By Melissa Buckley, Fort Leonard Wood Public Affairs Office

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Feb. 5, 2026) – Airmen with Fort Leonard Wood’s U.S. Air Force detachment are putting their new pavement skills to the test by laying concrete at the Urban Search and Rescue training complex – enhancing training for the airmen now and future Homeland Defense Civil Support Office students.

According to John Miller, Urban Search and Rescue Training Department chief, with Fort Leonard Wood’s Homeland Defense Civil Support Office, the airmen placed concrete at the rope rescue and structural collapse breaching areas of the Urban Search and Rescue training complex in Training Area 235.

“The new areas have enhanced our ability to train larger groups of students simultaneously,” Miller said. “It also creates an area where they can observe instructor demonstrations much clearer than before, which will allow students to grasp the task much quicker.”

Air Force Tech. Sgt. Ryan Ritchey, a Pavements and Equipment instructor with the 368th Training Squadron at Fort Leonard Wood, was at the Urban Search and Rescue training complex Jan. 21 helping his students pour a concrete pad for the rope rescue training area.

He said the airmen placing concrete were a week away from graduating from the approximately two-month Pavements and Equipment course, where they learn their military occupational specialty.

“These students are lucky because this concrete placement is for the Urban Search and Rescue Training Department. It gives the students real-world experience,” Ritchey said.

Most of his classes, Ritchey said, place concrete at their own training area that “gets cut up and removed for the next class.”

“When it is for a customer, the pressure is on because they know we expect good craftsmanship,” he added.

Air Force Master Sgt. Logan Thomas, Pavements and Equipment flight chief, with the 368th Training Squadron, agreed and said integrating real-world application projects into the curriculum offers dual benefits.

“Students are refining their attention to detail while contributing sustainable value to organizations around Fort Leonard Wood,” Thomas said. “This approach ensures that student contributions translate into immediate operational improvements for the installation and continue to enhance overall efficiency and readiness long after they have completed our course.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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About Fort Leonard Wood

Fort Leonard Wood is a thriving and prosperous installation that has evolved from a small basic training post more than 75 years ago to a premier Army Center of Excellence that trains more than 80,000 military and civilians each year.

Fort Leonard Wood is home to the U.S Army Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and three U.S. Army schools: the U.S. Army Engineer School; U.S. Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear School; and the U.S. Army Military Police School. In addition to training engineer, CBRN and military police specialties for the Army, Fort Leonard Wood also provides gender-integrated in-processing and Basic Combat Training for new Soldiers.

Fort Leonard Wood also hosts and trains with the largest Marine Corps Detachment and Air Force Squadron on any Army installation as well as a large Navy construction detachment.

Fort Leonard Wood also hosts and trains with the largest Marine Corps Detachment and Air Force Squadron on any Army installation as well as a large Navy construction detachment.

By Melissa Buckley, Fort Leonard Wood Public Affairs Office

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Jan. 30, 2026) – U.S. Army Soldiers training with the 35th Engineer Battalion are learning a new skillset during initial entry training at Fort Leonard Wood – reacting to unmanned aircraft systems on the battlefield.

According to Capt. Raymond Sullivan, Company C, 35th Eng. Bn., commander, warfighters attending advanced individual training to be combat engineers and bridge crewmembers are now learning to react to UAS – allied and enemy.

His company held their final combat engineer field training exercise Jan. 20 to 23, part of which was designed to validate the Soldiers’ counter-UAS skills.

Sullivan said during friendly UAS training, Soldiers performed reconnaissance on an obstacle when they were surprised by a drone flying over them and had to use battle drills to appropriately identify, track and react to the UAS.

For opposing forces, or counter-UAS training, Soldiers were concealed in a secure formation inside vegetation at a maneuver area when a drone simulating a hostile threat suddenly appeared over them. Soldiers were tested on their ability to kinetically defeat, or shoot down, the UAS with direct fire.

Soldiers then had to treat the neutralized drone as an improvised explosive device, and under the guidance of their drill sergeant, interrogate the UAS using a man transportable robotic system.

Sgt. 1st Class Mathew Sblano, with the 1st Engineer Brigade’s Combined Arms Training Equipment Exchange, robotics and UAS integration section, spent the afternoon of Jan. 21 flying a UAS for the opposing forces portion of the FTX.

Sblano said his goal for the day was to simulate an attack as close to reality as possible.

“We treat everything as if it is real. I stay out of the view of the trainees. They won’t see me launch the UAS, so when it appears over them, they can react using the battle drills their drill sergeants have taught them,” Sblano said.

