Spartan Brigade bids farewell to the 425th BSTB, welcomes 6th BEB in its place

By Sgt. Brian RaginOctober 17, 2014

Spartan Brigade bids farewell to the 425th BSTB, welcomes 6th BEB in its place
1 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Lt. Col. George H. Walter, the commander of the newly activated 6th Brigade Engineer Battalion (Airborne), 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, salutes the American Flag and his battalion's colors during the pass and r... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Spartan Brigade bids farewell to the 425th BSTB, welcomes 6th BEB in its place
2 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Fallen Spartans from 425th Brigade Special Troops Battalion (Airborne), 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division are remembered on a Warrior Heroes board at the unit's inactivation ceremony Oct. 17, 2014, at Joint Base Elme... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Spartan Brigade bids farewell to the 425th BSTB, welcomes 6th BEB in its place
3 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Paratroopers of the newly activated 6th Brigade Engineer Battalion (Airborne) represent their unit in formation during the unit's activation ceremony as it joins the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division Oct. 17, 2014 at... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Spartan Brigade bids farewell to the 425th BSTB, welcomes 6th BEB in its place
4 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Paratroopers of the newly activated 6th Brigade Engineer Battalion (Airborne) represent their unit in formation during the unit's activation ceremony as it joins the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division Oct. 17, 2014 at... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Spartan Brigade bids farewell to the 425th BSTB, welcomes 6th BEB in its place
5 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The original commander of the 425th Brigade Special Troops Battalion (Airborne), 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Col. Tom Roth (black beret), who is now with U.S. Army Alaska, and the last commander of the 425th, ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Spartan Brigade bids farewell to the 425th BSTB, welcomes 6th BEB in its place
6 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The color guard for the newly activated 6th Brigade Engineer Battalion (Airborne), 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, stands in front of the battalion's formation during the unit's activation ceremony Oct. 17, 2014 a... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Spartan Brigade bids farewell to the 425th BSTB, welcomes 6th BEB in its place
7 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers with the U.S. Army Alaska's 9th Army Band from Fort Wainwright play music in support of the newly activated 6th Brigade Engineer Battalion (Airborne), 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division's activation ceremony ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska - The 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division formally inactivated the 425th Brigade Special Troops Battalion (Airborne) and immediately activated the 6th Brigade Engineer Battalion in a ceremony October 17, 2014 on Pershing Field at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.

The newly activated battalion will take on all subordinate units from the 425th BSTB. It will also bring increased capability in engineer mission command structure. The new organization will be able to support the brigade combat team with two full companies of engineers, one to provide combat and stability operations, and another to conduct horizontal construction and route clearance.

The ceremony on Pershing Field featured Paratroopers of the battalion in ceremonial formation along with several static displays from the inventory of 6th BEB platforms, which included several military vehicles and an unmanned aerial vehicle.

"The soldiers you see on the field before you represent the best of two exceptional units," said Lt. Col. Kevin J. Perera, the outgoing commander of the former 425th BSTB. "Blending the accounts of October, 2005 and three combat deployments with the campaign streamers from the Civil War, World War One, and World War Two, we now recognize the 6th Brigade Engineer Battalion as the amalgamation of these two destinies, and one of the most decorated battalions within our modern Army."

The 425th BSTB's inactivation is part of Army Force Structure organization to achieve the Army's 2020 plan. The 6th BEB is a representation of the Army of 2020's way of strengthening the force by consolidating and preparing leaders and organizations for future missions and by creating a more adaptive and agile force.

"Building on the success of the BSTB, the 6th BEB stands ready to provide essential combat enabler support to the Spartan Brigade with military intelligence, signal, CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear,) military police, engineers and expanded mission command capabilities," said Lt. Col. George H. Walter, the 6th BEB's commander.

Also supporting the ceremony was U.S. Army Alaska's 9th Army Band from Fort Wainwright by providing live ceremonial music.

The band complimented the superb fall weather and amazing Alaskan scenery said the 4/25's commander, Col. Matthew McFarlane.

The ceremony culminated with a pass and review featuring all of the unit's Paratroopers marching by and saluting their commander as they moved off the parade field and back to work.