911th Engineer Company

The 911th Technical Rescue Engineer Company, formerly the MDW (Military District of Washington) Engineer Company, is a unit of the United States Army that specialises in technical rescue, particularly urban search and rescue (USAR). It is the only technical rescue company in the United States Department of Defense.[1][2] The 911th Technical Rescue Engineer Company is stationed at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

911th Engineer Company
Homer McElvoy, an Arlington Co. Firefighter, talking to a member of the 911th Engineer Company during a rescue exercise near the Memorial Tunnel in Gallagher, W.Va., 13 June 2006, conducted by the Center for National Response.
Country United States
Branch United States Army
TypeUrban search and rescue
RoleSupport
SizeCompany
Garrison/HQFort Belvoir, Virginia

The 911th Technical Rescue Engineer Company is assigned to the 12th Aviation Battalion, Army Air Operations Group, Military District of Washington.[3] The company is modeled after a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Urban Search and Rescue Heavy Task Force.[4] The company is certified in mine rescue and technical rescue, and specializes in trench, structural collapse, ropes, and confined space disciplines. It regularly trains with local, state, and federal first responders.[5]

In 2001, the company following to the September 11 attacks on The Pentagon. The First Sergeant and Company Commander moved the company to the disaster site without waiting for orders and spent 10 days engaged in search and rescue operations.[6] The unit was re-designated as the 911th United States Army Technical Rescue Engineer Company on 11 September 2006, in memory of its historic role in the subsequent recovery effort.[7]

The company was on standby during the first inauguration of Barack Obama in 2009.[2] In 2012 the company was equipped with heavy transport and dump trucks.[8]

References
  1. Lopez, C. Todd. "Military plays security support role for inauguration". U.S. Army. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  2. Lopez, C. Todd. "US Army Prepped for Inaugural Contingencies" (Blog). The Tension. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  3. "Military District of Washington Organizational Structure". United States Army. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
  4. "New commander at 911th takes charge". United States Army. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
  5. "'Capital Shield' tests Army's first responders in nation's capital". United States Army. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
  6. http://www.hqbn.belvoir.army.mil/history-battalion.asp
  7. Mani, Tom (5 October 2006). "MDW engineer company redesignated as 911th". Pentagram. Archived from the original on 14 January 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  8. Creech, Justin. "New equipment modernizes 911th Engineer Company". Belvoir Eagle. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
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