Walton, New York – Thirty-four New York Army National Guard engineers from across the state tested their skills in handling engineering equipment at the 204th Engineer Battalion’s fourth annual Engineer Rodeo on August 10.

Soldiers from the battalion’s three companies and Headquarters Company tested their ability to load gravel into a dump truck, operate a skid steer, load a bulldozer onto a trailer and back up a truck-trailer combination.

The teams of two soldiers even got the chance to pick up and dunk a ball using the High Mobility Engineer Excavator, a high-speed armored tractor with four-wheel drive, front loader and backhoe loader.

“The rodeo is fun and good training,” said Specialist Joseph Warner, a member of the 1156th Engineer Company.

“I’ve participated for the last three years. It’s nice to see everyone in the different sessions. It’s great to learn from those who are good with the equipment,” Warner said. “I like to see them get better each year and learn with exercises like these.”

The rodeo also provides an opportunity to bring members of the widely dispersed battalion together in one place, said Major Kevin O’Reilly, the battalion’s commanding officer.

“Our battalion is spread across New York State from Buffalo to Westchester,” he said.

“This event is an opportunity to bring together Soldiers from different units, backgrounds and cultures and teach them to develop a mutual respect for Soldiers from other companies while trying to prove that their company is the best,” O’Reilly added.

Each year a different company hosts the competition, O’Reilly explained. In 2024, this was the 827th Walton-based engineering company.

“The hosting company selects the competition events and sets the judging criteria,” O’Reilly said.

For this year’s rodeo, the 827th is also limited to selecting only those events that can be conducted within the capabilities of the armory’s vehicle fleet, he added.

The events selected will focus on core competencies and equipment that all units possess to ensure a level playing field, O’Reilly said.

According to Captain Christopher Monteferante, commander of the 827th Regiment, the rodeo’s challenges focus on practical skills and real obstacles that engineers must face.

For example, we need to make sure that a soldier in a fleet who is driving an M-984 heavy-duty truck (HEMTT) with a trailer and needs to turn around is able to do so, he said.

The five events are always announced three months in advance, he said.

“Part of it is practicing the technical skills of using the equipment, but it also underscores the need to plan, prepare and rehearse before the event,” Monteferante said.

“It gives them the opportunity to adapt and make decisions in a safe environment. It also presents them with a challenge that they may not overcome perfectly, but they can learn from their mistakes to be better in the future,” Monteferante explained.

Pfc. Keith Alvarado, a member of the 1156th Engineer Company based at Camp Smith near Peekskill, said he appreciated the opportunity to learn how to operate the HMEE tractor.

“I had never been in the HMEE before and had to learn the new machine,” said Alvarado. “It was great to spend some time behind the wheel because after a short time the muscle memory comes back.”

Judges judged each event based on the soldiers’ ability to follow instructions, take safety precautions, ask for permission to proceed at the appropriate time, and the time it took them to complete each task.

“We hope this is an opportunity for Soldiers to practice the skills they need to be successful in the future,” Monteferante said.

This year, Monteferante’s company won.

This was “inspiring,” he said, since the company was tasked on August 9 with providing 15 soldiers to respond to flooding in Stueben County.

“Within an hour of the call, our soldiers were on the streets,” he said. “And the very next day, the 827th won the Pioneer Rodeo.”