1st Armored Division Soldier earns prestigious Gruber Award for field artillery innovation

FORT BLISS, Texas — Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kory J. Engdall, a field artillery intelligence officer assigned to the 1st Armored Division, received the 2024 Edmund L. Gruber Award for his exceptional contributions to the targeting and fire support community throughout fiscal year 2024 at Fort Bliss, Texas.

The US Army’s Fires Center of Excellence at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, presents the Gruber Award – named after former Brig. Gen. Edmund L. Gruber — annually to the field artillery Soldier who exemplifies superb individual thought, innovation, and overall excellence that results in significant contributions to or the enhancement of the field artillery’s war-fighting capabilities.

Engdall, while assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Armored Division Artillery, served as the brigade targeting officer for the division’s 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, where he distinguished himself through unmatched technical expertise, innovative problem-solving, and selfless leadership that directly enhanced the brigade’s readiness for large-scale combat operations. His efforts fundamentally improved how the unit trains, plans, and executes fires across the division.

During FY24, Engdall played a pivotal role in training multiple staff and fire support elements across 1st AD in support of several major training events. As a part of these training efforts, Engdall led a comprehensive overhaul of the brigade’s digital architecture, modernizing the digital standard operating procedures and executing sustainment training that significantly increased fire support effectiveness and lethality by reducing fire mission processing times.

Engdall also demonstrated exceptional initiative in leader development by co-founding “Gunner’s Prose,” a monthly professional writing workshop for 2nd Bn., 3rd Field Artillery Regt. The program directly supported the Chief of Staff of the Army’s emphasis on leader development and produced tangible results, including multiple articles published in the Field Artillery Journal, with additional submissions pending publication.

“I started a writing workshop, just a monthly sit down. I would get with people, teach them how to write articles,” said Engdall. “We successfully were able to publish five articles submitted to the FA professional publications.”

While at National Training Center Rotation 24-04, Engdall designed systems to overcome communications limitations that were deliberately imposed on the unit during the training. Despite those designed limitations, he streamlined fire mission processing and enabled timely and accurate deep fires, contributing to the rapid destruction of enemy artillery.

The Gruber Award is not the first time Engdall received recognition for demonstrating technical and professional proficiency. As a specialist in the Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System, known as AFATDS, his expertise was requested to solve a major interoperability challenge between the AFATDS and the AH-64 Apache helicopters.

"I was nominated through the field artillery and aviation community, to figure out what the connectivity is between the two and got to work over in Poland to test and experiment,” said Engdall. His published work on the subject also earned him the 2023 Lt. Col. (Ret.) Michael Grice Writing Award.

Engdall’s success comes from a mentality that deliberately pursues excellence and seeks out opportunities daily.

“What we as a field artillery community have to understand is that times are constantly changing, and you have to get with the times,” said Engdall. “So, you have to show up to work every day, you have to put your best foot forward, and you have to find out where you need to implement yourself. Because if you don’t do that, you’re going to quickly find yourself behind the power curve.”

In reflecting on the honor of receiving the Gruber Award, Engdall concluded with the idea that his efforts transcend the individual achievement. He acknowledges that his success came out of a larger Army community that developed him, a community that gives back to in return.

“Although it’s an individual award, through the time of thinking about the things I’ve done, the biggest thing that came back to me were the people that were involved," said Engdall. "You can’t do everything on your own... just the team and the community was what mattered most to me to accomplish the mission.”

Engdall’s selection for the Edmund L. Gruber Award reflects his unwavering commitment to the profession of arms, exceptional moral character, and lasting impact on the 1st Armored Division’s targeting and fire support enterprise. His innovations, mentorship, and dedication have strengthened the Army’s ability to fight and win, leaving a legacy that will endure well beyond his assignment at Fort Bliss.