Col. William Dionne gives Lt. Col Scott Lewis the colors of the 133rd Engineer Battalion, officially handing him the command of the battalion on June 15 in Brunswick. “Next month will mark the 20th year since I joined this battalion as a platoon leader. I will utilize my experience and talent of all the members of this battalion to ensure we are successful,” Lewis said. Attending the ceremony were soldiers from the battalion, friends, family and an official party. Sgt. Jarod Dye photo

The 133rd Engineer Battalion held a ceremony on June 15 in Brunswick, as both the battalion commander and command sergeant major handed over duties to the next command team. 

“I’m tremendously proud of everything we’ve accomplished in the last three years,” said Lt. Col. Joshua Doscinski, the outgoing commander. “We’ve taken on a lot of projects and conducted a lot of training that has not only increased our readiness, but also set the stage for the next generation of Maine soldiers who would like to serve with the Engineers.”

The incoming commander is Lt. Col. Scott Lewis and Command Sgt. Maj. Alpha Williams is his senior enlisted adviser.

“Maine has a long history of answering the call dating back to the Revolutionary War,” Lewis said. “I’m excited to assume command of the 133rd and I look forward to continuing the long tradition of preparing Maine’s finest to answer the call in a time of need.” 

Lewis previously held various positions within the battalion, including a tour as the executive officer when the unit was deployed to Afghanistan in 2013. 

Williams recently completed a tour as the first sergeant for the 185th Engineer Support Company, based in Houlton and Caribou. He deployed in 2005 with the 152nd Support Maintenance Company. Doscinski will be moving to a staff operations position at Joint Force Headquarters and his senior enlisted advisor, Command Sgt. Maj. Carl Sticht, will assume duties as the command sergeant major for the 52nd Troop Command. Both positions are located in Augusta. 

The 133rd Engineer Battalion is made up of over 600 soldiers from all across Maine and from neighboring states. The unit traces its lineage back to the 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment, famous for their bayonet charge on Little Round Top during the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863.