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United States Army Engineer School

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United States Army Engineer School (USAES)
Active1778 – present
CountryUnited States United States
Allegiance United States Army
BranchRegular Army
TypeTRADOC school
RoleGenerate military engineer capabilities for the U.S. Army
Garrison/HQFort Leonard Wood
Motto(s)Essayons (Let Us Try)
ColorsScarlet and White
Commanders
CommandantColonel Stephen Kolouch
Command Sergeant MajorCSM Zachary Plummer

The United States Army Engineer School (USAES) is located at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. It was founded as a School of Engineering by General Headquarters Orders, Valley Forge on 9 June 1778.[1] The U.S. Army Engineer School provides training that develops a wide variety of engineering skills including: combat engineer, bridging, construction, geospatial, topography, diving, and firefighting.

USAES defines its mission as:

Synchronize and integrate the Doctrine, Organization, Training, Material, Leader Development, Personnel, and Facilities (DOTMLPF) domains to ensure the Engineer Regiment is prepared to provide engineer support now and into the future.[2]

History

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As with the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the Engineer School traces its roots to the American Revolution. General Headquarters Orders, Valley Forge, dated 9 June 1778 read "3 Captains and 9 Lieutenants are wanted to officer the Company of Sappers. As the Corps will be a SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING, it opens a prospect to such gentlemen as enter it...." Shortly after the publishing of the order, the "school" moved to the river fortifications at West Point. With the end of the war and the mustering out of the Army, the school closed. However, the Regiment of Artillerists and Engineers was constituted a military school and was reopened at the same location in 1794. For four years it constituted a school of application for new engineers and artillerymen. Closing in 1798, due to a fire which destroyed many facilities, the engineers were without a school for three years.

In 1801, the War Department revived the school, and Major Jonathan Williams became its superintendent. Less than a year later, Congress authorized the Corps of Engineers and constituted it at West Point as a military academy. For the next 64 years, the Military Academy was under the supervision of the Corps. Although the curriculum was heavily laced with engineering subjects, the Academy commissioned officers into all branches of the service. Following the American Civil War (1861–1865), supervision of the Academy passed to the War Department.

When the Engineer Battalion took station at the Fort at Willets Point (later renamed Fort Totten) in 1866, Engineer leaders saw the opportunity to develop a school oriented exclusively to engineers. From 1868 to 1885, an informal School of Application existed; its first commander was Major Henry Larcom Abbot, who developed the Army's first modern underwater minefield system there. Part of this effort involved the creation of the Essayons Club. This was an informal group which met during the winter months and presented professional engineer papers. In 1885, the School of Application received formal recognition by the War Department. In 1890, the name was changed to United States Engineer School.

In 1901, the School moved from Willets Point to Washington Barracks in Washington, D.C., and was renamed the Engineer School of Application. This name lasted only a few years. In 1904, the name was changed back to the Engineer School. The Engineer School remained at Washington Barracks for the next 19 years, although it closed from time to time because of a shortage of officers, or national emergencies. In 1909, certain courses associated with the field army moved to Ft. Leavenworth, and the Army Field Engineer School opened in 1910. That school, a part of the Army Service Schools, closed in 1916. The First World War forced a closing of the Engineer School as the instructors and students were needed to officer the expanding engineer force. The school resumed its instruction in 1920, but at a different location. Washington Barracks was transferred to the General Staff College and the Engineer School moved to Camp A. A. Humphreys, south of Mount Vernon, in Virginia. This was a World War I camp built on land acquired by the War Department in 1912. The original name for the tract was Belvoir. In 1935, Camp Humphreys was renamed Fort Belvoir.[3]

After 68 years, in 1988, the home of the Engineer School was moved to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri "due to a shortage of land for training at Fort Belvoir" [3] The move also allowed engineer training of officers, warrant officers and enlisted to be conducted in the same location.[4]

USAES and Engineer Regiment symbology.

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The distinctive insignia for the U.S. Army Engineer School was approved by the War Department on June 27, 1929. It had been used on diplomas and stationery since 1924. Scarlet and white are the colors of the Engineers. Scarlet represents the shared heritage with the Artillery. From 1794 to 1802, the Engineers were part of the Corps of Artillerists and Engineers. White is the traditional color of the Infantry. Its use on the shield reflects the Engineers’ secondary mission of fighting as infantry. Above the shield is the “Lamp of Knowledge”. The lamps represents the Engineer Schools mission to train and educate.[5]

Under the shield is the motto of the Engineers-Essayons. It is a French term which means “Let us strive”, “Let us try”. The use of this term reflects the contributions of French Engineers to the Nation’s struggle for independence and the influence of the French Engineers on the early development of the Corps.

