Spellmon Confirmed as Army Corps (of Engineers) Next Chief

Engineering News-Record ^ | July 21, 2020 | Tom Ichniowski

[BeauBo]

The Senate has confirmed Maj. Gen. Scott A. Spellmon as the Army’s 55th Chief of Engineers and commanding general of the Corps of Engineers, elevating him to one of the most crucial infrastructure-related positions in the federal government.

Spellmon, whose long Army career includes other senior positions with the Corps, will succeed Lt. Gen. Todd T. Semonite, who has held the chief’s job since May 2016.

A Corps spokesman says that internal discussions are underway about the timing of a ceremony to mark the change of command, but no date has been chosen yet.

Along with the Senate's approval of Spellmon's nomination, it also approved his promotion to lieutenant general. The Corps spokeman says that Spellmon’s promotion orders will be effective on the date when the command changes hands.

Semonite’s four-year tour as the Corps' commander was to end on May 19, but several days before that date, Semonite said President Trump had asked him to stay on until a successor was in place.

[BeauBo]

LTG Todd Semonite has been the "Energizer Bunny" of Border Wall Construction.

He completed a full four year tour as the Chief of Engineers - the capstone assignment possible for an Engineer Officer in the Army - and was asked by the President to extend on active duty. The border wall Program which he led, is an historic Engineering feat - the biggest, strongest and most expensive non-military border wall, in human history.

Now that LTG Semonite's replacement has been confirmed, it is time to wish him a fond farewell and best wishes. He really came through for us on the Border Wall Program, and made it happen!

May God Bless this fine man, and great American, in his retirement.

[yarddog]

Wasn’t Robert E. Lee once head of it?

[Lysandru]

LTG Spellmon is another distinguished member of the USMA Class of 1986. Mark Esper, Mike Pompeo, GEN Hokanson (National Guard Bureau Chief), and GEN Joseph Martin (Vice Chief of Staff) are also from my class.

Courage Never Quits!

[gov_bean_ counter]

Big shoes to fill

Essayons

[BeauBo]

“Wasn’t Robert E. Lee once head of it?” (Corps of Engineers)

His early service in the Army was as an Engineer, for several tours. But he later transferred to Cavalry. He resigned from the Army in the lead up to the Civil War as a Colonel (having been offered at least two different jobs as a Major General), long before he was senior enough to be Chief of Engineers. He was a combat arms commander the rest of his career.

He had been first in his class at West Point, with a distinguished record and widely respected. Both sides made serious efforts to recruit him.

[Himyar]

General Lee was in the Corps between the end of the Mexican War until he was appointed to head West Point in 1852. Lee was a very skilled engineer, but he never headed the Corps. A very good book on Lee that goes into his life before the War is ‘Clouds of Glory’ by Michael Korda.

[yarddog]

I read Norman Schwarzkopf’s autobiography. I can’t recall if he was number one or just really high in his class.

He said that the top man in his class usually chose Engineers but he chose infantry. He also said that West Point was originally established to train engineers.

[BeauBo]

“West Point was originally established to train engineers.”

That’s true. Everybody gets an Engineering Degree (or used to, anyhow), regardless of which Branch they go into.

[ops33]

I believe Robert E Lee ranked second in his class of 1829 behind Charles Mason, future Chief Justice of the Iowa Supreme Court.