USACE Construction Division Chief promoted to Brigadier General in U.S. Army Reserve

By Charles DelanoMay 5, 2022

USACE construction division chief promoted to brigadier general
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Kirk Dailey receives the brigadier general flag from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Deputy Commanding General Maj. Gen. Richard Heitkamp during a promotion ceremony in Louisville, Kentucky April 22, 2022. Dailey will serve as the deputy commanding general of the 416th Theater Engineering Command for the U.S. Army Reserve and currently serves as USACE Louisville District construction division chief. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo by Jack Sweeney) (Photo Credit: Jack B Sweeney) VIEW ORIGINAL
USACE construction division chief promoted to brigadier general
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Deputy Commanding General Maj. Gen. Richard Heitkamp administers the oath of office to U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Kirk Dailey during a promotion ceremony in Louisville, Kentucky April 22, 2022. Dailey will serve as the deputy commanding general of the 416th Theater Engineering Command for the U.S. Army Reserve and currently serves as USACE Louisville District construction division chief. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo by Jack Sweeney) (Photo Credit: Jack B Sweeney) VIEW ORIGINAL

Kirk Dailey, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District construction division chief was promoted to brigadier general in the U.S. Army Reserve during a ceremony held at the Romano Mazzoli Federal Building in Louisville, Kentucky April 22, 2022.

“I could not be more proud of my friend Kirk for his promotion, and proud of Louisville,” said USACE Deputy Commanding General Maj. Gen. Richard Heitkamp who presided over the ceremony. “I’ve known Kirk for a long time and we’re very fortunate to have such a capable officer.”

Dailey’s promotion highlights a dual career which began in October 1990 in the U.S. Army Reserve and January 1992 in USACE. Dailey will now serve as the deputy commanding general of the 416th Theater Engineering Command.

“The Army is its people and I am thankful for family, friends and so many people in the Army Reserve and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers who have helped me along the way,” said Dailey.

When asked about those who influenced his career, Dailey spoke about how U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Christie Nixon taught him the importance of making tough decisions. Through her mentorship, Dailey learned to weigh short-term difficulties while considering long-term benefits.

“I learned to have that long-term vision to see how the second and third order effects might play out,“ said Dailey. “She really helped influenced that in me when dealing with challenging situations.”

Dailey credits U.S. Army Col. Jeff Anderson for providing Army leadership skills and experience that he uses at USACE. From Anderson, he learned to accept change when top-level decisions are made and to be an agent of change.

“I learned to change what I could,“ said Dailey. “Accepting what is instead of being opposed to what is.”

Dailey gleaned his leadership style from U.S. Army Brig. Gen Bryan Watson during a deployment to Afghanistan. Although he already had an appreciation for servant leadership, Watson provided a true-to-life example of purposefully leading to serve.

“At successive levels our role is to support the warfighter and ensure that everything we do isn’t to perpetuate leadership,” said Dailey. “The soldier on the ground has to live with the decisions that are made at the headquarters level.”

Dailey provides some insight for new employees who are starting a career in USACE. His strongest piece of advice is to seek advice along the way and to find a mentor at a level at what you aspire to become.

“If you wait for someone to seek you out to give you career advice, you are probably going to be waiting for a long time,” said Dailey.

During his off-duty time, Daily spends time with family, travels and sets aside quiet time for introspection. One of his favorite activities is wine tasting and he has even taken a class to appreciate the different varieties.