US ARMY

Patrick Haskett's oil painting "Combat Engineers in Action !" was officially presented to the US Army, 14th Combat Engineer BN,  at the Casing of the Colors Ceremony,"Triple Nickel" 555 Engineer Brigade, 26 September, 2005, Fort Lewis, Wa. LTG James Dubik, presiding. Following the ceremony, the artist and volunteers handed out over 400  signed prints of the painting the troops in the Battalion, shaking hands with, and thanking each soldier for their  wartime service. The 14th Combat Engineer Battalion is currently serving on their third deployment.

             

                                     " COMBAT  ENGINEERS  IN  ACTION ! "

                                                                                     Oil painting by Patrick Haskett

                                                                                                                                                                                                           © 2006 Patrick Haskett

 

                                                                                                                                                                   

"Combat Engineers in Action !" was commissioned by the 14th Combat Engineer Battalion, while they were serving in Iraq, to be their official painting depicting a defining mission of their first deployment. The scene depicted in this oil painting by Patrick Haskett, has become known as the "Tikrit Blast", where the Sappers of the 14th Combat Engineer BN placed explosive charges in the Tikrit Hotel and ended it's use by the enemy as a fire support base against our troops. Security was provided by Bradley Fighting Vehicles of the 4th Infantry Division. The Original painting was exhibited in the Pentagon, in the offices of the Commander of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. This painting is a tribute to our Combat Engineers for their bravery and duty.

                                                                                              BAE System photo

Patrick Haskett and COL Clarence"Dave" Turner, Commander of 14thCombat Engineer BN during the historic mission depicted in oil painting "Combat Engineers In Action!".. Haskett (left) and Turner pose with the original painting at the BAE SYSTEMS exhibit at the 2005  AUSA (Association of the United States Army) Convention in Washington D.C. BAE SYSTEMS was the major sponsor of this important project supporting our troops. 

 

.                                           Traveling Painting

  Haskett's original Oil painting, "Combat Engineers in Action", 36 x 48 inches was unveiled at Fort Lewis, Washington, and then it traveled to the Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C. for the AUSA exhibit. It was exhibited in the Pentagon, Offices of the Commander of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The artist saw the painting when it was hanging in the Office of LTG Raymond Odierno, Commander of the 4th ID at the time of the Tikrit Blast. It was under Odierno's orders that the structure, being used by the enemy in 2003, be brought down by the 14th Combat Engineer BN. Later, when LTG Odierno received orders to Command the Multi-National Forces in Iraq, the painting was crated and traveled to Maryland with COL Clarence Turner. In 2007, "Combat Engineers in Action" was flown back to Fort Lewis, Washington, where it has been permanently installed in the Headquarters of the famed 14th Combat Engineer Battalion, along side the unit's colors and historic battle ribbons. The original painting may be viewed at the 14th Combat Engineer Rear Detachment HQ at Fort Lewis

                                                     photo courtesy BAE SYSTEMS-Land Warfare Division