And their reaction was on point.

“They reacted appropriately and notionally shot it out of the sky, so I landed the UAS, allowing them to use their robot to interrogate it,” Sblano added.

Staff Sgt. Tommie Hamilton, Company C, 35th Eng. Bn., drill sergeant, said he was pleased with how his platoon responded to the UAS.

“They did well today,” Hamilton said. “When they got eyes on the drone some of them went to work taking it down, while others readied the robot. I think it was a success.”

Sblano said the addition of UAS reaction training to IET is important because, “We are beyond digging foxholes and creating wire obstacles. The Army is continuously transforming, and this is an introduction to new technologies they will be seeing throughout their warfighting careers.”

Hamilton agreed.

“We are continually coming up with new and creative ways to teach them about potential threats,” Hamilton said.

Capt. Kyle Lammey, Company B, 35th Eng. Bn., commander, said his company was the first in the battalion to integrate UAS reaction training into their schedule, holding their final CEFTX in December.

“Training to defeat UAS reinforces basic Soldier discipline in the field – particularly noise and light discipline and force protection in the form of survivability,” Lammey said. “The integration of drones into training demonstrates a significant fact in multi-domain operations – even if you can’t see an enemy combatant with a rifle, the enemy is still fully capable of closing the distance and engaging you.”

From fighting positions and thermal dissipation to which weapons in the engineer arsenal are best to use in certain climes and situations, Lammey said the training is designed around present-day threats.

Threats Pvt. Richard Shipley, Company C, 35th Eng. Bn., said he now feels prepared to encounter.

“I have a new awareness of what a massive threat UASs are and how they have changed how we fight,” Shipley said. “I feel fortunate to be one of the first Soldiers to have this skillset be part of my U.S. Army Advanced Individual Training foundation.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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About Fort Leonard Wood

Fort Leonard Wood is a thriving and prosperous installation that has evolved from a small basic training post more than 75 years ago to a premier Army Center of Excellence that trains more than 80,000 military and civilians each year.

Fort Leonard Wood is home to the U.S Army Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and three U.S. Army schools: the U.S. Army Engineer School; U.S. Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear School; and the U.S. Army Military Police School. In addition to training engineer, CBRN and military police specialties for the Army, Fort Leonard Wood also provides gender-integrated in-processing and Basic Combat Training for new Soldiers.

Fort Leonard Wood also hosts and trains with the largest Marine Corps Detachment and Air Force Squadron on any Army installation as well as a large Navy construction detachment.

 

 

 

 

By Melissa Buckley, Fort Leonard Wood Public Affairs Office

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Jan. 29, 2026) – Fort Leonard Wood, St. Robert and Waynesville community members celebrated the Waynesville-St. Robert Regional Airport expansion project, Jan. 22 during a topping-out ceremony, commemorating a key milestone for the project, which when complete, will feature a new 9,000-square-foot terminal that will facilitate 50 passengers.

“Let us all use this airport as a reminder that individually we can set and achieve high goals, but collectively we can fly even higher,” said Col. Steven Bartley, U.S. Army Garrison Fort Leonard Wood commander.

The Waynesville-St. Robert Regional Airport at Forney Army Airfield is one of 21 joint-use airfields throughout the Department of War.

“For our Soldiers and families at Fort Leonard Wood this airport represents a lifeline,” Bartley said. “We are ensuring the area remains a hub of activity in the heart of Missouri.”

Community members, federal and state department representatives, and project partners joined together to sign the final structural beam before it was hoisted to its permanent place securing the new terminal building’s steel frame, a lasting marker of collaboration and progress.

“We are truly honored to be here for this point of this project. When I look at this beam, I think about the legacy that it is going to leave. For everyone that signs this, we are a part of something great,” said Sean Wilson, City of Waynesville mayor. ‘Forney Airfield not only serves a military mission, but our community’s needs. For that, we are grateful.”

James Breckinridge, City of St. Robert mayor, agreed.

“We are standing on a foundation built by trust, persistence and a shared purpose,” Breckinridge said. “The future of this airport is bright, and it will continue to be a vital asset for our community.”

Contour Airlines provides commercial air service for the Waynesville-St. Robert Regional Airport to and from Chicago and Dallas.

More information about the Waynesville-St. Robert Regional Airport can be found here.

To view more photos from the event, visit Fort Leonard Wood’s Flickr page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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About Fort Leonard Wood

Fort Leonard Wood is a thriving and prosperous installation that has evolved from a small basic training post more than 75 years ago to a premier Army Center of Excellence that trains more than 80,000 military and civilians each year.

