FORT PICKETT, VIRGNIA — The Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, General Mark A. Milley, has recognized the 276th Engineer Battalion of the Virginia Army National Guard for outstanding vehicle maintenance, according to senior Pentagon officials.

The battalion's high vehicle readiness came to the attention of the Army Staff last week, during an individual emergency deployment readiness exercise in Richmond, Va. During the exercise, 1st Lt. Joshua Yabut conducted a two-hour tactical convoy movement in an M577 Armored Personnel Carrier without any prior preparation, except standard preventive maintenance checks and services.

Incredibly, the vehicle remained fully operational throughout the entire exercise.