U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Far East District civil engineer technician Ilmar Tarikas was presented the Steel Order of the de Fleury award for more than 39 years of service to the Engineer Regiment.
The award was presented by district commander Col. Bryan S. Green July 8 on behalf of Chief of Engineers Lt. Gen. Thomas P. Bostick.
Tarikas began his career in October 1972 as an artillery surveyor for 3rd Battalion, 13th Field Artillery at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. Later, he was assigned as a surveying technician and cartographic technician for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Honolulu District. He has been with the Far East District since 1996 and has served as the primary technical lead within the district’s survey unit, tasked to ensure the accuracy, precision, and completeness of all site survey work associated with the Korea Relocation Program.
During his career Tarikas has participated in numerous contingency operations and deployments. He was deployed to Bangladesh in 1991 to contribute to typhoon response operations and deemed an emergency essential employee with the district, periodically participating in contingency exercises.
Tarikas transferred to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Galveston District July 10 and will serve there as a survey technician.
The de Fleury Medal, an award of the US Army Engineer Association, was named in honor of François-Louis Teissèdre de Fleury, a French Engineer in the Continental Army.