LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Col. Walter T. Allard assumes command of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Little Rock District during a May 22 ceremony at the Robinson Center in downtown Little Rock, Arkansas. He assumes command from Col. Eric R. Swenson, who is departing to take command of the USACE New York District.
The Little Rock District has a diverse mission composed of both military and civil works projects. Within the district's geographic boundaries, the district manages approximately $30 billion in federal water resource infrastructure including 12 multipurpose lakes, 13 navigation locks and dams, seven hydroelectric plants, 168 recreation areas and 308 miles of commercial navigation channel.
Allard comes to the Little Rock District following graduation from the Marine Corps War College at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., where he earned a master of strategic studies. He graduated in 1994 from Worcester State University with a bachelor of science in mathematics and physics. After spending eight years in private industry, he earned a master of science in industrial engineering from Northeastern University. He was commissioned into the United States Air Force in 2002 as an analytical scientist and engineer before transferring to the United States Army Engineer Corps in 2005.
A native of New Hampshire, Allard has served in a variety of command and staff assignments throughout the United States and overseas. His previous assignments include XVIII Airborne Corps Engineer at Fort Bragg, N.C.; commander of the 326th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Ky., task force senior trainer at the Joint Readiness Training Center and Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center at Fort Polk, La; brigade engineer battalion executive officer and center of gravity trainer for the National Training Center Operations Group at Fort Irwin, Calif., and squadron executive officer for the 3rd Operational Support Group, U.S. Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, N.C. Earlier in his career, he served in operational assignments at the National Air and Space Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio and the National Reconnaissance Office in Washington, D.C. His deployed experience includes seven overseas tours, including two tours each in Iraq and Afghanistan and assignments in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, Kuwait and Africa.
He is a graduate of the Air Force Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Command and General Staff Officer’s Course, Engineer Captains Career Course, Air and Space Basic Course, Asymmetric Warfare Group Operational Advisor Program, Joint Planning Course and Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course.
His military awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with four oak leaf clusters, Defense Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Joint Service Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Air Force Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal with two bronze service stars, Army Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, Combat Action Badge, Sapper Tab and Bronze Order of the de Fleury Medal.
More information about the Little Rock District can be found on the Internet at www.swl.usace.army.mil, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/littlerockusace and on the USACE Little Rock water level mobile app at www.swl.usace.army.mil/Home/water-control-app/.