New commander of Maine 133rd Engineers is first woman to hold the post

PHOTO Lt. Col. Lisa Sessions(rear, second from right) and her friends and family following the ceremony. Her father, Brian Sessions, lives in Norway. (Maine National Guard Staff Sgt. Sarah Myrick photo)

BRUNSWICK — The Maine Army National Guard’s 133rd Engineer Battalion held a change of command ceremony April 3 at the Brunswick Armed Forces Reserve Center, during which Lt. Col. Shanon Cotta turned over command to Lt. Col. Lisa Sessions, the first woman to hold the post.
Sessions is the first female officer to command the 133rd.

“133rd Engineer Battalion soldiers have served with distinction in supporting U.S. Customs and Border Patrol on the Southwest border, provided Maine CDC with COVID-19 assistance throughout Maine healthcare facilities, supported the 59th Presidential Inauguration for President Biden, conducted engineer projects at Wood Island Life Saving Station, and prepared for future projects in East Millinocket and Skowhegan,” Cotta said. He has been commander since October 2020.
Cotta was presented with the Meritorious Service Medal, as well as the Bronze Order of the de Fleury Medal, an award presented by the Army Engineer Association for members who have had a significant impact on the U.S. Army Engineer Regiment. His next assignment will be in the operations section at Joint Force Headquarters.
Sessions returns to the battalion after completing a tour as the Joint Force Headquarters detachment commander in Augusta. In addition to several previous staff positions, she commanded the 136th Engineer Company, based in Skowhegan and Lewiston, as well as the headquarters company of the 133rd in Brunswick.
“As a young lieutenant, it was my dream to one day command this battalion,” Sessions said. “I didn’t get here alone. I had mentors and I had peers. It’s really an honor and a humbling experience to lead the finest men and women the Maine Army National Guard has to offer.”
Sessions said her command philosophy centers on four things – training, accountability, leader development, and family.
Sessions is the daughter of Brian Sessions, of Norway, and Marina Sessions of Clarksburg, West Virginia. She resides in Arlington, Va., with her partner, Ryan, and is employed as a human resources specialist for the National Guard Bureau in Arlington. She earned both her undergraduate and master’s degrees from Southern New Hampshire University.
Cotta, originally from South China, lives in Alna with his wife, Jill, and three children. He works at Camp Keyes in Augusta, managing the training sites for the Maine Army National Guard. He is a graduate of the University of Maine at Farmington, the University of Maine Graduate School, and Nashotah House Theological Seminary.