The 34th Forward Engineer Support Team - Advance (FEST-A), from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) Seattle District successfully conducted a Certification Exercise (CERTEX), used to validate deployment readiness for engineering support across the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM).
The certification process culminated in a CERTEX held at Fort Carson, Colo., from January to February 2025. This exercise served as the final evaluation of the team’s operational readiness which simulated real-world technical engineering.
In response to evolving security vulnerabilities across the Indo-Pacific region, USACE plays a pivotal role in supporting the Department of Defense’s strategic objectives. A key element of support is the deployment of specialized FEST-A, designed to rapidly deploy worldwide and deliver technical engineering capabilities in support of combatant commanders’ missions.
The 34th Engineering Detachment was activated in 2009 in response to the nation’s need for a light, rapidly deployable and rugged engineer team capable of operating in hostile environments.
During the exercise, the team collaborated with the 10th Special Forces Group (SFG), providing technical assessments and design solutions for infrastructure projects. This included an evaluation of the Advanced Technical Operations Company (ATOC), which is a large workshop and storage facility.
34th FEST-A assessed and provided recommendations for improving electrical and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, to promote a safer operational environment from heightened risk of potential hazardous fumes from increased 3D printing operations.
The team also reconnoitered a proposed location for the 10th SFG’s deployment storage facility, used to expand cold storage and deployment readiness capacities.
Additionally, the FEST-A designed a small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) drone park, which was a cage and building that allowed for testing drones in a controlled airspace within 10th SFG’s compound. This allowed for ease of airspace clearance and proximity to the ATOC.
34th FEST-A also led the effort to upgrade infrastructure at Fort Carson’s Range 131C, which included designing awning roofs to withstand winds up to 100 mph, overseeing the demolition of existing awnings, designing a B-hut, devising a site plan, and developing cost estimates to support overall range upgrades.
Through these projects, the FEST-A demonstrated its technical proficiency in field operations, enabling soldiers to enhance their training capabilities.
Following this capstone exercise, the team received its official deployment certification, issued by the Northwestern Division commander, Brig. Gen. William Hannan Jr. The certification confirmed that the 34th FEST-A completed all personnel accountability, training, medical, administrative, and logistical requirements as outlined in operations, orders and training guidance.
The 34th FEST-A, commanded by Maj. Steven Strait, included military and civilian personnel of civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, environmental, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) engineering backgrounds.
“The FEST-A OIC position allowed for an extremely rare chance for engineer officers to lead a small group of DA Civilians on deployments while working on projects directly related to combatant commander strategic initiatives,” said Strait. “Being a key leader within the field force engineer program has allowed me the opportunity to stay in tune with the USACE, the Engineer Regiment, and sister service engineers.”
Once training was completed, the team met all pre-deployment milestones. Each member completed Field Force Engineer training courses throughout 2024 at the Engineer Research and Development Center in Vicksburg, Miss. The team also participated in a collective training event in Astoria, Ore., in August 2024, which focused on infrastructure and pier assessment.
FEST-A trained alongside 1st SFG, further enhancing the team’s experience with real-world mission partners. Theater-specific training—including Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) 100, Anti-Terrorism Level 1, and Isolated Personnel Report—was also completed.
The team’s logistical readiness was comprehensive. Deployment equipment included critical Primary, Alternate, Contingency, Emergency plan items, such as the Automated Route Reconnaissance Kit 5.0 a Broadband Global Area Network satellite system, Starlink internet hardware, satellite phones, 360-degree cameras, and encrypted communication tools. The USACE Reachback Operations Center provided maintenance and equipment support. This robust toolkit ensured the team could conduct assessments, generate reports, and communicate effectively in austere environments throughout the Indo-Pacific region.
The CERTEX at Fort Carson highlighted the team’s capability to deliver actionable engineering solutions under realistic operational conditions.
As the team prepared to provide engineering support to Indo-Pacific, FEST-A served as a key enabler of USINDOPACOM’s strategic goals by providing engineering expertise to assess, design, and build critical infrastructure throughout the region. This deployment represented more than just a technical assignment; it was a strategic investment in the resilience and effectiveness of U.S. operations in the Indo-Pacific. Through their efforts, the team not only built structures—but also strengthened partnerships, reinforced U.S. presence, and ensured that operational capabilities remained agile and adaptive in one of the world’s most dynamic and contested environments.
After the CERTEX, in April 2025, FEST-A deployed to provide technical engineer support to INDOPACOM. They focused on theater-level logistics planning, infrastructure posture, sustainment strategies, and coordination of joint logistics support across the entire Indo-Pacific area of responsibility (AoR); as well as the Joint Task Force (JTF) - Micronesia AoR. Within these AoRs, they synchronized operations and activities across all domains, enhancing regional stability through homeland defense, defense support to civil authorities, and foreign humanitarian assistance.