New leader takes reins of 19th Engineer ‘Seahorse’ Battalion for final mission

Fort Knox, Ky. — Lieutenant Col. Derek Benz relinquished the colors of 19th Engineer Battalion to Maj. Beth Likins-Smith during a change of command ceremony held at Brooks Field on June 5.

“Today is a special day for our battalion and for my Family, and I,” said outgoing commander Benz. “As I stand before you for the final time as the commander of the 19th, I am filled with gratitude, pride and humility.

“My pride, admiration and respect for the battalion and what they are able to do under complex, unpredictable conditions is boundless,” he said.

Following his relinquishment, Benz said he will begin his time at the Naval War College Senior Service College in Newport, Rhode Island in July. Though he is excited to start his next journey, he said, part of him will forever be with the battalion.

“Bottom line, this is the best job that I've ever had,” said Benz. “I, like most engineer officers, had every aspiration to lead Soldiers as a battalion commander. Every day here has been a realization of that aspiration. As I pass the colors today, I do so with complete confidence in the 19th Engineer Battalion and the leaders who will now move it forward.

“Essayons, Seahorse Six, signing off.”

Incoming commander Likins-Smith addressed the crowd by letting them know she is excited to take the unit’s final command spot. According to Likins-Smith, ending her career commanding the 19th at Fort Knox has been her plan since she was commissioned as a lieutenant.

“Make no mistake, I'm exactly where I want to be,” she said. “Standing here with the colors of this unit is the greatest privilege of my career, come what may.”

Likins-Smith served as the executive officer for the battalion for the last few months prior to taking the colors from Benz. She said she is honored to lead the battalion.

“Essayons, Seahorse Six signing on.”

According to Likins-Smith, this will be the last change of command for the battalion before it inactivates in accordance with Army Restructure guidance. There’s a lot to do before that date comes.

“So, right now, on Knox, you'll see the headquarters elements doing turn-ins and moving people,” said Likins-Smith. “Then in late summer, you'll see our two line companies – the 502nd Multi-Role Bridging Company and the 15th Engineer Construction Company – leave the installation for their next duty stations.”

Though the battalion was initially set to receive additional Soldiers and expand their footprint, the plan quickly shifted in July 2025 to restationing the existing line companies and deactivating the headquarters elements. According to Likins-Smith, about 350 battalion Soldiers will depart Fort Knox in September for their new assignments, and the battalion is slated to case its colors Oct. 15.

Benz said the battalion is no stranger to pivoting for a mission.

After he assumed command of the battalion in June 2024, it was successfully patched and reflagged under 101st Airborne Division within 30 days. By the summer of 2025, he was preparing the battalion for deployment to the southern border only to have to shift to executing a highly complex battalion live-fire exercise when the deployment need diminished.

“As the likelihood of going to the Southern border diminished, we were able to switch right back to our very challenging, very productive live-fire exercise plan we had prior to deployment notification,” said Benz. “Because of the complexity of this training, up until the day the unit inactivates these Soldiers will be ready to deploy, fight and win.”

Editor’s note: To see content from the live-fire exercise, follow the link to 19th Engineer Battalion hones combat skills during Fort Knox field training exercise

As the battalion shifts from collective training to the restationing and inactivation phase, Likins-Smith said she is prioritizing the administrative and logistical care of relocating her Soldiers.

She said because this transition marks the first permanent change of station move for many junior Soldiers and the last for many Soldiers retiring and leaving the service, the command team is heavily leveraging Fort Knox Garrison and community resources to conduct housing and entitlement briefings.

“First and foremost, we'll have some briefings from Housing at Fort Polk, where the bulk of our Soldiers will go,” said Likins-Smith. “And our community members here at Fort Knox have already done some briefs for our service members on PCS entitlements and how to do it correctly. We'll continue to do that over the next few months.”

While Likins-Smith prepares the battalion for deactivation, she said she does not believe this will be the last time its colors will fly.

“I'm hopeful and ready to take care of these Soldiers and carry these historic colors,” she said. “This is a storied battalion in our brigade, and everyone knows their legacy. I am confident we'll see them again in the future.

“As for me, I'll stay here on Knox, with the battalion, and carry it through the end before I retire in 2028. I'm a native Kentuckian and University of Louisville alumni, so I'm excited to be home.”

Editor’s note: For more images from the event, follow the link to the https://www.flickr.com/photos/fortknoxky/albums/72177720334133184.

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