WALTON, N.Y. - Thirty-four New York Army National Guard engineers from across the state tested their engineering equipment skills Aug. 10 during the 204th Engineer Battalion’s Fourth Annual Engineer Rodeo.
Soldiers from the battalion’s three companies and the headquarters company tested their ability to load gravel into a dump truck, pilot a skid steer, load a grader onto a trailer and back up a truck/trailer combination.
The two-Soldier teams even got a chance to scoop up and dunk a ball using the High Mobility Engineer Excavator, a high-speed, four-wheel drive, armored tractor with a front-end loader and backhoe.
The rodeo is fun and good training, said Spc. Joseph Warner, a member of the 1156th Engineer Company.
“I have participated the last three years. It is good to see everyone in the different units. It is great to learn from those who are good on the equipment,” Warner said. “I like seeing them get better each year, learning with exercises like this.”
Maj. Kevin O’Reilly, the battalion executive officer, said the rodeo also offers a chance to bring members of the far-flung battalion together in one place.
“This event is an opportunity to bring Soldiers together from different units, backgrounds, and cultures and have them build a mutual respect for Soldiers from other companies, while also trying to prove their company is the best,” O’Reilly said.
Each year a different company hosts the competition. For 2024, this was the 827th Engineer Company headquartered in Walton.
“The hosting company selects the competitive events and sets up the grading criteria,” O’Reilly said.
For this year’s rodeo, 827th also had the limitation of selecting events that can be accomplished within the confines of the armory motor pool.
O’Reilly said the events focus on core skills and equipment all the units possess, allowing for a level playing field.
Capt. Christopher Monteferante, the commander of the 827th, said the rodeo’s challenges focus on real-world skills and obstacles engineers must overcome.
“For example, we need to make sure that if a Soldier is driving the M-984 heavy truck, known as a HEMTT, with a trailer in a motor pool, and they have to turn around that they are able to do that,“ he said.
The five events are always announced three months out, he said.
“Part of it is practicing the technical skills of using the equipment, but it is also reinforcing the need to plan, prepare, rehearse, before the event,” Monteferante said.
“It gives them an opportunity to adapt and make decisions in a safe environment. It also gives them a challenge they may not get perfect, but they can learn from their mistakes to be better in the future,” he said.
Pfc. Keith Alvarado, a member of the 1156th Engineer Company based in Camp Smith near Peekskill, said he valued the chance to learn how to operate the HMEE tractor.
“I had never been inside the HMEE. I had to learn the new machine,” Alvarado said.” It was great to get some stick time, after only a little while the muscle memory comes back.”
Soldiers were judged on their ability to follow instructions, take safety precautions, ask to proceed at appropriate times, and the time to complete each task.
“We hope this is an opportunity for Soldiers to practice the skills they need to be successful in the future,” Monteferante said.
This year, Monteferante’s company won the event.