Stephen Walls:  

Command Sergeant Major Stephen J. Walls enlisted into the United States Army on 29 January 1968. He attended Basic Training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina and Advance Individual Training at Fort Gordon, Georgia as a radio relay operator. His first assignment was with Company C, 102nd Signal Battalion at Karlsruhe, Germany. CSM Walls served less than a year in Germany before volunteering for assignment to the Republic of Vietnam. On arrival to Vietnam, in April 1969, CSM Walls was assigned duties as a combat engineer and heavy equipment operator. After returning to the United States, CSM Walls re-enlisted for another tour to Vietnam and permanent assignment in the engineer specialties as a construction equipment operator. Later he acquired additional occupational specialties as a 62N Construction Equipment Supervisor, 12B Combat Engineer and 12F Engineer Tracked Vehicle Crewman. CSM Walls has been assigned as a Squad Leader, a Construction Equipment Supervisor, a Marksmanship Coordinator, a Platoon Sergeant, a Reenlistment NCO, a Motor Sergeant, a Senior Drill Sergeant, a First Sergeant -five different times, an Operations Sergeant and a Battalion Command Sergeant Major for three Combat Engineer Mechanized Battalions as well as a “Task Force” Command Sergeant Major. The units he has served with span the globe. Besides the Republic of Vietnam, CSM Walls’ assignments included tours to Germany, Korea, Honduras and Bosnia-Herzegovina. CSM Walls’ units served with include the: 1st, 16th, 18th, 20th, 31st, 39th, 41st, and 54th, Engineer Combat Battalions; 44th and 76th Combat Heavy Engineer Battalions; 584th Engineer Company (Light Equipment); 902nd Engineer Company (Float Bridge); 8th Infantry Division, Facility Engineer; 2nd Battalion, 111th Infantry (Pennsylvania Army National Guard); 6th Battalion 62nd Air Defense Artillery; 573 Supply and Services Company, 642 Maintenance Battalion; 102nd Signal Battalion and Joint Task Force Bravo, Honduras. In the 70th Engineer Battalion, 1st Armored Division, at Fort Riley, he has implemented training and combat skills standards that will continue to allow the Noncommissioned Officer’s of the battalion to excel long after his departure. While assigned to the 16th Engineer Battalion (Corps Mechanized) from February 1994 through February 1997 Command Sergeant Major Walls’ contagious energy, efficiency, and dedication to duty were evident. During the preparation and deployment of the 1st Armored Division’s “Task Force Eagle”, the implementation force of the “Dayton Peace Accord”, his wealth of knowledge in preparation for deployment was critical. Command Sergeant Major Walls was instrumental in the 16th Engineer Battalions ground breaking development of the Mine Awareness and Unexploded Ordinance (UXO) training adopted by the Combat Maneuver Training Center. This Mine Awareness/UXO training would eventually be taught to all soldiers deploying to the Balkan Theater. Command Sergeant Major Walls was a key figure in the development and deployment of “Task Force Volturno” a task force consisting of the 16th Engineer Battalion, 38th Engineer Company (Medium Girder Bridge), 502nd and 586th Engineer Companies (Assault Float Bridge) and the 535th Engineer Company (Combat Support Equipment). With “Task Force Volturno” it was Command Sergeant Major Walls who connected the last pontoon on 30 December 1995 creating the longest float bridge since World War II and allowing “Task Force Eagle” forces entry into Bosnia-Herzegovina. Command Sergeant Major Walls was the Architect and developer of Base Camp Bedrock, arguably the most secure base camp in the Bosnia-Herzegovina. At Wildflecken, Germany from March 1992 through January 1994 Command Sergeant Major Walls wore two hats as both The Wildflecken Community Command Sergeant Major and the 54th Engineer Battalion (Corps, Mechanized) Command Sergeant Major. Performing both these duties with integrity and honor during the tumultuous times of force drawdown - the restructure initiative of Engineer Battalions from six Companies and Over 840 officers and soldiers to four Companies of over 460 officers and soldiers; Inactivation’s - The inactivation of numerous units within the Wildflecken Community culminating with the Inactivation of his own unit, the 54th Engineer Battalion; And Closure - of the Wildflecken Community and Training Area, one of the Largest Training areas in Germany and historic front for occupation forces from NATO during the Cold War with the Soviet Union. All of this was accomplished while his mentorship and training skills allowed his units to chalk up six successful rotations to the Combat Maneuver Training Center with the highest operational tempo of any Engineer Battalion in Europe. A first place finish at the annual “Nijmegen March” and second place finish in the United States Army Europe’s “Sapper Stakes Competition”. Command Sergeant Majors Walls’ influence in Training and development of junior Non-commissioned officers was evident in the 5 years he was assigned to United States Army Europe by having 43 Noncommissioned Officers inducted into the prestigious “Sergeant Morales Club”. As a First Sergeant in a “One Station Unit Training” Company for Combat Engineer Skills at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, , from January 1990 Through February 1992, Then, First Sergeant Walls developed Drill Instructor and Initial Entry Training programs that would be matched by few. His physical fitness training program not only allowed seasoned Drill Instructors to achieve their personal best in the Army Fitness test but also allow the initial entry soldiers to achieve a level of fitness seldom seen at Fort Leonard Wood. As with physical fitness First Sergeant Walls developed training and marksmanship programs that continuously raised the band of excellence not only within his company but also within the battalion, breaking numerous Fort Leonard Wood Records. As a result of Fi...Expand for more