2006 WVNG Annual Report PDF - West Virginia Army National Guard

West Virginia National Guard Annual Report 2006111 th Engineer BrigadeDuring 2006 the 111th Engineer Group transformed to the modular 111th EngineerBrigade. Colonel Melvin L. Burch assumed command of the newly formed brigade fromColonel Richard L. Starcher on 21 October 2006.The emergence of the new brigade required creation of a new brigade patch.Drenched in WV Engineer heritage, the new patch is the firstpatch specifically assigned to the 111th Engineers. Patchsymbolisms: red and white are the colors traditionally used byEngineer units; the tower symbolizes the Brigade's constructionmission; the black diamond signifies military constancy to thenation in times of war and peace and the rich coal resources ofthe state; the powder horn signifies the 111th Engineer's heritageas "Minuteman for Freedom," which is also the unit'smotto.The new Brigade mission is to plan, integrate, and directthe execution of Engineer missions conducted by 3-5 Engineerbattalions. The Brigade will also provide technical and tacticalguidance and command and control to engineer teams, companiesand battalions. The change from a group to brigade hasexpanded our capabilities by adding additional military occupationalskills in medical, budget and procurement and surveying and design, as well as thereturn of the 21B (Combat Engineer) MOS to the brigade level.The Engineer Brigade commands all units under the 771st Troop Command Battalionand the 1092nd Engineer Battalion, thus increasing the Brigade's warfighting capabilities.The Engineer Brigade will continue to preparefor State disaster relief missions, which includelending support to flood ravaged victims, clearingsnow, removing obstructions from lines oftransportation, and repairing critical infrastructure.During 2006 the Brigade assumed theadditional duty of manning, equipping andtraining one of 12 national CERF-P (Chemical,Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, High YieldExplosive Enhanced Response Force Package)Teams. With future plans to increase the CERF-P mission to all states, West Virginia remainson the leading edge of training and readiness. The CERF-P mission is to respond to weaponsof mass destruction incidents, terrorist attacks or natural disasters in order to lend assistanceto civilian first responders. The Engineer Brigade currently has command over theCERF-P command element, decontamination element, and the extraction team. Additionaltraining in hazardous materials, combat lifesaving and advanced extraction techniques ismandatory for CERF-P members.49