The castle symbolizes the classical role of Engineers as those who build fortifications and those who breach their walls. The castle has been used by the Corps since 1840, when it was adopted as a device on the uniform of the Cadets of the United States Military Academy.

Organization

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The U.S. Army Engineer School is composed of Headquarters staff, the Directorate of Training and Leader Development, the Directorate Of Environmental Protection and Management, 1st Engineer Brigade, the Counter Explosive Hazards Center and the Engineer Personnel Development Office.

Visual representation of the U.S. Army Engineer School structure
Visual representation of the U.S. Army Engineer School structure

Command

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As of 2024, the Commandant of the U.S. Army Engineer School is Colonel Stephen Kolouch. The Regimental Command Sergeant Major is CSM Zachary Plummer. The Regimental Chief Warrant Officer is CW5 Willie Gadsden Jr.

Commandants

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Image Name Period of Office
Colonel Jonathan Williams 1802–1812
Brigadier General Joseph Gardner Swift 1812–1817
Brigadier General Sylvanus Thayer 1817–1833
Brigadier General Rene' E. De Russy 1833–1838
Major General Richard Delafield 1838–1845 & 1856–1861
Brigadier General Henry Brewerton 1845–1852
Colonel Robert Edward Lee 1852–1855
Major General John G. Barnard 1855–1856
Captain Pierre G. T. Beauregard 1861
Lieutenant Colonel Alexander H. Bowman 1861–1864
Major General Zealous B. Tower 1864
Brigadier General George Washington Cullum 1864–1866
Major James C. Duane 1866–1868
Major Henry Larcum Abbot 1868–1886
Major Cyrus B. Comstock 1886–1887
Major William R. King 1887–1895
Major William T. Rossell 1895
Major John G. D. Knight 1895–1901
Major William M. Black 1901–1903
Major Edward Burr 1903–1906
Major Eben Eveleth Winslow 1906–1907
Major William Campbell Langfitt 1907–1910
Major William Jones Barden 1910–1913
Major Joseph Ernst Kuhn 1913–1914
Major William Preston Wooten 1914–1916
Major Gustave Rudolph Lukesh 1916
Major General Mason Mathews Patrick 1916–1917 & 1921
Colonel William Wright Harts 1917
Colonel Henry Jervey 1917
Colonel Frederic Vaughn Abbot 1917–1918
Colonel Richard Park 1918
Brigadier General Charles William Kutz 1918
Colonel Jay Johnson Morrow 1919
Major General Clement A. F. Flagler 1919–1920
Brigadier General William Durward Connor 1920
Colonel Meriwether Lewis Walker 1920–1921
Major General Mason M. Patrick 1921
Colonel James Albert Woodruff 1921–1924
Colonel Harry Burgess 1924
Colonel Sherwood Alfred Cheney 1924–1925
Colonel Edward Murphy Markham 1925–1929
Colonel Edward Hugh Schulz 1929–1933
Colonel George Redfield Spalding 1933–1935
Colonel Laurance V. Frazier 1935–1936
Colonel Julian Larcombe Schley 1936–1937
Colonel Thomas Mathew Robins 1938–1939
Colonel James Alexander O'Connor 1939–1940
Brigadier General Roscoe Campbell Crawford 1940–1943
Colonel Xenophon Herbert Price 1943–1944
Brigadier General Edwin H. Marks 1944
Brigadier General Gordon Russell Young 1944
Brigadier General Dwight Frederick Johns 1944–1945
Brigadier General Patrick Henry Timothy Jr. 1936–1937
Major General Francis B. Wilby 1945–1946
Colonel Willis Edward Teale 1946–1947
Major General William Morris Hoge Jr. 1947–1948
Major General Douglas Lafayette Weart 1948–1951
Major General Stanley Lonzo Scott 1951
Major General A. W. Pence 1951–1954 (Died in office)
Major General Louis W. Prentiss 1954–1956
Major General David H. Tulley 1956–1958
Major General Gerald E. Galloway 1958–1960
Major General Walter K. Wilson Jr. 1960–1961
Major General Stephen R. Hanmer 1961–1962
Major General Lawrence J. Lincoln 1962–1963
Major General William F. Cassidy 1963–1965
Major General Frederick J. Clarke 1965–1966
Major General Robert F. Seedlock 1966–1967
Major General Arthur William Oberbeck 1968
Major General George H. Walker 1968–1969
Major General William C. Gribble Jr. 1969–1970
Major General Robert R. Ploger 1970–1973
Major General Harold R. Parfitt 1973–1975
Major General James A. Johnson 1975–1977
Major General James L. Kelly 1977–1980
Major General Max W. Noah 1980–1982
Major General James Neal Ellis 1982–1984
Major General Richard S. Kem 1984–1987
Major General William H. Reno 1987–1988
Major General Daniel R. Schroeder 1988–1991
Major General Daniel W. Christman 1991–1993
Major General Joe N. Ballard 1993–1995
Major General Clair F. Gill 1995–1997
Major General Robert B. Flowers 1997–2000
Major General Anders B. Aadland 2000–2002
Major General Robert L. Van Antwerp Jr. 2002–2004
Major General Randal Castro 2004–2006
Major General William H. McCoy 2006–2007
Brigadier General Gregg Martin 2007–2008
Colonel Robert A. Tipton 2008–2009
Brigadier General Bryan G. Watson 2009–2011
Brigadier General Peter “Duke” DeLuca 2011–2013
Brigadier General Anthony C. Funkhouser 2013-2015
Brigadier General James H. Raymer 2015 - 2017
Brigadier General Robert F. Whittle Jr. 2017 - 2019
Brigadier General Mark Quander 2019 - 2021
Colonel Daniel H. Hibner 2021–2022
COLONEL JOSEPH C. “CLETE” GOETZ II 2022-2024
COLONEL STEPHEN J. KOLOUCH 2024-present

