416th ENCOM Association News

416th Engineer Brigade and Navy Pier (Beginning of 416th)

John Erickson — Sat, 09 May 2026 16:12:25 GMT

Illinois Dept of Veterans' Affairs (IDVA) Newsletter

John Erickson — Tue, 30 Dec 2025 20:30:00 GMT

Attached is the latest Veterans Connection Newsletter. Important information for veterans about benefits, services, programs, and services.

Illinois Veterans Newsletter December 2025.pdf

Illinois Veterans Newsletter - Aug 2025.pdf

Illinois Veterans Newsletter - June 2025.pdf

Illinois Veterans Newsletter - April 2025.pdf

Illinois Veterans Newsletter March 2025.pdf

Illinois Veterans Newsletter February 2025.pdf

416th TEC/ENCOM Plaque

Shaun Murphy — Sun, 26 Nov 2023 18:30:00 GMT

This past May the 416th ENCOM Association held a reunion at Fort Belvoir, VA. The highlight of the reunion was our visit to the new National Museum of the US Army located there. The attendees were very impressed with The Museum and with the Path of Remembrance leading up to The Museum. The Path of Remembrance includes individual memorial bricks set into the walkway as well as unit tribute plaques lining the wall along the path.

As a result of the May visit the leadership of the 416th ENCOM Association has committed itself to placing a 416th TEC/416th ENCOM tribute plaque on the wall. We are beginning the process of designing such a unit tribute plaque for display along the Path of Remembrance at Fort Belvoir.

The cost of placing a plaque on the wall along the Path of Remembrance is $5,000. We have already received pledges totaling $4,050 from former members of the 416th TEC/ENCOM. But, we still need additional donation pledges to reach our $5,000 goal. Tuesday, November 28th is Giving Tuesday and we realize that many charitable organizations will be asking for donations and pledges. Wouldn't you please consider a donation pledge by next Tuesday to help us reach our goal?

We have attached a draft representation of the plaque as an example, please remember that it has not been finalized quite yet.
Conflicts 416th TEC Unit Tribute Draft.pdf

Any excess funds that we may raise will be 100% added to our new 416th ENCOM Association Scholarship Program where we will be giving scholarships to 416th TEC Soldiers!

ESSAYONS!

Eric Larson
COL (Ret USA)
President
416th ENCOM Association

Military Pay and Social Security

John Erickson — Mon, 07 Nov 2022 16:53:04 GMT

EN-05-10017.pdf

Army Echoes Newsletter

John Erickson — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 23:43:54 GMT

Army ECHOES Newsletter.pdf

85th Support Command Fall Newsletter

Shaun Murphy — Mon, 04 Oct 2021 17:30:00 GMT

Attached is the fall issue of the very informative newsletter published by the retiree assistance staff working at the 85th Support Command in Arlington Hts.

85th Support Cmd Newsletter - Fall 2021 BE.pdf

ENCOM Association 2021 November Dinner

Shaun Murphy — Mon, 20 Sep 2021 17:00:00 GMT

Due to Covid-19 restrictions there will NOT be an in person dinner on 6 November 2021. Instead there will be a Virtual Zoom meeting similar to last year to provide updates and change of association board officers for the next two years.

We are looking to host an Association Dinner in the April 2022 time frame.

85th Support Command Newsletter

Shaun Murphy — Thu, 14 Jan 2021 20:34:34 GMT

Attached is an excellent retirement newsletter published by the 85th Support Command, Retiree Office.

Winter 2020-2021 BE.pdf

Have a Happy New Year and a safe and enjoyable winter and spring.

A Look into History

Shaun Murphy — Thu, 13 Feb 2020 22:49:45 GMT

The US Army posted this article on LinkedIn. It's very inspiring, demonstrating what determination and force of will can accomplish when you combined with motivation.

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6633109759836901376/

COL(R) Scotty Shrader
President
416th ENCOM Association

A Christmas Message from the President

Shaun Murphy — Wed, 25 Dec 2019 19:54:34 GMT

Merry Christmas,

I hope that this day spent with family and friends fills your heart with the Joy of the season. Remember, we still have Military Service Members deployed, in harm's way, and far from their families. Give thanks that you are with your family and take a moment to think of the men and women who stand the line between us and those who would destroy our freedoms and liberty we cherish. God bless those who fight the fight and stand for the right. Merry Christmas to all.

COL(R) Scotty Shrader
President
416th ENCOM Association

A Thanksgiving Message from the President

Shaun Murphy — Wed, 27 Nov 2019 18:15:11 GMT

In 1777, during our War of Independence, the Continental Congress set aside a day for thanksgiving and praise for our victory at the battle of Saratoga. It was the first time all the colonies took part in such an event on the same day. The following year, upon news that France was coming to our aid, George Washington at Valley Forge prescribed a special day of thanksgiving. Later, as our first President, he responded to a Congressional petition by declaring Thursday, November 26, 1789, the first Thanksgiving Day of the United States of America.

