New Commander For St. Louis Engineer District
The St. Louis Engineer District welcomed its 53rd commanding officer, Col. Kevin Golinghorst, during a closed change of command ceremony July 24 attended by personnel essential to the ceremony and viewed by many more on social media. He succeeded Col. Bryan K. Sizemore as district engineer in a private ceremony at district offices and shared on Facebook. Maj. Gen. Diana M. Holland, commander of the Corps’ Mississippi Valley Division, presided over the event.
“The St. Louis Engineer District faces a diverse set of challenges,” Golinghorst said. “But the success of this team of professionals and our partners throughout the region make me confident in what we can accomplish for the district and the nation.”
Golinghorst assumed his duties at the St. Louis District after most recently serving as the Army capability manager-geospatial with the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) at Scott Air Force Base.
Golinghorst grew up on a family farm near Walcott, Iowa and was commissioned into the Corps of Engineers through the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., in 1996. He now leads a civilian and military workforce of nearly 750 personnel in providing civil works and interagency support along the Mississippi River in Missouri and Illinois.
He has served in numerous command and staff assignments. Golinghorst commanded the 554th Engineer Battalion and served as the deputy commanding officer of the 1st Engineer Brigade, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. He served as the deputy executive officer (plans) for the commander of ISAF in Kabul, Afghanistan., as well as other operational roles in Afghanistan.
Golinghorst was an instructor and branch chief within the College for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) at Fort Belvoir, Va. He commanded the 73rd Engineer Company at Fort Lewis, Wash., and deployed the unit to Mosul, Iraq. He was the battalion maintenance officer and adjutant/S-1 of the 65th Engineer Battalion at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. Before that, Golinghorst was aide-de-camp to the commander of the Pacific Ocean Engineer Division.
Golinghorst earned his Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering at West Point, N.Y.; a Masters in defense geographic information in England; a Master of Military Arts & Science degree at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.; and a Master of Arts degree in national security and strategic studies at Newport, R.I.
The St. Louis District is strategically located at the crossroads of three major river systems: the Illinois, Mississippi and Missouri. The mission of the district is to manage the 300-mile Mississippi River watershed above the Ohio River by applying engineering, scientific, and other resources while preserving, restoring and enhancing the environment; and maintaining core competencies needed to respond to local and national emergencies and technical requirements.
