Fort Belvoir, VA – Lt. Col. Langston Turner took command of the 249th Engineer battalion (Prime Power) in a short ceremony presided over by Maj. Gen. William (Butch) Graham, Deputy Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on 7 July.
The 249th Engineer Battalion is a versatile power generation battalion that provides commercial-level power to military units and federal relief organizations during full-spectrum operations. The 249th commander also serves as the Commandant of the U.S. Army Prime Power School, the institution responsible for the development of Army and Navy power generation specialists. The organization is charged with the rapid provision of Army generators to support worldwide requirements.
“It is humbling to have the distinct honor and privilege to take command of the only battalion of medium voltage power providers in the United States Army, said Turner during his change of command ceremony. “The gravity of our mission and the role we have is not taken lightly. I am fully committed to living up to the legacy established by great commanders, like Walgren, Pera, Balten, Kent, Hibner and Hudson, and I am committed to maintaining the culture of excellence in the battalion.”
Turner enlisted in the VA National Guard in 2001 as a 12 B Combat Engineer and served under the simultaneous membership program while completing ROTC at James Madison University in Harrisburg, VA. After commissioning in December 2005, he completed the Engineer Officer Basic Course at Ft Leonard Wood, MO.
He was forward stationed in the Republic of Korea with the 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division from 2006 to 2008 and served as a Company Executive Officer in the Headquarters & Headquarters Company, 1 Heavy Brigade Combat Team and also served as Engineer Company Platoon Leader and XO in E Co, 2 9 Infantry Battalion Following service in Korea, he served on a Military Transition Team and deployed to Iraq to train the 20 5 Iraqi Forces Infantry Brigade in support of the Operation Iraqi Freedom during 2009.
He attended the Engineer Captains' Career Course at Ft Leonard Wood in 2010. From 2011 to 2013, he served in the 12th Aviation Battalion at Ft Belvoir, VA During this period, he commanded the 911th Technical Rescue Engineer Company as part of the Military District of Washington. The 911th is the US Army’s only designated Technical Rescue Company and has specific mission responsibilities in Washington, DC during disaster response.
Following his command tenure, he was assigned to the Office of the Chief of Engineers in the Pentagon and served as an Operations Officer on the Army Staff from 2013 to 2015 Upon completion of two years of service in the Pentagon, Turner served for one year as Aide de Camp to the Commandant of the US Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, PA. From 2016 to 2017 he attended resident ILE at the Command and General Staff College on Ft Leavenworth, KS before serving one year as the Officer/Deputy G 4 for the 1st Theater Sustainment Command on Ft Knox, KY.
LTC Turner also served as the Executive Officer for the 19th Engineering Battalion, and the 20th Engineer Brigade. Following these key and developmental assignments, he served as the Engineer Majors’ Career Manager at Human Resources Command. His previous assignment was the G-33 Chief of the Operations Center for the Headquarters, US Army Corps of Engineers.
His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal 4 OLC), Army Commendation Medal 1 OLC), Army Achievement Medal 2 OLC), Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Commendation, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Army Superior Unit Award, Parachutists Badge, Air Assault Badge, Pathfinder Badge and the Army Staff Identification Badge Additionally, Turner is a Legionnaire of the US Army Infantry Association’s Order of St Maurice and a recipient of the US Army Engineer Association’s Bronze de Fleury.
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