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General receives Order of the Bayonet

  • Published
  • By Angel Lopez
  • Air Mobility Command Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- (07/13/06) --  On July 7th members of the Air Mobility Command Security Forces stood in formation to present Maj. Gen. Del Eulberg a prestigious surprise, the Air Mobility Command Security Forces’ Order of the Bayonet.

The Order of the Bayonet was established in 1981 to recognize the accomplishments of those who have made significant contributions to the security and ground defense of air bases, regardless of their position or rank. This is the highest honor AMC security force men and women can bestow upon a person.

During the ceremony, General Eulberg addressed the group saying, “This was a real surprise. In fact, when I was looking over my itinerary I kept seeing Colonel [Michael] Irwin’s name. I thought it was a mistake, then I was told to read my itinerary and that is when I realized that I was receiving this award.”

During his tenure as the Air Mobility Command’s Director of Installations and Mission Support, General Eulberg made safety, security and quality of life a command priority.

His award citation states that he implemented a process expediting improvements that modernized and enhanced installation entry points. General Eulberg’s actions led to a command-wide initiative geared towards providing enhanced and improved installation access control into the year 2020 and beyond.

Additionally, General Eulberg took a personal interest in the quality of life features for Airmen and their safety. In doing so, he ensured the comfort and confidence of the Airmen performing their access control duties.

The general also introduced the final denial barriers and other physical security features that would provide security forces with an unequal level of continuous protection for installation assets and personnel. His ideas for base entry points now serve as the foundation for implementation across the Air Force.

Finally, General Eulberg oversaw the training and deployment of thousands of combat ready personnel that support the command’s global mobility mission.

General Eulberg expressed his gratitude saying, “Thank you very much. I am deeply honored for a number of reasons.”

“This award means a lot to security forces. The men and women in this courtyard are the ones that made all these things happen,” said General Eulberg. “My father was a policeman for 28 years and anytime I am associated with security forces, it brings back many fond memories.”

“Over the Fourth of July holiday, Karen [Eulberg] and I had the opportunity to go to Gettysburg. While we were there, I read about Little Round Top, Lt. Col. Josh Chamberlain, and his union forces.”

According to General Eulberg, Chamberlain knew that his troops were depleted and out of ammunition. He also knew that if they did not hold their position on the hill, they would lose the battle. So Chamberlain ordered his left flank to advance down the hill with fixed bayonets. Although out-numbered five to one, Chamberlin’s tactic caught the adversary by surprise, quickly overrunning confederate forces.

“[Chamberlain’s] actions were indicative of what the bayonet stands for throughout military history. It is the last stand,” said General Eulberg.

Only five others have been inducted into the Order of the Bayonet, Support Class. The Support Class category recognizes the efforts of those who have helped defenders train, prepare for, and conduct contingency and wartime tasks. Members of this distinguished group include Maj. Gen. Buck Marr, Brig. Gen. Glenn Spears, Col. Thomas Blank, Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Dave Campanale, and Ms. Deborah Billhartz.

Recipients are nominated and voted on by the 13 Air Mobility Command Security Forces Chief Enlisted Managers. The nomination is then submitted to the AMC Security Forces Council for final decision.

The bayonet is a close-in defensive weapon used as a last resort to prevent being overrun by an attacker. The primary wartime mission of the security forces is defending air bases and the resources they contain. The security forces must defeat the enemy close-in to be successful; therefore, the bayonet is symbolic of the security forces mission.