43rd SB Soldier wins top honor

By Sgt. 1st Class Kevin Quill, 43rd Sustainment Brigade Public AffairsApril 30, 2009

43rd SB Soldier wins top honor
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FORT CARSON, Colo.-Sgt. Donald Davidson, Headquarter and Headquarters Company, 43rd Sustainment Brigade has been named the Army Enlisted Power Generation Technician of the year.

Davidson grew up in Ontonagon, Mich., and joined the Army April 2004 as a combat engineer. In Dec. 2005 he reclassified to 52D, power-generation equipment repairer. He deployed to Afghanistan from June 2007- Aug. 2008 with 4th Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery. Davidson is a graduate of the Army's Generator Mechanic School, where he was the Distinguished Honor Graduate, and the Patriot Systems Generator Mechanic Course.

He is the noncommissioned officer in charge for the 43rd's Power Generation Section where his expertise is counted on.

"He's a very experienced mechanic. He brings a lot to the table with his deployment time and his knowledge of working on generators downrange. So he really does a good job training and teaching our Soldiers," said Staff Sgt. Suanne Price, HHC 43rd motor sergeant.

Receiving the award came out of the blue for Davidson.

"It's a pretty big award, I was really surprised," he said. "I just tell my Soldiers to try their hardest and never take no for an answer."

Setting the example is something Davidson tries to do every day and he wants his whole unit can take pride in his accomplishment.

"It shows he knows what he's doing. It's nice to see an Armywide recognition come to someone at our unit level. It helps build the morale of our Soldiers to see one of our own get it," said Price.

Davidson received the award April 22 from the Department of Defense's Project Manager-Mobile Electric Power at their conference in Orlando, Fla. The PM-MEP provides a modernized standard family of mobile electric power generator sets for all services throughout the Department of Defense.