Lieutenant Colonel Matthew R. Tyler became commander of the 249th Engineer Battalion (Prime Power) at Fort Belvoir, Va., June 17, 2009.
The 249th Engineer Battalion is a versatile power generation battalion assigned to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that provides commercial-level power to military units and federal relief organizations during full-spectrum operations. He also serves as Commandant of the U.S. Army Prime Power School, the institution responsible for the development of Army and Navy power generation specialists, and as director of the U.S. Army’s Generator Loan Program, the organization charged with the rapid provision of Army generators to support worldwide requirements.
LTC Tyler was born in Seattle, Wash., and raised in Charleston, S.C. He was commissioned in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers upon graduation as a Distinguished Military Graduate from The Citadel, Military College of South Carolina in May of 1991.
Following the Engineer Officer Basic Course and Ranger School, he was assigned to the 17th Engineer Battalion (Combat) (Mechanized), 2d Armored Division, Fort Hood, Texas. While assigned at Fort Hood, he held positions as a Platoon Leader, Company Executive Officer, and Battalion Adjutant. Following the Engineer Officer Advanced Course, LTC Tyler served as an Assistant Professor of Military Science for the Military Science Department at Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky. After completion of his assignment at Murray State University, he served with the 65th Engineer Battalion (Combat) (Light), 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. While assigned with the 25th Infantry Division, his positions included Assistant Division Engineer, 3d Brigade Engineer, and Commander, C Company, 65th Engineer Battalion. LTC Tyler then joined the Engineer Observer/Controller Team at the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) at Fort Polk, Louisiana. During his assignment with JRTC, he served as a Platoon Senior Observer/Controller (O/C), Engineer Company Senior O/C, Engineer Team Senior O/C, and as the Chief of Engineer Plans and Operations for the Combat Training Center. Following attendance at the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell AFB in Montgomery, Alabama, LTC Tyler joined the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia. He served as the S3/Operations Officer for the 4th Brigade Special Troops Battalion and managed reconstruction within the brigade’s area of operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom III. LTC Tyler most recently completed an assignment as the Secretary of the General Staff and served as the acting Chief, Military Personnel Division, Headquarters, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Washington, D.C.
He is a graduate of Airborne School, Air Assault School, Ranger School, Sapper Leader Course, Engineer Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Combined Arms Service and Staff School, Air Command and Staff College and holds a Master of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from Murray State University and a Master of Science degree in Military Operations Art & Science from the Air University.
His awards and decorations include the Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, Combat Action Badge, Ranger Tab, Sapper Tab, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (3 oak leaf clusters), Army Commendation Medal (4 oak leaf clusters), Army Achievement Medal, Valorous Unit Award, Army Superior Unit Award, Bronze de Fleury Medal, and Order of the Saint Maurice Medal.
Commander's Philosophy