CONTACT: Mr. Eric Durr (DMNA), 518-786-4581 or Maj. Jesse Stalder (US Army Reserve) 601-631-6103

FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, Apr 14, 2009

ON SITE: Maj. Jesse Stalder , 253-224-0946(cell)

WHO:

Thirty members of the United States Army Reserve’s 412th Theater Engineer Command, including representatives from the 411th Engineer Brigade in New Windsor, New York, and Army Reserve elements from Massachusetts, Alabama and Mississippi.

WHAT:

The New York National Guard’s Camp Smith Training Site will host a best Soldier competition being held by the United States Army Reserve’s 412th Theater Engineer Command, April 14-17. Members of the media are welcome to observe the competition Soldiers will participate in a Best Warrior Competition in which they will be evaluated in physical fitness, weapons handling, marksmanship, drill and ceremony, land navigation, first aid and Soldier tasks. The competitors tactical and technical skills will be tested along and they will be stressed mentally and physically. Winners will represent the 412th at the United States Army Reserve Command (USARC), Best Warrior Competition 06 - 10 JUL 09 at Fort McCoy, WI.

WHEN:

Tuesday to Friday, April 14 to 17. An award ceremony will be held at 3 p.m. on April 17.

WHERE:

Camp Smith Training Site, Routes 6 and 20, Cortlandt Manor

Visual and Coverage Opportunities: Soldiers will be conducting land navigation testing/ weapons firing/physical fitness testing/ and skills evaluation exercises. (See events and date listing below). Media will have an opportunity to talk with Soldiers and evaluators for the exercise. Media members interested in covering the competition must contact Major Jesse Stalder, 412th Theater Engineer Command Public Affairs Officer at 253-224-0946 in order to obtain access to this secure military facility.

BACKGROUND:

Camp Smith Training Site: Camp Smith is the largest of three training locations owned by the state of New York and operated by the New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs for the New York National Guard. The 1,613 acre facility includes 126 acres of main that includes 50 buildings, along with 229 acres of range and 1,256 acres of wooded training area. The site was first used by New York to train state militia in 1888. Camp Smith has been in continual use since then. Soldiers can train on M-4 carbines, M-16 rifles, M-240B machineguns, and M-9 pistols, and the M-14 sniper rifle at the existing ranges, and conduct infantry tactical training on the wooded hillsides. Along with units of the New York Army National Guard, Army Reserve, local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, and the Corps of Cadets at the United States Military Academy at West Point, use the training facilities. Camp Smith is also home to the headquarters of the all-volunteer New York Guard and houses patrol boats used by the New York Naval Militia. “Camp Smith is an exceptional training facility and we are proud to see it used by members of the United States Army Reserve in this competition,” said Major General Joseph Taluto, the Adjutant General of New York. Best Warrior Events: -Land Navigation (Working with Map and compass) / Physical Fitness---April 14 -Weapons Qualification/ Army Warrior Task Training-April 15 -Army Warrior Tasks / Oral examination Board-April 16 -Mystery Event/ Awards Ceremony-April 17 412th Theater Engineer Command: The United States Army Reserve’s 412th Theater Engineer Command, headquartered in Vicksburg, Mississippi, was originally established to support theater level- military engineer operations for the United States Army in Korea, the Pacific and Europe. Since the inception of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan the 412th has become an operational command responsible for 15 Army Reserve engineer battalions, and for rotating teams into and out of the Persian Gulf area. Elements of the command also support military operations in Africa. The elements of the 412th Theater Engineer Command include the 411th Engineer Brigade in New Windsor, the 926th Engineer Brigade in Montgomery, Alabama, and the 302nd Maneuver Enhancement Brigade in Westover, Massachusetts.. The 412th is commanded by a two-star general, Major General Paul Hamm. While the New York Army National Guard has a role as both a state and federal reserve force, Army Reserve units are a totally federal force, and cannot assist in state emergencies unless directed by the President of the United States. 411th Engineer Brigade: Headquartered in New Windsor, the 411th Engineer Brigade is responsible for five engineer battalions in the northeast United States. Elements of the 411th deployed to Iraq in 2006 where they were responsible for everything from eliminating roadside bombs to building a base which housed 5,500 Soldiers during the troop surge in 2007. Attachment 1: Elements of the 412th Theater Engineer Command

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