Army Corps Welcomes New Commander to the Alaska District
Colonel Damon Delarosa became the 29th commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District during an assumption of command ceremony today on the front lawn of the headquarters building near Anchorage.
Delarosa, a native of San Antonio, replaces Colonel David Hibner who served as the acting district commander since April 2020. Colonel Kirk Gibbs, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Pacific Ocean Division in Hawaii, hosted the event that adhered to social distancing protocols.
Delarosa will oversee a multi-million dollar program that provides engineering, construction, planning, contracting, real estate, emergency operations, environmental and regulatory services to the military; federal, state and local governments; as well as the public in Alaska.
In addition, he will be responsible for the district’s support to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command by designing and constructing humanitarian assistance projects throughout Southeast Asia. Under the Department of Defense Foreign Military Sales Program, the district also oversees master planning, requirements validation, design and construction of infrastructure for the government of India’s C-17 aircraft at Hindon Air Force Station, India.
Before assuming command in Alaska, Delarosa served as the human resource manager for engineer, chemical colonels in the Colonel Management Office for the Office of the Chief of Staff of the Army. Previously, he served as the commander of the Corps’ Walla Walla District covering six states stretching from the Tri-Cities in Washington to Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
He is a graduate of the Engineer Basic and Advanced Courses at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; the Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; and the Airborne, Air Assault, Ranger and Sapper Leader Schools. His awards and decorations include the Army Bronze Star Medal, Distinguished Meritorious Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, and the Bronze Order of the DeFleury Medal. Delarosa was commissioned in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1998 after graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point in New York.
Making History
The track of oil and gas development in Alaska shows the footprints of bold companies and hard-working individuals who shaped the industry in the past and continue to innovate today. The May 2024 issue of Alaska Business explores that history while looking forward to new product development, the energy transition for the fishing fleet, and the ethics of AI tools in business.