Abraham Lincoln, even in the midst of the Civil War, enjoined his countrymen to be mindful of their many blessings, cautioning them not to forget “the source from which they come,” that they are “the gracious gifts of the Most High God…”

Today, even as the world emerges from a period of strategic and economic atrophy, we remain a free nation, guarded by the dedication, loyalty, honorable service, and courage of our U.S. military. Let us take heart from the noble example of our first President and our military and let us ever be mindful of the faith and spiritual values that have made our Nation great and that alone can keep us great.

As this special holiday draws near, I want to extend my gratitude to the entire 416th Engineer Command Association for your work to keep our country strong and secure. Whether you are in uniform or a civilian, whether deployed abroad or stationed here at home, whether retired, family member, or supporter of our troops, it is your service and commitment that allows Americans to enjoy the blessings of Thanksgiving. Your strength, selflessness, and patriotism are deeply appreciated and we are very thankful for your commitment to our country.

Herein are an old Soldier’s thoughts that express the challenge of the warrior and the spirit of our nation:

If the duty and service to my country and its people are the fires of a forge.... then I am the hardened steel of the sharpest sword that is wielded by our leaders as they use and sacrifice the few to protect the many from the evil that would engulf us all.... I have stood the line.... the line between evil and the ugly violence they use.... I have done my duty without reservation, and bore witness to the sacrifice of those that stood the line with me.... the fires of this forge have made me the man that stands before you .... may you only see the good in me, may you only feel the warmth of the protection I provide, you may only feel the safety that comes from an old battle-hardened warrior.... but below the surface there is another man.... there is a fire, unlike the heat of any forge.... a fierce, fiery determination of will that is the face inspiration and strength to our Soldiers and absolute terror to our enemies.... the heat of this internal fire, has cost me everything that has ever been dear to me....To the Warriors, the ones who came home but are still in a fight for their lives…. From the battlefields of freedom and liberty to your safe, secure, and free living-rooms, may God give you the strength to fight the fight, to never let others take your freedom and your liberty, to have the courage to lead where ever you are!

It is in such a spirit that I now invite us all to take part again in this beautiful tradition with its roots deep in our history and deeper still in our hearts.

God Bless America and its allies! Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving.

COL(R) Scotty Shrader

President

416th ENCOM Association

Engineer, The Professional Bulletin of Army Engineers

Victor Imhoff — Fri, 06 Apr 2018 18:08:21 GMT

Checkout the latest copy of the Engineer. You can see it at the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service website A.K.A. "DVIDS".

AI Partnership for Construction Job Site Safety

John Erickson — Wed, 13 Dec 2017 16:58:20 GMT

Nvidia is teaming up with Komatsu, one of the largest manufacturers of heavy equipment for construction and mining in the world, to deploy AI at worksites across these industries in order to promote safety and increase efficiency.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang announced the partnership at GTC Japan today, and described how it’ll make use of Nvidia GPU hardware to provide virtual ‘brains’ to heavy machinery at work sites, with AI powered by Nvidia’s Jetson platform.

This team-up builds on work done by Komatsu previously, as it originally rolled out its SMARTCONSTRUCTION program to build connected, smart worksites starting in 2015. Now, Nvidia’s tech will help Komatsu build 3D visualizations of entire construction sites, with real-time representation of people and machinery working on the ground.

Drones provided by SkyCatch will offer imaging for visualization, and Jetson will provide image processing and recognition to cameras spread throughout Komatsu’s construction equipment for computing at the edge.

Nvidia has done a lot to build out the use of its technology in industrial and commercial applications, and this could significantly improve safety and efficiency of construction operations if adopted broadly.

DoD to Open Online Exchange Shopping to Veterans - reported by DoD News, Defense Media Activity

(Past member) — Mon, 13 Feb 2017 18:46:25 GMT

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13, 2017 — The Defense Department announced today that veterans will soon be able to shop online at military exchanges.

The policy change will extend limited online military exchange shopping privileges to all honorably discharged veterans of the military, DoD officials said in a news release.

The shopping benefit will be effective this Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 2017.

While shopping privileges exclude the purchase of uniforms, alcohol and tobacco products, it includes the Exchange Services’ dynamic online retail environment known so well to service members and their families, the release said. The change follows careful analysis, coordination and strong public support, officials said in the release.

“We are excited to provide these benefits to honorably discharged veterans to recognize their service and welcome them home to their military family,” said Peter Levine, performing the duties for the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness.

“In addition, this initiative represents a low-risk, low-cost opportunity to help fund morale, welfare and recreation programs in support of service members’ and their families’ quality of life. And it’s just the right thing to do,” Levine added.

The online benefit will also strengthen the exchanges’ online businesses to better serve current patrons. Inclusion of honorably discharged veterans would conservatively double the exchanges’ online presence, according to DoD officials, thereby improving the experience for all patrons through improved vendor terms, more competitive merchandise assortments and improved efficiencies.

“As a nation, we are grateful for the contributions of our service members,” Levine said. “Offering this lifetime online benefit is one small, tangible way the nation can say, ‘Thank you’ to those who served with honor.