911th Engineer Company (United States)

The 911th Engineer Company (Technical Rescue), formerly the MDW (Military District of Washington) Engineer Company, is one of two combat engineering companies in the United States Army that specializes in urban search and rescue (USAR). Its more qualified sister Company is the 178th Engineer Company located in Fort Polk, LA and is assigned to the Defense CBRNE Response Force. They are Tech level II Pro board certified in Rope, confined space, vehicle machinery, trench, and structural collapse rescue technician. The 178th is specialized to respond anywhere in the United States within 24 hours following a natural or manmade disaster with special emphasis to operate in a contaminated environment. The 911th is located at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, and is best known for its response to the attack on The Pentagon on 11 September 2001.

The 911th is assigned to the 12th Aviation Battalion, itself a subordinate headquarters of the Military District of Washington. The company specializes in collapsed structure, vertical, confined space, and mine rescue. It regularly trains with local, state, and federal first responders, to include the Secret Service in the National Capital Region as a valuable contributor to the joint homeland defense organization, the Joint Force Headquarters National Capital Region. It was re-designated as the 911th Engineer Company on 11 September 2006, in memory of its historic role in the war on terror. The company is also known to be involved with "Special Operations" or "Classified" Operations. Some of the most recent known "Classified" operations that the 911th Engineer Company was involved in, was the Presidential Inauguration of President Barack Obama. What their exact role was is still classified, other than obvious stand-by rescue operations.

The 911th Engineer Company is an elite unit consisting of specialized personnel and top-dollar equipment. They are also not as limited as other agencies within the United States Department of Defense. Although part of the U.S. Army, the unit has very few restrictions when it comes to basic rules. The unit is part of a larger chain of command as any military unit is, except for the fact that the distance between the "Top" and the unit itself is relatively short.

The MDW Commanding General is the overall authority for the use and long-term implementation of the 911th Engineer Company, and he or she reports to the President of the United States.

During the 11 September attacks in 2001, it was not approved for the 911th Engineer Company (formerly MDW Engineer Company) to engage in rescue efforts. The First Sergeant and Company Commander took responsibility into their own hands to support other rescuers from the area.

Unlike other conventional military units, soldiers are not just placed within the company. There is a screening process in which the company First Sergeant screens each soldier, which determines if that particular soldier is what the unit is looking for.