"The Soldiers of the 249th can accomplish anything," said Lt. Col. Daniel Kent, the outgoing commander of the 249th Engineer Battalion (Prime Power).
Kent, who relinquished command to Lt. Col Francis Pera at Fort Belvoir VA on July 19, expressed great pride in the unit for its ability to adapt to change while under constant mission demands.
The battalion commander of the 249th is also the commandant of the U.S. Army Prime Power School in Fort Leonard Wood, MO. The Prime Power School produces Prime Power Production Specialists, graduates who support prime power mission during wartime, and during peacetime participate in training exercises, emergency deployments for disaster relief efforts, and special purpose deployments for electrical power operational requirements. 249th Soldiers also provide technical assistance missions in support of the Directors of Public Works (DPW) throughout the United States and overseas.
"You're all aware of Colonel Kent's outstanding leadership and his ability to be everywhere as this unit gets stretched out around the globe," said Maj. Gen. Anthony Funkhouser, Deputy Commanding General of Military and International Operations, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Headquarters (USACE HQ), also in attendance at the change of command ceremony. "The 249th Prime Power Battalion and the Commandant of the Prime Power School is an eclectic command; there is no other command like it in the Army."
Funkhouser personally witnessed Kent's leadership and his transformation of the 249th into the engine that drives the response to many of the Army's most challenging requirements in the field and to our nation during natural disasters and emergencies.
The 249th is headquartered at Fort Belvoir with companies in Fort Bragg, NC and Schofield Barracks, HI and a Reservist unit in Cranston, RI. The mission of the 249th Engineer Battalion is to on order, deploy worldwide to provide prime electrical power and electrical systems expertise in support of military operations and the National Response Framework. The 249th Engineer Battalion reports directly to USACE HQ.
Related Links:
249th Engineer Battalion Facebook page
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