An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Dec. 28, 2015

Louisiana engineer company and families have their best Christmas ever

By 1st Lt. Rebekah Malone 1023rd Engineer Company

PINEVILLE, La. – Christmas came a day early for the Louisiana National Guard’s 1023rd Engineer Company, as they arrived home to eager friends and family at a welcome-home event at the Monroe Regional Airport – Century Link hangar, Dec. 24.

More than 150 Soldiers with the 1023rd, headquartered in Bastrop with detachments in Monroe and Clarks, completed their 10-month deployment to Kuwait, with additional missions in Iraq, Jordan and Afghanistan. The Soldiers provided vertical engineer construction operations in the Kuwait theater of operations in support of Operations Enduring Freedom, Freedom's Sentinel and Inherent Resolve.

Maj. Gen. Glenn H. Curtis, the adjutant general of the LANG, waited with the eager crowd to welcome home the unit. This is the first time since 2002 that the LANG does not have a unit deployed to a combat zone.

“There’s not a better feeling in the world than to see your kids’ faces [when you return from deployment],” he said.

During the course of their deployment, the 1023rd completed numerous vertical projects in the four different countries. In Kuwait, the engineers helped update the Kuwait Naval Force facilities on the Kuwait Naval Base with extensive plumbing renovations, including shower and latrine facilities. They also worked on the first-ever joint construction effort between Kuwaiti Navy and U.S. Army engineers to build pavilions, decks, and other Morale, Welfare and Recreation facilities for U.S. and Kuwaiti forces. At Al Asad Airbase in Iraq, the unit stood up housing and shower facilities for 800 allied forces, built a new water well, new USO facility, Post Exchange, larger dining facility and expanded base defense. Marines, Soldiers and Danish forces lived in tents, but after the work of the 1023rd, they had new and improved amenities and two-person rooms.

The reunion between Staff Sgt. Chad Lawless and his wife, Angela, of Swartz, Louisiana, was particularly special as Chad met his 6-month-old son, Levi, in person for the first time.

Angela said the day Chad left was one of the hardest days of her life, but her other two children, Lily, 4 and Luke, 2, kept her going and positive.

“I was so sad, just devastated; that was my best friend,” she said. “But there are no more tears. I’m just ecstatic. This is the best Christmas present ever.”

The 1023rd conducted mobilization training at Fort Bliss, Texas, before deploying overseas together.

This unit has participated in numerous response and recovery operations in this state, as well as other deployments overseas.

 

 

Related Articles
U.S. Air Force airmen assigned with the 129th Rescue Wing, California Air National Guard, and Philippine Air Force airmen conduct a static tour of the HC-130J during Exercise Balikatan '25, Cebu City, Philippines, Apr. 29, 2025. 

Balikatan, translates to “shoulder to shoulder”, is a longstanding annual exercise between the armed forces of the Philippines and the U.S. military designed to strengthen our ironclad alliance, improve our capable combined force and demonstrate our commitment to regional security and stability.
California Air Guard Participates in Exercise Balikatan 25
By Senior Airman Serena Smith, | June 5, 2025
MOFFETT AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Calif. — Members of the California Air National Guard’s 129th Rescue Wing recently traveled to Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu, Philippines, to participate in Exercise Balikatan 25,...

Contractors perform construction on the taxiway widening project at McEntire Joint National Guard Base, South Carolina, June 4, 2025. The infrastructure upgrade will enable safer ground movement for larger transient aircraft and improve support for joint operations and high-tempo mission activities.
South Carolina Air Guard Widens Taxiway
By Master Sgt. Megan Floyd, | June 5, 2025
McENTIRE JOINT NATIONAL GUARD BASE, S.C. – A critical infrastructure upgrade is underway at McEntire Joint National Guard Base as the South Carolina Air National Guard takes a significant step toward expanding its ability to...

U.S. Air National Guard Airmen, low observable aircraft structural journeymen assigned to 187th Maintenance Group, prepare an F-35A Lightning II during Checkered Flag 25-2 on Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, May 5, 2025. Checkered Flag is a biannual joint force aerial exercise featuring over 60 fourth and fifth-generation fighter jets in large-force combat simulations to enhance joint domain combat airpower.
Alabama Air Guard Participates in Checkered Flag 25-2
By Capt. Michael Luangkhot, | June 5, 2025
DANNELLY FIELD, Ala. – The Alabama Air National Guard’s 187th Fighter Wing participated recently in Checkered Flag 25-2 at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida.The April 29-May 15 exercise was designed to enhance air-to-air combat...