JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska  –   The Alaska Army National Guard's 207th Engineer Utilities Detachment encased its colors for the final time during the unit’s deactivation ceremony Aug. 5, 2023.

The 207th EUD’s deactivation served as the footprint for the AKARNG to usher in more engineers as a part of the 910th Engineer Support Company – a unit that officially activates Oct. 1, 2023.

“I’ve yet to see a project where you hadn’t exceeded the standard,” said Col. Alex Elmore, the 297th Regional Support Group commander, as he highlighted the many accomplishments of the 207th EUD. “You continue to persevere, and I think it’s important we’re deactivating you because we’re growing force structure.”

Addressing the Soldiers in formation, Elmore said they should be proud of what they have built and that their legacy will live on within the ranks of the 910th ESC.

“We encase the company colors today knowing that our deactivation enables the growth needed [for] the 910th Engineer Support Company,” said Capt. Edwin Higginbotham, the final commander of the 207th EUD. “From Camp Carroll, Bryant Army Airfield, the JBER Hospital, Snow Hawk Valley, Arctic Valley, Gwen Lake, Camp Madbull, Old Harbor-Kodiak, Honolulu, and all the way to Cincu, Romania, the 207th had trained and built there.”

Higginbotham ended his remarks encouraging the Soldiers to treat the deactivation as an opportunity to serve in a different capacity and thanked them for the privilege in commanding a great team.

The 207th EUD was activated in 2012 as an engineer support platoon of less than 15 engineers. The detachment garnered attention by completing various types of construction projects, training events, meeting, or often exceeding the standards with little to no equipment and establishing relationships with other engineer units.

“There is no other unit I would have rather been a part of than the engineers of the Alaska National Guard,” said Higginbotham.