FORT EUSTIS, Va.- A long-time combat engineer instructor and Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran from the North Dakota National Guard's 164th Regiment Regional Training Institute (RTI) was named the 2013 National Guard Instructor of the Year by the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) during a formal ceremony May 30 at Fort Eustis, Va.
Sgt. 1st Class Paul Deegan, of Devils Lake, North Dakota, was selected for the recognition, beating out all other National Guard instructors in the United States. He has worked full-time at the RTI - at Camp Grafton Training Center near Devils Lake - for more than 13 years and is certified to teach a number of military operational specialty (MOS) courses, including Combat Engineer, Combat Engineer - Advanced Leader Course, Combat Engineer - Senior Leader Course, Bridge Crewmember, Army Basic Instructor and Small Group Instruction.
Deegan, with support from the RTI's engineer combat section instructors, trains about 320 combat engineer National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers each year.
"TRADOC searches out the best examples in the Army to put in front of our burgeoning leaders - to show Soldiers what right looks like, and to show that one day they can be just as professional and dedicated," said Gen David G. Perkins, commanding general of TRADOC, during the ceremony.
The road to winning the prestigious TRADOC National Guard Instructor of the Year award is extensive. Deegan first competed among 60 other RTI instructors from the 164th RTI to become Instructor of the Quarter for the North Dakota installation. The four Instructor of the Quarter winners then competed for the RTI's Instructor of the Year award.
Once the top regional instructors from each state are determined, they go on to compete at a national level, having their nominations for RADOC Instructor of the Year reviewed by the National Guard Bureau (NGB). NGB forwards its top three selections to TRADOC, where a winner is determined. According to TRADOC, "candidates were judged on tactical and technical knowledge, communication skills and classroom management. Their contributions to training and education, including curriculum development, research and article publication were also considered."
"It's a huge honor for us to have one of our instructors recognized, especially on the heels of the RTI being named an 'Institute of Excellence' by TRADOC," said Command Sgt. Maj. Alan Grinsteinner, 164th RTI commandant. "Sgt. 1st Class Deegan's recognition shows you why we are able to accomplish so much at our schoolhouse. We have some of the best instructors in the nation right here in North Dakota. The quality and skill of our instructors and cadre here is top-notch."
Deegan is the third instructor from the 164th RTI to be named TRADOC's National Guard Instructor of the Year. Sgt. 1st Class Charles Porter, of Devils Lake, and retired Command Sgt. Maj. Kevin Keefe, of Fargo, North Dakota, also have earned the distinction in past years.
At the awards presentation ceremony, Deegan received an Instructor of the Year plaque, TRADOC Certificate of Achievement, TRADOC coin and four-star note from Perkins.
"I thank my wife, Denny, for her outstanding support during my time here at the RTI and during my military service, in general. I couldn't do it without her," Deegan said. "There are several key instructors from North Dakota I credit as mentors, who have molded me as an engineer instructor in the combat section. These colleagues include 1st Sgt. Kurt Schwind and Master Sgt. Jeff Wollschlaeger, and retired instructors Sgt. 1st Class Kelly Elkin, Sgt. 1st Class Dale Ott and Sgt. 1st Class Dave Grove. Without their technical expertise and guidance, surely this honor would not have been mine."
An Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran, Deegan mobilized with F Battery, 1st Battalion, 188th Air Defense Artillery Regiment to Kirkuk, Iraq, from 2003-04. While there, he helped train and conducted joint operation missions with the Iraqi Army. Additionally, Deegan has had significant involvement in North Dakota's State Partnership Program with Ghana. He has participated in an Instructor Exchange Program with engineer instructors from the Ghanaian Armed Forces four times, traveling to the country to assist and teach at its Engineer Training School.
"I'm passionate about what I do because it's a job that directly impacts the Army combat engineer community. The students who attend courses at North Dakota's RTI go from our classrooms, back to their units and later serve in overseas missions," Deegan said.
Last month, the 164th RTI received a "Fully Accredited" rating and "Institution of Excellence" status from TRADOC through an accreditation process. A team of evaluators administers the inspections in 3-year cycles to Army training institutions nationwide. It was the third time in a row the North Dakota schoolhouse had received the distinction.
Currently, there are 68 full-time North Dakota National Guard Soldiers and 27 traditional Guard members who support the 164th RTI, which provides 19 fully accredited engineer courses each year with about 150 classes scheduled annually. About 65 percent of all U.S. Army Reserve and Army National Guard engineers across the United States receive training there.