WASHINGTON --
WASHINGTON (May 2, 2023) - Lt. Gen. Scott A. Spellmon, 55th Chief of Engineers and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers commanding general, presented the Army Engineer Association’s Gold de Fleury Medal to retired Lt. Gen. Jeffrey W. Talley during the Engineer Regiment Ball at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, April 28. The award was presented to Talley for outstanding contributions to the U.S. Army Engineer Regiment and Army engineering.
“I cannot imagine presenting the Gold de Fleury Medal to a more deserving individual than Lt. Gen. Jeff Talley,” said Spellmon. “He can truly be described as a Soldier, scholar and statesman.
“Over the course of a nearly 35-year Army career, Jeff served the nation, the Army Engineer Regiment and USACE with distinction in assignments ranging from Washington to Korea to Baghdad,” continued Spellmon. “His career culminated with his appointment as Chief of the Army Reserve and commanding general of the U.S. Army Reserve Command where he led approximately 215,000 Army Reserve Soldiers.”
Each year, the Chief of Engineers awards two Gold de Fleury medals. One is the award that Talley was presented for professional excellence in and contributions to the Army Engineer Regiment. The second is awarded to an individual outside the Army Engineer Regiment whose contributions to USACE and the regiment exemplify boldness, courage, and commitment to a strong national defense. This year’s gold medal for the individual outside the regiment will be announced later.
The medal is named for French engineer François-Louis Teissèdre de Fleury, who in 1777 volunteered to serve with the American Army in its fight for independence from Britain during the American Revolutionary War. The Continental Congress appointed de Fleury a captain of engineers, and he quickly proved himself through courage under fire. For his intrepid behavior July 16, 1779, at Stony Point, New York, the Continental Congress ordered that a medal be struck in his honor.
There are four award levels of the de Fleury Medal: Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Steel, with Gold being the most prestigious. The medal also emphasizes the history, customs, and traditions of the Army engineer community.
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