Fort Leonard Wood is home to the U.S Army Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and three U.S. Army schools: the U.S. Army Engineer School; U.S. Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear School; and the U.S. Army Military Police School. In addition to training engineer, CBRN and military police specialties for the Army, Fort Leonard Wood also provides gender-integrated in-processing and Basic Combat Training for new Soldiers.

Fort Leonard Wood also hosts and trains with the largest Marine Corps Detachment and Air Force Squadron on any Army installation as well as a large Navy construction detachment.

By Melissa Buckley, Fort Leonard Wood Public Affairs Office

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Jan. 27, 2025) – Staff Sgt. Paul Schmich received a Purple Heart Jan. 15, 2026, nearly 14 years after being wounded in an improvised explosive device attack in Afghanistan – a battlefield experience he is adamant about passing on to Soldiers currently training to be motor transport operators at Fort Leonard Wood.

While the Purple Heart was being pinned to his chest, Schmich said looking at the people gathered in Fort Leonard Wood’s Lincoln Hall Auditorium to witness him receive the medal was “incredibly emotional.”

“Standing there and seeing my family, friends and battle buddies in the crowd filled me with a deep sense of gratitude. I’ve never felt more aware of how fortunate I am to have their support,” Schmich said.

“Any strength or courage I’ve shown comes from the people who’ve stood beside me, both at home and on the battlefield. I wouldn’t have made it to that moment without them, and receiving the Purple Heart in their presence is something I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.”

Col. William Arnold, U.S. Army chief of transportation, presented Schmich with the medal and served as the ceremony’s guest speaker.

“Ceremonies like this underline the sacrifice and valor of those who have borne the wounds of battle, embodying the very essence of our military values,” Arnold said.

As Arnold recounted the attack, he said Schmich’s action’s “exemplify the courage and dedication that the Purple Heart represents.”

In 2012, Schmich was assigned to the 710th Brigade Support Battalion, located in Sarkari Karez, where he assisted in sustainment operations of moving fuel, ammunition and mission related cargo to fellow service members throughout Afghanistan.

Schmich and his team were conducting sustainment operations February 28 between multiple forward operating bases and combat out-posts across the Maiwand District when his mine resistant ambush protected vehicle, commonly known as a MRAP, was hit by an IED.

The blast injured Schmich and his gunner, and damaged the MRAP he was driving, making it non-operational.

“Despite his wounds, Schmich displayed remarkable composure, while rendering medical aid, not only to his gunner, but to himself, and then maintained situational awareness to ensure the safety of his unit,” Arnold said.

Once combat medics arrived, Schmich passed off care of the gunner and continued to secure the scene until the explosive ordnance disposal team arrived to clear the area.

Schmich said he didn’t fully grasp the importance of his 88M Motor Transport Operator training until the attack.

“There was no time to think. My body moved on pure muscle memory, built from every repetition, every drill, every long day of preparation. That training is what allowed me to act when it mattered most,” Schmich said.

Currently serving as a Motor Transport Operator Course instructor with the 58th Transportation Battalion at Fort Leonard Wood, he teaches Soldiers how to operate tactical wheeled vehicles.

Schmich said he shares the combat experience with Soldiers training to be motor transport operators because, “preparation today is what saves lives tomorrow.”

“I feel a deep responsibility to pass on the lessons I learned on the battlefield,” Schmich said. “Being an 88M is one of the most dangerous jobs in the military, and I want them to understand the reality of that – not to scare them, but to strengthen them.”

“I’m grateful for the chance to help shape the next generation. If my experiences can give them even a little more confidence, awareness or readiness when it counts, then sharing those stories is not just important, it’s an honor,” Schmich added.

“Being able to train and mentor the next generation has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. It’s a privilege I don’t take lightly, and I’m thankful every day for the opportunity to give back to the Soldiers who will carry the mission forward.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-30-

About Fort Leonard Wood

Fort Leonard Wood is a thriving and prosperous installation that has evolved from a small basic training post more than 75 years ago to a premier Army Center of Excellence that trains more than 80,000 military and civilians each year.

Fort Leonard Wood is home to the U.S Army Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and three U.S. Army schools: the U.S. Army Engineer School; U.S. Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear School; and the U.S. Army Military Police School. In addition to training engineer, CBRN and military police specialties for the Army, Fort Leonard Wood also provides gender-integrated in-processing and Basic Combat Training for new Soldiers.

Fort Leonard Wood also hosts and trains with the largest Marine Corps Detachment and Air Force Squadron on any Army installation as well as a large Navy construction detachment.