thedrifter
05-24-06, 06:41 AM
These are men of character’
May 24,2006
Chrissy Ingram
DAILY NEWS STAFF
The aroma of fresh paint mixed with chocolate cake graced the noses of 800 Marines on Tuesday afternoon as they stood in formation at Camp Lejeune.
Lt. Gen. James F. Amos commanded the 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, 2nd Marine Division to be “at ease” to receive the Lt. Gen. Chesty Puller Outstanding Leadership Award.
The combat engineers, who call themselves “sappers,” gathered around Amos in a semi-circle at their headquarters, which was freshly painted yellow, red and gray. Some stood, while some sat Indian-style beneath the large silver cup they were to receive.
“We are in times right now where we need every single one of you every single week,” Amos said. “You have the best preservation record in all of II Marine Expeditionary Force. …You’re one of my absolute safest units.
“I like that, because I need you.”
Leadership is a defining quality of 2nd CEB, he said. It shows in the tight-knit unit through a near-perfect safety record, low number of disciplinary infractions and 117 percent re-enlistment rate.
It also shows through their commitment to support the division through recent deployments and training sessions for Operation Iraqi Freedom, Amos said. The unit conducts breaching operations and demolitions, constructs combat roads, minefields and explosive systems and provides water and electrical support, according to the unit Web site.
Asked what made the unit stand out, Amos said, “the answer is that guy right there.” He pointed to Lt. Col. David Ottignon, commanding officer of the unit.
“The sergeant major (Rudy Resto) and the commanding officer are two of the premier leaders in the II Marine Expeditionary Force. They are good at everything they do — caring for the Marines and Marine families. Nobody does it better. It starts with them.”
Ottignon credited the junior Marines and noncommissioned officers who know how important each detail is — from physical fitness to motorcycle safety.
“The award belongs to them — they are the strongest in my career I can recall,” he said. “This is a unit that can train hard and hasn’t forgotten what it means to be a Marine and still pay attention to the small stuff.”
The Lt. Gen. Chesty Puller Outstanding Leadership Award has been given only three times, two of which were to the 2nd CEB.
It was an award created to honor the best-led units in II MEF, Amos said.
The award is being considered by the headquarters of the Marine Corps as a corpswide award, said a II MEF spokesperson.
“Marines like recognition,” Amos said after the ceremony. “We’ll fight our way through the bloodiest of battles to get a little piece of cloth — a medal — on our chests. We’re a rare breed.”
The unit has spent more than 1,000 hours in the field over the past month in addition to normal pre-deployment training, Ottignon said. They must be ready to be “the principle source of mobility, counter mobility and engineering reconnaissance expertise for the division,” according to the unit’s Web site.
“It’s a blessing to be a part of it,” he said.
“We use Vince Lombardi quotes all the time. These are ‘men of character.’”
More than 100 Marines and sailors in 2nd CEB are currently deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The unit has lost a total of eight Marines in the past three years during the war and been awarded 57 Purple Hearts.
Contact staff writer Chrissy Ingram at cingram@freedomenc.com or by calling 353-1171, ext. 239.
May 24,2006
Chrissy Ingram
DAILY NEWS STAFF
The aroma of fresh paint mixed with chocolate cake graced the noses of 800 Marines on Tuesday afternoon as they stood in formation at Camp Lejeune.
Lt. Gen. James F. Amos commanded the 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, 2nd Marine Division to be “at ease” to receive the Lt. Gen. Chesty Puller Outstanding Leadership Award.
The combat engineers, who call themselves “sappers,” gathered around Amos in a semi-circle at their headquarters, which was freshly painted yellow, red and gray. Some stood, while some sat Indian-style beneath the large silver cup they were to receive.
“We are in times right now where we need every single one of you every single week,” Amos said. “You have the best preservation record in all of II Marine Expeditionary Force. …You’re one of my absolute safest units.
“I like that, because I need you.”
Leadership is a defining quality of 2nd CEB, he said. It shows in the tight-knit unit through a near-perfect safety record, low number of disciplinary infractions and 117 percent re-enlistment rate.
It also shows through their commitment to support the division through recent deployments and training sessions for Operation Iraqi Freedom, Amos said. The unit conducts breaching operations and demolitions, constructs combat roads, minefields and explosive systems and provides water and electrical support, according to the unit Web site.
Asked what made the unit stand out, Amos said, “the answer is that guy right there.” He pointed to Lt. Col. David Ottignon, commanding officer of the unit.
“The sergeant major (Rudy Resto) and the commanding officer are two of the premier leaders in the II Marine Expeditionary Force. They are good at everything they do — caring for the Marines and Marine families. Nobody does it better. It starts with them.”
Ottignon credited the junior Marines and noncommissioned officers who know how important each detail is — from physical fitness to motorcycle safety.
“The award belongs to them — they are the strongest in my career I can recall,” he said. “This is a unit that can train hard and hasn’t forgotten what it means to be a Marine and still pay attention to the small stuff.”
The Lt. Gen. Chesty Puller Outstanding Leadership Award has been given only three times, two of which were to the 2nd CEB.
It was an award created to honor the best-led units in II MEF, Amos said.
The award is being considered by the headquarters of the Marine Corps as a corpswide award, said a II MEF spokesperson.
“Marines like recognition,” Amos said after the ceremony. “We’ll fight our way through the bloodiest of battles to get a little piece of cloth — a medal — on our chests. We’re a rare breed.”
The unit has spent more than 1,000 hours in the field over the past month in addition to normal pre-deployment training, Ottignon said. They must be ready to be “the principle source of mobility, counter mobility and engineering reconnaissance expertise for the division,” according to the unit’s Web site.
“It’s a blessing to be a part of it,” he said.
“We use Vince Lombardi quotes all the time. These are ‘men of character.’”
More than 100 Marines and sailors in 2nd CEB are currently deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The unit has lost a total of eight Marines in the past three years during the war and been awarded 57 Purple Hearts.
Contact staff writer Chrissy Ingram at cingram@freedomenc.com or by calling 353-1171, ext. 239.