lead the Army’s premier engineer formation and serve as the senior officer responsible for driving the brigade’s mission readiness. His role includes shaping operational engineering capabilities, enforcing standards and discipline, strengthening training across all subordinate units, and ensuring the well‑being and professional development of Soldiers and families throughout the brigade.
“All the responsibility that that flag and those streamers represent just moved from a former commander to the commander. And make no mistake about it, command can be lonely when you're doing it well,” said Maj. Gen. James P. Work, deputy commanding general of XVIII Airborne Corps. “So that flag that we just passed represents an engineer brigade prepared to do the nation's deadly work.”