By Justin Creech
Staff writer
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Roughly 100 years of Army engineer training at Fort Belvoir came to an end Aug. 2 with the graduation of E Company, 169th Engineer Battalion Advanced Individual Training Soldiers at Thurman Auditorium in Humphreys Hall.
The students successfully completed the Geospatial Engineer Course, an Army Military Training Program, which prepares students to collect, analyze and distribute geospatial information, such as satellite imagery and aerial photography. Graduating Soldiers will provide unit commanders visual maps of the battlefield in field operations.
The use of Fort Belvoir for Army engineer training traces back to 1915 when it was actually referred to as a camp. The location provided necessary space for engineers to conduct rifle practice and other training.
Fort Belvoir served as home to
numerous training schools, such as the Engineer Replacement and Training Camp, and the Engineer Officer Candidate School, throughout the early to late 1900s.
“You have a tremendous legacy to live up to,” Garrison Commander and guest speaker Col. Gregory Gadson told the graduates. “You will do that by living up to the values of our Army everyday and challenging yourself to be all that you can be.”
One-by-one the final Belvoir GEC graduates received diplomas symbolizing their achievement and the end of an era.
E Co. is moving to Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., a phased move to be completed by November 2012. The move allows future students to train at the U.S. Army School of Engineers at Leonard Wood.
CWO4 Angel Martinez, Military College Training director, explained the change brings engineers closer to unit commanders, who will utilize the Soldiers in field operations.
“Commanders get to learn our capabilities and what we bring to the fight earlier in their careers,” Martinez said. “It will make the regiment better.”
The U.S. Army Engineer School moved to Fort Leonard Wood in 1988 and many of the engineer training schools left Belvoir.
The Defense Mapping School, which eventually became part of the National Geospatial-Intelligence College, remained at Belvoir. E. Co., activated in 2004, utilized the school to prepare Soldiers for their military careers until the final graduate; Pvt. 2 William Blanco, E Co., 169th Eng. Bn., received his diploma.
“It feels pretty good,” said Blanco, who received a National Geospatial Intelligence Agency coin for being the final graduate. “We are the ones that get to leave our mark here.”
Garrison leadership, Families and former GEC students and instructors witnessed the graduation. In addition to diplomas, E Co., 169th Eng. students Pfc. Tyler Delauter, Spc. Jonathon Blevins and Staff Sgt. Zachary Finley respectively received Top Eagle, Platoon Sergeant and honor graduate awards. Blevins also received the distinguished graduate award. The honors recognize the students’ performance in and out of the classroom.
Gadson commended all the Soldiers for their hard work and he also called E. Co. “the face of the Army for Fort Belvoir in the surrounding community.” Gadson’s praise stems from the company’s annual outreach efforts at events such as the U.S. Route 1 Clean-up and blood drives.
According to Blanco, students bond as battle buddies during the time spent together in and out of the classroom, which isn’t what the private was expecting. Blanco believed he would have to push himself through the program when he first arrived. However, he quickly learned his fellow classmates we’re more than willing to assist him.
Blanco said the majority of the class stuck together throughout the instruction and helped each other succeed.
“I’ve got my own little brotherhood here which is the last thing I expected,” Blanco said. “Any time somebody needs helps, I’ve got them.”
The positive atmosphere and frequent training eased the mind of Spc. Bruce Middleton, 43rd Civil Affairs Battalion, civil affairs, whose son passed away during the course. The specialist, who took the course to change his military occupational specialty, said studying and his battle buddies kept his mind occupied.
“The people here have been really good to me,” Middleton said.
The final graduating class overcame a stringent course and other obstacles to represent the final chapter of a book started in 1915.
The graduates fittingly closed the book at the ceremony’s conclusion by reciting the Soldier’s creed, the Essayons and the Army Song one final time at Belvoir.
“While we are sorry to see the unit depart after an outstanding partnership here at Fort Belvoir, we hope that the company will begin a new and prosperous chapter in its new home,” Gadson said.
