576th Engineer Utilities Detachment begins federal duty

Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Virginia Beach-based 576th Engineer Utilities Detachment, 276th Engineer Battalion, 329th Regional Support Group marked the official start of their federal active-duty mission at a deployment ceremony April 19, 2022, at the State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

“To be able to deploy a unit to test their months and years of training, to challenge leadership skills, to challenge their personal doubts and fears and to be able to perform a true engineering mission is a special opportunity,” said Col. Michael Waterman, the commander of 329th Regional Support Group (Rear). “There are many units who deploy and don’t get the same opportunity to perform the actual mission they’ve been trained on.

” Capt. Shane McNamara, commander of the 576th, reminded those in attendance that it was on that day in 1775 that the American Revolution began at the Battle of Lexington, creating the opportunity for the writing of the Constitution of the United States. The end result of that are the “brave, smart, passionate” Soldiers sitting among them.

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Soldiers assigned to the 576th Engineer Utilities Detachment mark the official start of their federal active duty mission at a deployment ceremony April 19, 2022, at the State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach, Virginia.