HONOLULU - To celebrate the engineers' heritage and joint accomplishments throughout the Pacific theater, the 130th Engineer Brigade, 8th Theater Sustainment Command hosted its first luau at the Hale Koa here, Aug. 7.
The festivities included the Pacific Command (PACOM) commander as guest speaker, an awards ceremony, the cutting of the cake and live entertainment. The stage was screaming with engineer pride, from the biggest built castle on the island to the engineer flags flying at each end of the stage.
The brigade's vision, "PACOM's Unit of Choice," is in everything the unit does, from winning the U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) color guard competition and the USARPAC noncommissioned officer and Soldier of the Year to building and strengthening partnerships with U.S. allies.
"Engineers, everyone here today, has gone a long way in growing important relationships throughout the area of responsibility (AOR) by executing and supporting a wide variety of missions; from overseeing and executing military construction, providing host nation-funded construction, constructing facilities support to foreign military sales and responding quickly and effectively to humanitarian aid and disaster relief events in the region," said Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr., the Pacific Command (PACOM) commander.
Over time, the engineers have become a vital part of the Theaters Security Cooperation Program by creating long-term relationships with allies in the Pacific theater.
Throughout the year, the 130th has participated in 11 TSCP missions in seven countries and provided five and a half companies to the Combat Training Center rotations, said Harris. You supported numerous exercises and training events, executed dive missions in support of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) to bring home those we left behind, and you are establishing the Theater Construction Effects Workgroup/Board to prioritize and synchronize troop construction projects in the PACOM AOR.
After the highlights of their extensive outreach, Col. Blace C. Albert, the 130th Engineer Brigade commander, shifted focus to the Essayons Award. This award was given to seven hard working spouses that dedicated their time and effort to making the unit better and stronger.
As the luau came to a close, the words of Harris summed up what engineers face on a daily basis.
"Hard is certainly not new for our engineers," said Harris. "Hard is what you do. The world will change in ways we can hardly imagine. So will our platforms, systems, and equipment. The one thing that will never change is the ability of our people - our engineers - to achieve ultimate success, regardless of circumstance."
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