Battalion Commander: Lieutenant Colonel Donald Schmidt II
Command Sergeant Major: CSM J. Addison Yost
The 249th Engineer Battalion (Prime Power) is a versatile power generation battalion assigned to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that provides commercial-level power to military units and federal relief organizations during full-spectrum operations. Additionally, the commander serves as the Commandant of the U.S. Army Prime Power School, the institution responsible for the development of Army and Navy power generation specialists. The organization is charged with the rapid provision of Army generators to support worldwide requirements.
The battalion consists of a headquarters and headquarters company, four Prime Power line companies (A, B, C & D), and the Prime Power School. The Prime Power School graduates the Army's Prime Power Production Specialist (MOS 12P) following a one-year course that includes math, physics, engineering, and power plant operations and maintenance.
Each line company has a headquarters and four to six platoons comprised of a warrant officer and fifteen non commissioned officers. The platoons are capable of setting up, operating, and repairing complete medium voltage power generation and distribution systems world wide.
Alpha Company, 249th Engineer Battalion, consisting of a company headquarters and four prime power platoons, is located at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
Bravo Company, 249th Engineer Battalion is located at Ft. Bragg, NC.
Charlie Company was activated in 2008 and is located at Fort Belvoir, VA.
Delta Company, comprised of all Reserve Soldiers, has its headquarters and three platoons at Cranston, RI, and one platoon at Ft. Belvoir, VA.
Each platoon has the capability to produce approximately 3 megawatts of power at 4160 volts (medium voltage.) The newly fielded individual generator size is 840 kilowatts (kW). These medium voltage generators require transformers to convert the voltage to a user level (120/208/277/480 volts).
The battalion offers a variety of services including: electrical power requirement assessment, power production; transformer inspection and test analysis; maintenance and repair of power plants, substations, and government owned or managed transmission and distribution systems, circuit breaker and relay maintenance; infrared surveys, medium-voltage electrical contractor oversight, and training for personnel to operate and maintain prime power distribution and generation equipment.
The Prime Power Center of Expertise (PCX) consolidates and maintains the unique technical capabilities of the 249th Engineer Battalion in Prime Power generation, medium-voltage distribution, and expeditionary electrical systems. PCX standardizes technical practices, advances safety, and integrates emerging technologies to deliver consistent, modern, and reliable power capabilities to Army and USACE customers. Our goal is to ensure Prime Power operations remain technically relevant, operationally ready, safely employed, and aligned with the evolving needs of Army and USACE power missions.
What We Do
To improve the safety, reliability, and modernization of medium-voltage and expeditionary electrical systems across the enterprise, PCX provides authoritative technical support to the 249th Engineer Battalion, USACE districts, and Army partners. Through technical expertise, assessments, reach-back support, and knowledge sharing, we provide: