Courtesy Story: 176th Engineer Brigade (TXARNG)

Posted: October 08, 2015

BROWNWOOD, Texas – A U.S. Army Reserve engineer soldier got more than he bargained for when he unearthed unexploded ordnance (UXO) while participating in a multi-component roadway construction project at the Camp Bowie Training Facility, July 12, 2015. 

“I was grading down the road and I felt the vehicle shift a little,” said Sgt. Dwayne Goodell, horizontal construction engineer, 277th Engineer Company, 980th Engineer Battalion, 420th Engineer Brigade, U.S. Army Reserve (USAR), based in Camp Bullis, Texas. 

Looking down the sergeant saw what caused the unexpected movement; his heavy equipment vehicle blade struck a teardrop-shaped green metal tube with fins. The object was a fully intact 81-millimeter mortar round. The highly explosive projectile is used by the military to destroy vehicles, structures, and equipment from a distance of three to four miles away. 

“I saw the fins, and I was like, ‘here we go again,’” said Goodell. “The mortar popped up, it spun a couple times in the air, and then it hit the ground.”

Locating the mortar was an unmistakably-unnerving feeling for the combat veteran. And Goodell had reason to worry. UXO can remain dangerous for years, or even decades, after failing to detonate. Exposure to the elements can cause the explosives inside a UXO to destabilize, making it respond unpredictably to shock or impact.

Fortunately for Goodell, the round came to rest without detonating. 

“I didn’t think it was going to go off, because of how long it had been here, so I stopped the equipment and got off,” said Goodell. “I got a good distance away and called the NCO that was with us, and then we did the UXO report.”

The Army has well-defined procedures for dealing with UXOs, beginning with safeguarding the area. 

“I went down and set up a cordon, another Humvee rolled up with the NCOIC and he set up the outer cordon on top of the hill, so that we would have visibility over the area,” said Goodell. 

Several staff personnel overseeing the roadway construction project reacted to the UXO find. 

“I looked over at the battalion commander and asked ‘Sir, did he just say UXO?,’” said Maj. Ed Zook, operations officer, 111th Engineer Battalion, 176th Engineer Brigade, Texas Army National Guard (TXARNG). 

“When the find was confirmed soldiers in the Tactical Operations Center followed protocol and called for an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team,” said Zook.

“EOD soldiers are highly prized for their knowledge of explosives and munitions. Although we, as Army engineers, routinely deal with explosives, the EOD are the experts when it comes to disposing of ordnance quickly and safely,” said Capt. Michael Fellers, headquarters commander, 111th Engineer Battalion, TXARNG. 

The nearest EOD team was located at Fort Hood nearly 100 miles from the Camp Bowie Training Facility. Unsure of how quickly the team would be able to make the trip, the 111th and 277th made preparations to keep the area protected indefinitely. 

Fortunately, the active-duty soldiers from the79th Ordnance Disposal Battalion, 71st Ordnance Group (EOD) team were on the scene in about two hours. 

“Response from Fort Hood was excellent,” said 1st Sgt. Lucia Estrada, 277th Engineer Company, USAR. “We appreciated the speedy arrival.”

When dealing with UXOs, the EOD teams have the option of disarming the ordnance or destroying the device. After viewing the mortar, the EOD professionals determined to detonate the mortar where it was found using C4 explosives. 

After placing the charge, the EOD team joined Goodell on the hill several hundred meters away. The honor of detonating the mortar fell to the man who found it. Goodell triggered an M-81 firing device and was rewarded a second later with a thunderous blast. 

“It was pretty cool,” said Goodell. 

The 17-mile roadway construction is a 25-day project, 6-30 July, along the perimeter of the Camp Bowie Training Center. The multi-component project planned and led by 111th Engineer Battalion, 176th Engineer Brigade, Texas Army National Guard (TXARNG) included active duty soldiers from the 36th Engineer Brigade based in Fort Hood, Texas and U.S. Army Reserve soldiers from 420th Engineer Brigade headquartered in Bryan, Texas.

Lt. Col. Michelle Bryant speaks about Texas Army National Guard women soldiers, primary caregivers and services. TAG Talks are a series of unique presentations put together by students in The Adjutant General's Executive Leadership Development Program offering the perspective of future Senior leaders of the Texas Military Forces.

Story by:  Chief Warrant Officer Two Janet Schmelzer

Posted:  October 2, 2015

GRAPEVINE, Texas - The 4th Regiment, Texas State Guard, welcomed a new commander, Col. Alfred Sustaita, Jr., during an assumption of command ceremony at the 9/11 Flight Crew memorial in Grapevine, September 12, 2015. Sustaita will lead 4th Regiment headquarters and three battalions in Weatherford, Decatur and Arlington. 

"I am honored to be the commander of the 4th Regiment.  The soldiers in this unit are the best trained and I plan to continue the strong leadership role of Col. Lietz," commented Sustaita.

Sustaita has spent his entire military career in the Texas State Guard.  Enlisting as a private in 1989, he joined the 202nd Military Police Battalion. His was commissioned a second lieutenant  and was assigned to the 8th Military Police Brigade in 1993.  Other assignments included aide-de-camp to the deputy commander of operations south and commanding officer, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Military Police Brigade. 

Sustaita was promoted to the rank of colonel, September 26, 2015.

After the Texas State Guard was reorganized, Sustaita became the 2nd Regiment operations officer,  commanding officer of the Quick Reaction Team, and commanding officer, 1st Battalion.  His most recent assignment was operations officer, Texas Medical Brigade. His state active duty deployments include hurricanes Rita, Dean, Dolly, Edouard, Gustav, Ike, and Alex, and Operation Lone Star, the largest humanitarian operation in South Texas.

His professional military education includes the Texas State Guard Basic Reserve Component Non-commissioned Officer Course, Basic Officer Training Course, Advanced Officer Training Course, Infrastructure Protection Detachment Training Course, Command and General Staff Course, and the Texas Adjutant General Leader Development Program. 

He has received the Texas Outstanding Service Medal, Texas Medal of Merit with one bronze acorn cluster, Adjutant General Individual Award with four star devices, Commanding General Individual Award with one silver oak leaf cluster, Texas Humanitarian Service Ribbon, Texas Faithful Service Medal with two bronze cactus devices, and the Texas State Guard Service Medal.

He supported Operation Iraqi Freedom as a contractor through the Logistics Civilian Augmentation Program in Iraq from 2003-2005. 

Sustaita holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Bioenvironmental Science from Texas A&M University where he was a member of the “Fightin’ Texas Aggie Corps of Cadets.”  He is married to Dawn Lei and resides in Alvin. They have one son, Wyatt Tomas Sustaita.