FORT BELVOIR - - The 911th Technical Rescue Engineer Company has a new commanding officer. Capt. Michael Riccitiello III replaced Capt. Langston J. Turner during a ceremony held inside the 12th Aviation Battalion Hangar at Davison Army Air Field, Fort Belvoir, May 23, 2013.
The 911th Engineer Company trains for and conducts confined space and structural collapse rescue operations in support of military and federal contingencies within the National Capital Region. The unit also provides general engineering support to Fort Belvoir and the U.S. Army Military District of Washington.
"We've trained hard and you'll continue to do so," said Turner as he addressed his command for the last time during the traditional Change of Command ceremony. "Seek the lesson from everything you do now and learn from the minor setbacks that do occur in training because when the whistle blows, failure is not an option."
Turner assumed command of the 911th May 18, 2011, and has served in Kuwait, Iraq and numerous postings stateside. His decorations include the Bronze Star and Army Commendation Medals.
"I want to thank everyone responsible for making this ceremony possible, especially the men and women of the 911th," said Riccitiello, addressing his command for the first time as their commanding officer. "I also want to thank my wife, in advance, for her patience -- I was just handed my blackberry yesterday."
Riccitiello is a U.S. Military Academy, West Point, graduate and has a Master of Science in Engineering Management from Missouri Science and Technology where he also obtained his Professional Engineers license.
The 911th Technical Rescue Engineer Company is assigned to the 12th Aviation Battalion, Army Air Operations Group, U.S. Army Military District of Washington and was originally called the Military District of Washington Engineer Company but was re-designated in 2006 in commemoration of the company's rescue and recovery actions at the Pentagon after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The new company is modeled after a FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Heavy Task Force and its mission is unique among engineer units within the Army.
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