Goodbye, Echo. Hello, Charlie.

Two Minnesota National Guard companies are merging, effective Oct. 1: Hutchinson-based Echo Company of engineers and the Redwood Falls-based Echo Company, 2nd Combined Arms Battalion of the 136th Infantry.

“Both companies are being deactivated and combined into one company,” said Capt. Martin Leppert. Leppert is the commanding officer for the newly expanded Charlie Company, 1st of the 34th Brigade Special Troops Battalion.

Charlie Company will be headquartered at the Hutchinson National Guard Armory, and a detachment will remain in Redwood Falls. Both armories will remain active and both units will retain full-time staff. Both armories will also maintain their own family readiness groups to support soldiers’ loved ones.

The move reflects a structural change that has already taken place among the active-duty Army, Leppert said. Instead of having combat engineers and infantry in separate brigades, the forces are being united under a single umbrella.

“Essentially, it collects all these special assets … under one combat batallion,” Leppert said, “which gives the brigade commander more flexibility in utilizing them.”

(Jorge Sosa is a staff writer for the Hutchinson Leader. He can be reached at sosa@hutchinsonleader.com)