WASHINGTON, D.C. - Lt. Gen. Robert L. Van Antwerp, 52nd Chief of Engineers and commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, was honored during a retirement ceremony held at the Fort Lesley J. McNair parade field in Washington, Tuesday, May 3. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Martin E. Dempsey hosted the event.
Van Antwerp, who is retiring from the U.S. Army and relinquishing command at a later date, has led the nation's leading public engineering agency since May 2007. During his tenure, USACE has aided in the planning, construction and completion of thousands of reconstruction projects in Iraq; invested billions of dollars in Afghanistan construction projects including police stations, roads and Army bases; managed the largest Army military construction effort since World War II; and provided support to numerous domestic and international emergencies including the Midwest flood fights, Gulf Coast oil spill, the earthquake in Haiti as well as the recent Tsunami in Japan. In addition, he has overseen USACE efforts in the construction of the Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System in New Orleans, which is expected to be complete by June 1.
Prior to his assignment at USACE, Van Antwerp was the commanding general, U.S. Army Accessions Command and deputy commanding general for Initial Military Training at Fort Monroe, Va. His other major duty assignments include: commander of the U.S. Army Engineer School; commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District during the Northridge Earthquake of 1994; commander of the 326th Engineer Battalion, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia and Iraq; chief of staff, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; executive assistant to the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, DC; and instructor, Department of Mechanics, U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y.
Lt. Gen. Robert L. Van Antwerp graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1972. He completed Ranger, Airborne and Air Assault training, the Engineer Officer Basic Course and the Engineer Officer Advanced Course. He holds a master's in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan and a Master of Business Administration from Long Island University in New York. He is a registered professional engineer.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is comprised of approximately 37,000 civilian and military employees, who provide vital public engineering services in peace and war to strengthen our nation's security, energize the economy, and reduce risks from disasters.
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