Lieutenant Colonel Mark R. Himes assumed responsibilities as the Deputy Commander of the Jacksonville District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in August 2013.
Lt. Col. Himes was commissioned into the Army upon graduation from Virginia Tech with a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering in 1998. His military education includes the U.S. Army Engineer Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, the Combined Arms and Services Staff School, the Joint Engineer Operations Course, and the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. Lt. Col. Himes holds a Master of Science in Building Construction from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Master of Science in Engineering Management from the Missouri University of Science and Technology (formerly University of Missouri – Rolla). He is a registered Professional Engineer and a certified Project Management Professional.
Lt. Col. Himes recently served as the Battalion Executive Officer, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team during combat operations in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom from July to December 2012. Previous assignments include Chief of Current Operations and Brigade Engineer, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Joint Base Lewis-Mc Chord, Wash., where he served in support of Operation Enduring Freedom; Project Manager for Military Construction, Fort Carson, Colo., Omaha District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Company Commander, Bravo Company, 46th Engineer Combat Battalion (Heavy), Fort Rucker, Ala., where he served in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom; Battalion Civil Engineer, 46th Engineer Combat Battalion (Heavy), Fort Polk, La., also in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom; Platoon Leader and Company Executive Officer, 84th Engineer Combat Battalion (Heavy), Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
Lt. Col. Himes' awards and decorations include the Bronze Star (three awards), Meritorious Service Medal (three awards), Army Commendation Medal (three awards), Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal (two campaign stars), Afghanistan Campaign Medal (one campaign star), Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, NATO medal, Overseas Service Ribbon, Combat Action Badge and the Air Assault Badge.