Activation of the Facility Engineer Group - Brief Article

The Secretary of the Army announced the activation of the U.S. Army Facility Engineer Group effective 16 October 2000. The purpose of the 400-soldier Army Reserve unit is to provide specialized engineering support to military commands throughout the United States and overseas.

The unit provides base-operating-system operational planning and technical engineer services for the U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSOOM), the U.S Army Reserve Command, the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, the U.S. Army Materiel Command, power-projection platforms, power-support platforms, and FORSCOM-designated key installations. It offers full-spectrum, senior-level professional-engineer assets for real property maintenance, environmental protection and compliance, and minor construction management and repair to civil infrastructure.

The unit can deploy over 100 engineers, architects, and computer specialists-including numerous professional engineers representing disciplines such as civil, electrical, environmental, and mechanical engineering. It is the only unit of its kind in the U.S. Army system.

"The Facility Engineer Group's unique blend of experts provides the Army with an extremely cost-effective engineering resource," said Colonel Steven R. Abt, the new unit's first commander. "Where else can a commander pay $200/day for an $800/day architect?"

The unit helps the directorates of public works and the Army Reserve commands in inspecting and evaluating the nation's nearly 1,300 Army Reserve centers. Assisted by its regional headquarters in Wisconsin, Texas, Georgia, and Maryland, the unit provides complete coverage of all of the Army's regional support commands in the United States. In addition to the headquarters elements, the Facility Engineer Group fields thirty 7-member facility engineer teams and six 15-member facility engineer detachments.

Before being formally activated, the provisional Facility Engineer Group provided engineering support to peacekeeping efforts in such places as Bosnia and Kosovo and has supported humanitarian operations in Central America. Individual soldiers have deployed during Operations Desert Shield/Storm (Persian Gulf), Uphold Democracy (Haiti), Restore Hope (Somalia), and Joint Endeavor/Guard (Bosnia).

Headquartered with the 416th Engineer Command, the unit's address is: Commander, Facility Engineer Group, Parkhurst USAR Center, 10 South 100 South Frontage Road, Darien, Illinois 60561 -1780. The telephone number is (800) 315-6327, the e-mail is AI.Smith@usarcemh2.army.mil, and the Web site is www.usarc.army.mil/416ENCOM/FEG.

COPYRIGHT 2001 U.S. Army Maneuver Support Center
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