569th Engineer Company (Mobility Augmentation)
Fort Carson, Colorado
On xx 2012 the 569th Engineer Company deployed from Fort Carson, Colorado, and arrived at Forward Operating Base Spin Balduk, Afghanistan. The company was led by Company Commander, Captain Kristina Niemeyer. The 569th became part of Task Force Lumberjack, based on the 20th Engineer Battalion (the Engineer headquarters for Regional Command South). The primary missions of the 569th included route and area clearance, and training engineers of the Afghan National Army. At Fort Carson, the 569th Engineer Company is normally attached to the 4th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade.
Soldiers of the 569th Engineer Company during Operation Southern Strike II near Yaro Kalay, Afghanistan, June 4, 2012.
At left, Pfc. Jordan Stom and Pvt. Westley Steedman with mine detectors. At right, Sgt. Edward Wells scans his sector.
The Afghan Border Police-led operation focused on disrupting enemy formations in the vicinity of major passes,
exploiting areas of interest as well as positive interactions with the local populous.
From left, Pfc. Michael Weymouth and Sgt. Christopher Ouzts, engineers with the 569th Engineer Company,
Fort Carson, Colo., provide dismounted security for Air Force Tech. Sgt. Michael Myers and his military
working dog Rambo while clearing a hill of IED threats along a route used during Operation Southern Strike III
in the district of Takhteh Pol, Kandahar province, Afghanistan, Sept. 7, 2012.
Click on the image to see the photo at full size
Sgt. Brent Del, a military working dog handler with 2nd Platoon, 569th Engineer Company,
and his tactical explosive detection dog, Agbar, search for roadside bomb threats during
Operation Southern Strike IV, Kandahar province, Afghanistan, Nov. 18, 2012. The engineer
company traveled more than 325 km to clear areas of roadside bomb threats and set up traffic
control points to allow coalition and Afghan convoys to reach remote villages and towns.
Soldiers with 2nd Platoon of the 569th Engineer Company (MAC) gather on a berm at
FOB Spin Boldak - Afghanistan, Oct. 7, 2012. Soldiers of the 569th Engineers have
located hundreds of improvised explosive devices along routes in Spin Boldak since
deploying to Afghanistan in February. The engineer unit currently holds the company
record for the most IED finds using ground penetrating radar in Afghanistan.
(U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Brendan Mackie)
During a 12-month deployment the 569th conducted 360 missions that cleared 30,245 kilometers of road and found 286 improvised explosive devices, maintaining a 76 percent find rate.
Ninety of the roadside bombs found by the unit were visual finds, and the company holds the record for the most company and individual find rates in the Afghanistan theater of operations.
During their deployment the 569th En. Co. earned the Valorous Unit Award and a Combat Action Streamer.
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Story by Staff Sgt. Shane Hamann 569th Engineer Company Transfer of Authority
The 569th Engineer Company (Mobility Augmentation Company) from, Fort Carson, Colo., signaled the end of their record setting tour in Afghanistan with a transfer of authority and awards ceremony Feb. 2 here. The unit conducted route clearance missions in the International Security Assistance Force, Regional Command-South area of operations and handed over their duties to the 591st Engineer Company (Sappers), from Ft. Campbell, Ky. During a 12-month deployment the 569th conducted 360 missions that cleared 30,245 kilometers of road and found 286 improvised explosive devices, maintaining a 76 percent find rate, said Cpt. Kristina Niemeyer, the 569th Engineer Company commander. Ninety of the roadside bombs found by the unit were visual finds, and the company holds the record for the most company and individual find rates in the Afghanistan theater of operations, said Niemeyer. During their deployment the 569th earned the Valorous Unit Award, a Combat action Streamer, and Combined Federal Campaign Gold award. The incoming 591st Engineer Company is prepared to make a lasting impression also and brings with them much experience. They were one of the last engineer units to leave Iraq during Operation New Dawn where they performed similar route clearance missions, said Cpt. Martin N. Sigli, the 591st Engineer Company (Sappers) commander. Their advanced party personnel left Ft. Campbell, Ky. exactly one year from the date the unit returned home in December 2011. As the 569th prepares to return home after completing their mission, the 591st stands ready to take the lead in creating a safe operating environment for the units they will be supporting. "The 591st Engineer Company has the pleasure of continuing the mission of route clearance here,"" said Sigli. “We are a unit built on strong family values and stress brotherhood for not only our own but for with everyone we work with.â€
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The company earned the campaign streamer for Afghanistan - Consolidation II.
