La. Guard’s 527th Engineer Battalion welcomes new commander
By Sgt. Danny Hough, Louisiana National Guard Public Affairs Office
PINEVILLE, La. – The Louisiana National Guard’s 527th Engineer Battalion, 225th Engineer Brigade, held a change of command ceremony Nov. 3 at Choudrant High School in Choudrant, Louisiana, where Lt. Col. Brian Plunk relinquished command to Lt. Col. Robert Rogers.
“It is an honor to return home and take command of Triple Alpha (call sign for the 527th Engineer Battalion),” said Rogers in his initial address as battalion commander. “I look forward to the challenges of the next few years and to the projects that lay in front of us.”
Rogers holds a Bachelor of Science from Excelsior College. He enlisted in the active component of the U.S. Army in 1998, serving as a voice intercept operator before joining the LANG in 2003. Rogers earned his commission through the LANG’s Officer Candidate School in 2003.
Brig. Gen. Jason Mahfouz, LANG assistant adjutant general-Army, presided over the ceremony, speaking highly of both commanders. “Lt. Col. Plunk, 22 months in command–it’s a bittersweet milestone. Brian, I want to commend you for the impressive steady-state emergency responses; the engineers from the 527th did a phenomenal job,” said Mahfouz, addressing both the outgoing and incoming commanders. “I had the opportunity to serve with Lt. Col. Rogers in the past. He’s had all the right assignments, including multiple deployments and operational and tactical roles, preparing him well for this challenge.”
Mahfouz presented Plunk, who has served as commander since January 2023 and is currently the facility manager and chief of engineering for the LANG Training Center Pineville, with the Meritorious Service Medal for his dedicated service to the 527th.
“During my command, I had the best seat in the house to witness firsthand the unwavering dedication and remarkable resilience of our 527th Soldiers,” said Plunk. “Men and women who embody determination, creativity and an unwavering commitment to our great Nation and State.”
The 527th Engineer Battalion was organized on Aug. 29, 1973, in the Louisiana Army National Guard as a construction battalion, consisting of both new and existing units with headquarters in Bossier City. The headquarters relocated to Ruston, Louisiana on July 1, 1991. The battalion is composed of the Headquarters Company, Forward Support Company, 844th Engineer Construction Company, 1020th Engineer Vertical Construction Company and 1022nd Engineer Vertical Construction Company.
