By Sgt. 1st Class Scott D. Longstreet, Louisiana National Guard Public Affairs Office
PINEVILLE – The Louisiana National Guard’s 225th Engineer Brigade held two change of responsibility ceremonies at the Dabadie Gym Complex on Camp Beauregard in Pineville, March 8.
During the first ceremony, Command Sgt. Maj. Darren K. Thomas, outgoing senior enlisted leader of the 528th Engineer Battalion, 225th Engineer Brigade, transferred responsibilities to Sgt. Maj. Kevin M. Steele, the battalion’s incoming senior enlisted leader.
In the second ceremony, Command Sgt. Maj. Larry J. Johnson Jr., outgoing senior enlisted leader of the 225th Engineer Brigade, transferred responsibilities to Thomas, who assumed duties as the incoming 225th Engineer Brigade senior enlisted leader.
Presiding over the first ceremony were Col. William W. Saint, commander of the 225th Engineer Brigade; Lt. Col. Jeffrey L. Giering, commander of the 528th Engineer Battalion and Command Sgt. Maj. Sud Robertson, Louisiana National Guard senior enlisted leader – Army.
The second ceremony was presided over by Brig. Gen. Jason Mahfouz, Louisiana National Guard assistant adjutant general – Army, and Command Sgt. Maj. Clifford Ockman, command senior enlisted leader of the LANG.
During the ceremonies, both Thomas and Johnson received the Meritorious Service Medal in recognition of their outstanding leadership as senior enlisted leaders for their respective units.
The 528th Engineer Battalion, headquartered in Monroe, plays a critical role in supporting combat and domestic missions with specialized engineering capabilities, including construction, route clearance and emergency response operations. The battalion is composed of three construction companies, two support companies and one combat engineer company.
The 225th Engineer Brigade supports both state and federal missions. In addition to supporting overseas operations since 2002, the brigade has responded to numerous domestic emergencies, including Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Ike, Gustav and Harvey; the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill; the 2016 flood events and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
