Mt. Pleasant man selected as commander of SC National Guard 117th Engineer Brigade

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCBD) – The South Carolina National Guard (SCNG) on Friday announced the selection of U.S. Army Lt. Col. Kevin Berry of Mount Pleasant as the next commander of the 117th Engineer Brigade.

Berry is an Orangeburg native and has served in SCNG since 1996. Most recently, he served as the deputy commander for the 218th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, which is headquartered in Charleston.

He said that as a part of the 218th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, he enjoyed serving the residents of his community by responding to natural disasters on state active duty.

Berry’s new assignment will take him to Newberry, where the 117th Engineer Brigade is headquartered, along with the 122nd Engineer Battalion, the 178th Engineer Battalion, and the 719th Explosive Hazardous Coordination Cell.

According to the SCNG, “the 117th Engineer Brigade plans, integrates, and directs the execution of engineering missions conducted by three mission tailored engineer battalions,” and “provides technical and tactical guidance and command and control to teams, companies, and battalions.”

Berry said that he is “honored to be selected to serve with and lead some of the best Soldiers and phenomenal engineers in the U.S. Army.”