HEADLINE NEWS

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Building Strong ®

579th Engineer Detachment (FEST-M) Global Support
For Immediate Release Contact: Mark Abueg, Public Affairs Officer
October 7, 2009 Office: (601) 631-5987 | Cell: (540) 532-7735
E-mail: mark.b.abueg@usace.army.mil

REACTIVATED ARMY UNIT CONTINUES TO PREPARE FOR WORLDWIDE OPERATIONS

Deployable Team of Soldiers and Civilians in Mississippi Work Together Towards Success
VICKSBURG, Miss. – The 579th Engineer Detachment (Forward Engineer Support Team – Main) is quickly
integrating new members to become part of the team capable of rapidly deploying in support of local, national and
global disaster relief and operations. The reactivated unit has seamlessly been able to plug itself into the Mississippi
Valley Division and fill positions through extensive efforts to recruit personnel with a high level of engineering skill
and technological expertise.

While the 579th Engineer Detachment (FEST-M) falls under Division, it is physically located in the Vicksburg District
in Suite 120. Employees of the District may not remember how the old Suite looks because of its extreme makeover.
What started out as bare floors has become a fully operational center capable of staffing 36 personnel ranging from
engineers to supply technicians and communications specialists to human resource specialists.

“We have made tremendous progress since the unit’s reactivation,” said Lt. Col. Sam Jaynes, commander, 579th
Engineer Detachment (FEST-M). “Both Division and the Vicksburg District have been very supportive, and I
anticipate by early next year that the FEST-M will be able to sustain a full spectrum of functions ranging from
disaster relief efforts to overseas contingency operations.”

To better prepare themselves for these operations, FEST-M members recently participated in the annual “Ulchi
Freedom Guardian,” a joint military exercise between the Republic of Korea and the U.S. The team was integrated
into various scenarios to bridge engineering capability gaps found in our fighting forces. Also, the FEST-M gathered
at the Readiness Support Center in Mobile, Ala., culminating in a multi-day capstone exercise where the team
deployed into an area and began base camp development.

“As we continue to train more together, our FEST-M will be able to go into any situation and have our unique blend
of Soldiers and Civilians better understand their individual roles and team process,” added Jaynes. “Our continued
training provides an excellent opportunity to better equip ourselves with the knowledge and capabilities to better
serve the Corps.”

During the upcoming months, the 579th Engineer Detachment (FEST-M) will be fully staffed and trained into a
cohesive team. It will be flexible with the built-in capacity to complete specific, complex and specialized engineering
missions across a wide range of proficiencies such as architectural and civil engineering to intelligence analysis and
resource management.

About the 579th Engineer Detachment (FEST-M)

The 579th Engineer Detachment (FEST-M) is a 36-member team capable of rapidly deploying to provide sustained U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) contract construction and engineering execution capabilities in support of Department
of Defense and other Federal Agencies during war, military contingencies and disaster relief operations. Find out more
about the FEST-M at www.mvd.usace.army.mil/579festm.
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U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS – 579TH ENGINEER DETACHMENT (FEST-M)

4155 Clay Street, Suite 120, Vicksburg, Mississippi 39183-3435
www.mvd.usace.army.mil/579festm