Regimental Command Sergeants Major

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Image Name Period of Office
SGM Frederick W. Gerber 1867–1875
SGM A.M. Wagner 1961–1962
SGM G.F. Humphreys 1962–1964
SGM M.H. Philips 1964–1966
SGM A.M. Wagner Jan-Mar 1966
SGM M.H. Philips 1966-1968
SGM Harry W. Dawson Mar-Jul 1968
CSM Griffith A. Jones 1968–1969
CSM M.H. Philips 1969–1971
CSM H. Salazar 1971–1973
CSM Adriano W. Benini 1973–1975
CSM Robert G. Cady 1975–1977
CSM Lucion L. Cowart 1977–1979
CSM Frederick J. Eisenbart 1979–1981
CSM Marvin L. Knowles 1981–1982
CSM Orville W. Troesch Jr. 1982–1984
CSM C.T. Tucker 1984–1986
CSM M. Lee 1986–1988
CSM Acie Gardner 1986–1991
CSM W. E. Woodall 1991–1992
CSM Richard N. Wilson 1992–1993
CSM Roy L. Burns 1993–1996
CSM Julius Nutter 1996–1997
CSM Robert M. Dils 1997–1999
CSM Arthur Laughlin 1999–2000
CSM Robert R. Robinson II 2000–2002
CSM William D. McDaniel Jr. 2002–2003
CSM Clinton J. Pearson 2003–2008
CSM Robert J. Wells 2008–2011
CSM Terrence W. Murphy 2011–2013
CSM Butler J. Kendrick Jr. 2013 - 2015
CSM Bradley J. Houston 2015 - 2017
CSM Trevor C. Walker 2017 - 2018
CSM Douglas William Galick 2019 - 2020
CSM John T. Brennan 2020 - 2023
CSM Zachary Plummer 2023 - Present

Regimental Chief Warrant Officers

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Image Name Period of Office
CW5 Robert K. Lamphear 2007–2011
CW5 Scott R. Owens 2011 - 2015
CW5 John F. Fobish 2015 - 2017
CW5 Jerome Bussey 2017 - 2019
CW5 Dean A. Registe 2019 - 2023
CW5 Willie Gadsden Jr. 2023 - present

Engineer

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The school published Engineer (ISSN 0046-1989), a professional bulletin.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "The United States Army | Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri | U.S. Army Engineer School". wood.army.mil. Retrieved 2015-05-24.
  2. ^ "The United States Army | U.S. Army Engineer School". wood.army.mil. Retrieved 2015-05-24.
  3. ^ a b "Post-World War II: 1946-Present". belvoir.army.mil. Retrieved 2015-05-24.
  4. ^ Dr. Larry Roberts. "History of Fort Leonard Wood" (PDF). Maneuver Support. No. Summer 2008. wood.army.mil. pp. 4–6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-01-30..
  5. ^ "Engineer School Crest" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-02-07.
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