Colonel Damon M. Knarr assumed duties as District Engineer and Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Little Rock District on July 12, 2022.
He came to Little Rock from U.S. Army Central Command, where he served as the 3rd Army Engineer Director.
Colonel Knarr graduated in 1998 with a bachelor's degree in Criminal Law from Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida where he also earned his commission through the university's Department of Military Science Reserve Officer's Training Corps. After earning his Master of Business Administration Degree from Webster University he taught Operational Design at the Joint and Combined Warfighting School and is an alumnus of the International Strategic Studies Fellowship at Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.
Knarr has served in a variety of operational, command and staff assignments in the United States and overseas. His previous assignments include Brigade Personnel officer, Brigade Construction Officer and Battalion Logistics Officer during Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2003-2004 and as the Assistant Brigade Engineer for 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division and Company Commander of B Company 16th Engineer Battalion during Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2006-2007. Other operational assignments include Battalion Operation and Executive Officer for the 5th Engineer Battalion, 1st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade from 2010-2012, working in NATO as the Engineer Intelligence Officer in the Rapid Reaction Corps in France from 2012-2015. From there he went on to command the 299th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division from 2015-2017. Following his battalion command he joined the military faculty at the Joint and Combined Warfighting School from 2018 to 2020.
He is a graduate of the Engineer Officer Basic and Advanced courses, Combined Arms Services Staff School, Army Command and General Staff College, the NATO Intel Planner’s Course, Forced Entry Tactical Training Course, and is a Joint Services Qualified Planner.
His military awards include a Legion of Merit, Bronze star Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Defense Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Army Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Army Achievement medal with two oak leaf clusters, Army Presidential Unit Citation, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, Overseas service Ribbon with three oak leaf clusters and the Kuwait Liberation Medal. He has also been awarded the Combat Action Badge, Parachutist Badge, and the Army Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge.