RICHMOND, Va. –
The Powhatan-based 180th Engineer Support Company, 276th Engineer Battalion, 329th Regional Support Group was named the most outstanding engineer company in the Army National Guard by the Society of American Engineers during a ceremony May 21, 2026, in Portland, Oregon.
The honor, called the Itschner Award, honors the top Army engineer company each from the Guard, Reserve and Active Duty components. The award was announced during SAME’s 2026 Society Ball and Awards Gala.
"The Soldiers of the 180th Engineer Support Company represent the very best of our engineer regiment,” said Lt. Col. Ryan Miner, commander of the 276th Engineer Battalion. “Receiving the Itschner Award is a direct testament to their relentless dedication, technical expertise and unwavering readiness to support the warfighter anywhere, anytime. I am incredibly proud of what this formation has achieved and their adaptability to every challenge they have been presented."
The 180th’s 1st Lt. Ted Russell accepted the award on behalf of the 180th, which was overseas on their federal mobilization to the Horn of Africa at the time. The VaARNG’s only other Itschner Award recipient was the Virginia Beach-based 576th Engineer Utilities Detachment, which took top honors in 2022.
“Receiving the Itschner Award as the top engineer company in the National Guard is the pinnacle of our profession, but what makes me most proud is the year-long journey of how our formation earned it,” said Capt. Catherine Bean, commander of the 180th. “This award represents our relentless climb through XCTC, a high-tempo pre-mobilization annual training, a demanding validation at Fort Bliss and our first three critical months operating forward in the Horn of Africa.”
The 180th deployed in support of Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa in September of 2025, completing multiple engineer projects, including the historic air movement of a Caterpillar D6K Dozer from their main camp to an outstation in the region via a C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, with the support of the West Virginia Air National Guard. This was the first time a dozer has been moved by air to an outstation during the CJTF-HOA mission.
Bean credited her Soldiers for the award, highlighting their dedication, resilience and professionalism.
“This achievement belongs entirely to the squad leaders, platoon sergeants, and platoon leaders who translated our rigorous training into immediate, independent success on the ground, and to our junior enlisted Soldiers whose relentless grit and work ethic in the dirt actually earned this award,” she said.
The commander explained that while the mobilization was a key highlight of the team’s résumé, the work they put in in preparation for Africa was just as important.
“The trust and tactical proficiency we forged during those exhausting preparation months enabled our team to successfully execute the mission from day one of the deployment,” Bean said. “Watching them prove why they are the best in the nation, both in the training environment and while actively forward-deployed, has been the highlight of my career.”