The publication of a technical engineering article written by the 1457th Engineer Battalion in Army Engineer Magazine is significant in the history of the Battalion and for the Army National Guard as a whole. It provides a medium to extol the virtues of a storied and decorated unit in the Utah Army National Guard and shows how valuable Citizen-Soldiers can be in times of need.
“Army Engineer Magazine is the official publication of The Army Engineer Association, a member-based, non-profit corporation specifically organized to facilitate cohesion, interaction, and networking within the United States Army Corps of Engineers total family of soldiers, civilians, family members, and alumni. As such, AEA serves as both the honor fraternity and alumni association for the Army Engineer Regiment.
The Engineer Regiment includes those now serving, as well as veterans who served honorably for any length of time. By their dedicated service, each earned a distinct place within the Regiment, whether it be as a part of an Engineer troop unit or part of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) organization (District, Division, Laboratory, etc.)
AEA provides its members with an Army Engineer network for life. Why is this important? Army Engineers excel at completing complex and demanding missions in war and peace, always performed with uncommon dedication, ingenuity, and unsurpassed standards of excellence. All members of this network are thus inseparably linked for life by their service.”
By publishing this article; highlighting the technical expertise, selfless service, and duty to our fellow countrymen, Army Engineer Magazine has solidified the reputation of the Battalion as one of the premier organizations of the US Army Corps of Engineers. This article trumpets a legacy of excellence for past, present, and future members of the 1457th Engineer Battalion.
In addtion, the 116th Engineer Company (Horizontal), which was heavily involved in the flood-recovery mission in Colorado in late 2013, was recently selected for the Itschner Award.
The Itschner Plaque, first awarded by the Society of American Military Engineers in 1960, is named in honor of Lt. Gen. Emerson C. Itschner, USA. The plaque was presented to the most outstanding U.S. Army engineering company during a year.
In 1974, the competition for the Itschner Award was broadened to include the Army National Guard and the Army Reserve.
