BAGHDAD - Winner of the Brig. Gen. Edmund Giering III outstanding company commander award, Capt. Jackie Manton of Ponchatoula, La., meets with project managers of the Nasir Wa Salam fire station project. Manton, a member of the 225th Engineer Brigad...

BAGHDAD - Winner of the Brig. Gen. Edmund Giering III outstanding company commander award, Cpt. Jackie Manton (right) of Ponchatoula, La., receives the candy bars and soft drink Giering was known for consuming while deployed. Brig. Gen. Owen Moncondu...

BAGHDAD - A soft drink and candy bar are quite the treat for Soldiers in a combat environment. But for one officer, that junk food combination turned out to be a symbol of a top achievement.

Capt. Jackie M. Manton received a soda and candy bars as this year's recipient of the prestigious Brig. Gen. Edmund J. Giering III Award.

The award is in honor of retired Brig. Gen. Giering who served as group commander of 225th Engineer Group from January 1987 to June 1992. The award is presented to the 225th Eng. Bde.'s most outstanding company commander who exemplifies the Army Values and displays exceptional leadership and soldiering skills.

So why the soda and candy as part of the official award' Fellow engineers will tell you that Giering would show up on drill weekends loaded with the sweet treats.

"Many times he would stay up the entire weekend," said Lt. Col. Jerry Crooks, 225th Eng. Bde. deputy brigade commander.

That is apparently where Giering got all of his energy. Crooks said the joke back then was to try to keep the candy away from him.

Manton, of Ponchatoula, La., joined the Louisiana National Guard in 1995, just four years before Giering retired. He never met the man whose name is attached to the high honor, but he appreciates Giering's legacy.

"I just heard that he was a great man, a great leader and he had a lot of energy," Manton said.

Manton is currently serving in Baghdad as the 225th Eng. Bde.'s officer-in-charge for Task Force Iron Paxton. He oversees numerous engineer projects in Abu Ghraib with a total cost of about $22 million.

It is a critical mission that Manton is pulling off with major success, according to 225th Eng. Bde. Commander Brig. Gen. Owen Monconduit.

"Capt. Manton's doing exceptional work supporting the 2-1 Infantry Division executing their projects," he said. "Abu Ghraib is a significant area as far as establishing stability for Iraq."

That is one reason why Monconduit is not at all surprised about Manton's selection for the Giering Award.

"It's outstanding to have him as the recipient," Monconduit said.

As for the "treat" he received in lieu of his authentic Giering Award that he will receive when he returns home from Iraq, Manton, unlike Giering, plans to hold off the urge to rip the wrapper and pop the top.

"I'm going to keep it as long as I can," he said laughing. "Hopefully I don't miss a meal here where I break down and eat it because it's a great reminder until I get back home."