Butler native takes command of 377th Vertical Engineering Co.
BUTLER TWP — As a child, Elizabeth Small routinely witnessed her father returning to their Center Township home, dressed in his Army Reserve uniform.
It has been 10 years since graduating from Butler High School, now Army Reserves Capt. Elizabeth Lewis brings her own uniform home to Butler in more ways than one.
Lewis, a 2011 U.S. Military Academy graduate, took command of the 377th Vertical Engineering Company, which operates from the Army Reserve Center, 360 Evans City Road, Butler Township.
“It was very exciting,” Lewis said.
Lewis will lead the company in training and civil works that will prepare the soldiers in case they are called to action. Lewis said her top priority is making sure her soldiers are prepared.
“My first goal will be to efficiently plan training so the soldiers can have the best training possible so they can be the best possible at their job,” she said.
Lewis said she met some, but not all, of the soldiers under her command.
“I was impressed by the caliber of skill that each soldier has in the company and the discipline that the soldiers demonstrated throughout the weekend,” she said.
Lewis said she heard about the opening and saw that Butler's company is vertical-oriented, which means they focus on building vertical structures rather than roads and bridges, which would be horizontal. She said she has always preferred vertical companies, and she has a strong belief in the vertical mission.
“It's a very diverse mission,” she said. “There's a lot of different things we can do at different times.”
Lewis said she is excited to advance into a new leadership role, which will require her to commute to Butler once a month from her Louisiana home that she shares with her husband, Alan. She said it will be a great opportunity to spend much needed time with her family and reconnect with her hometown community.
“I consider myself blessed to grow up in Butler,” she said. “I felt a very strong connection with the community.”
Growing up, Lewis played soccer, then found a place in the marching band, and later transitioned to lacrosse. At the same time, the interest spurred by the military service of her father and maternal grandfather, “Bib” Bowers, who served in World War II, began growing into a career possibility.
“I always looked up to my father and grandfather,” she said.
Then the World Trade Center fell to the ground. Lewis was 13 at the time, and she felt an urge to act.The culmination of Lewis's passion for the military and her lacrosse skills led her to the U.S. Military Academy. After graduation with a degree in mathematical science, she has been busy starting her career and her life.“I haven't been home more than once or twice a year,” she said. “It's nice to come back home.”Lewis began her active duty as a platoon leader with the 585th Vertical Engineering Company at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state. She said one thing that struck her was the activity on base. She said she wasn't used to seeing active soldiers every day.“I had a blast being a platoon leader,” she said. “It was very mind-opening.”Her role as platoon leader also led her to one of her favorite projects, according to Lewis. She said she and her platoon traveled to Thailand, where they built a community center with a library.“It was a monthlong construction project, and we were building right next to an elementary school, so we got to interact with the locals and say hello to the kids every day,” she said. “We also worked right alongside soldiers from the Royal Thai Engineers, so becoming friends, building relations and accomplishing a mission together was a really rewarding and unique experience.”Lewis also spent time in Afghanistan. She deployed in 2012 and was there for nine months as a part of Operation Balance Torch.Lewis served as an executive officer of the 615th Horizontal Engineering Company at Fort Carson in Colorado while also serving on the battalion staff for the 4th Engineering Battalion.In September of 2016, Lewis transitioned to the U.S. Army Reserves. Lewis and her husband moved to their current home in Louisiana where he is stationed at Fort Polk, serving as a signal officer. During the last year, Lewis served at an Army Reserve Center in Mississippi, using the same commute process.Lewis said distance and duty made visits home difficult, but now she can advance her career and see the people who have supported her throughout it.She said the support from her family, her husband and her husband's family has enabled her to continue advancing herself.“They've been very supportive,” she said. “(My husband) knows what company commander consists of. He knows of all the sacrifices that go into serving our country.”Lewis' parents, Ted and Jane Small, still live in Center Township.Ted Small said he knew his daughter would be successful because she has a good mindset for work.“She's very thorough. She doesn't shy away from a challenge,” he said. “She puts her mind to doing something, and she does it well.”Jane Small said her daughter's deployment to Afghanistan was difficult for her and Ted.“It was very difficult. because we didn't have a lot of communication with her,” Jane Small said. “We're so proud of her.”Lewis' parents said they couldn't be more proud of the woman and soldier she has become, and they want to continue to watch her grow and see the world.“She's gone around in her short time,” Jane Small said. “We've certainly enjoyed seeing her progress from grade school until now.”
