Col. Patrick W. Caukin assumed duties as District Engineer and Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Little Rock District on July 25, 2025.
He came to Little Rock as a recent graduate from the U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, where he earned a Master of Strategic Studies. He was commissioned into the U.S. Army Engineers Corps in 2002 after earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Caukin has held a wide range of command and staff assignments across the U.S. and abroad. His previous leadership roles include Battalion Commander for the 5th Battalion, 3rd Security Forces Assistance Brigade Fort Hood, Texas, and the 3rd Battalion, 340th Infantry Regiment Fort McCoy, Wisconsin. Additional assignments include Platoon Leader in C Company, 317th Engineer Battalion Fort Benning, Georgia; Brigade Executive Officer in Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division Fort Benning, Georgia; Division Engineer Advisor to the 3rd Iraqi Division Engineer and Bomb Disposal Battalions in Mosul, Iraq; Assistant Operations Officer with the 326th Engineer Battalion (Air Assault) Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Company Commander, 887th Engineer Support Company (Air Assault) Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Commander of the San Gabriel Valley Recruiting Company in Los Angeles, California; Executive Officer and Battalion Operations Officer, 6th Brigade Engineer Battalion (Airborne) Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska; Operations Officer with the U.S. Army Garrison Daegu Department of Public Works in Daegu, South Korea; and Executive Officer and Operations Officer for the 5th Battalion, 2nd Security Forces Assistance Brigade Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Caukin holds a Master of Science in Public Administration from Webster University, St. Louis, Missouri. In addition to a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College his military education includes the Engineer Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Command and General Staff Officer’s Course, Air Assault School, Pathfinder School, Airborne School, and the Jumpmaster Course.
His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Meritorious Service Medal with seven oak leaf clusters, Army Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Army Achievement Medal, Bronze Order of the de Fleury Medal, Combat Action Badge, Senior Parachutist Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Air Assault Badge, and Recruiting Badge. He is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).