Brigade bids farewell to the 425th BSTB, welcomes engineer unit

by Sgt. Brian Ragin
4/25th IBCT Public Affairs

10/23/2014 - JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- The 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, formally inactivated the 425th Brigade Special Troops Battalion (Airborne) and immediately activated the 6th Brigade Engineer Battalion in a ceremony October 17 on Pershing Field.

The newly activated battalion will take on all subordinate units from the 425th BSTB. It will also bring increased capability in engineer mission command structure. The new organization will be able to support the brigade with two full companies of engineers, one to provide combat and stability operations, and another to conduct horizontal construction and route clearance.

The ceremony on Pershing Field featured paratroopers of the battalion in ceremonial formation along with several static displays from the inventory of 6th BEB platforms, which included several military vehicles and an unmanned aerial vehicle.

"The Soldiers you see on the field before you represent the best of two exceptional units," said Army Lt. Col. Kevin Perera, the outgoing commander of the former 425th BSTB. "Blending the accounts of October 2005 and three combat deployments with the campaign streamers from the Civil War, World War I, and World War II, we now recognize the 6th Brigade Engineer Battalion as the amalgamation of these two destinies, and one of the most decorated battalions within our modern Army."

The 425th BSTB's inactivation is part of Army Force Structure organization to achieve the Army's 2020 plan. The 6th BEB is a representation of the Army of 2020's way of strengthening the force by consolidating and preparing leaders and organizations for future missions and by creating a more adaptive, agile force.

"Building on the success of the BSTB, the 6th BEB stands ready to provide essential combat enabler support to the Spartan Brigade with military intelligence, signal, [chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear,] military police, engineers and expanded mission command capabilities," said Army Lt. Col. George Walter, the 6th BEB's commander.

The ceremony culminated with a pass and review featuring all of the unit's paratroopers marching by and saluting their commander as they moved off the parade field and back to work.