Major General Michael J. Walsh has been the Deputy Commanding General for Civil and Emergency Operations, United States Army Corps of Engineers since Dec. 5, 2011.
As the Deputy Commanding General for Civil and Emergency Operations, Major General Walsh is responsible for a $10B program. He exercises supervision over civil works activities of 8 engineer divisions and 38 districts nationwide employing 294 officers and 23,033 civilian employees who operate and maintain civil infrastructure valued at $125B, including more than 693 dams, 4,254 recreation areas, over 12,000 miles of commercial inland waterways, and approximately 926 harbors. He serves as principal advisor to the Chief of Engineers and the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works and directly interfaces with members of Congress on civil works issues and programs. Major General Walsh is responsible for emergency response missions for civil disasters and FEMA support.
Previous assignments include: Commander of the Mississippi Valley Division, Vicksburg, Mississippi, from February 2008 to November 2011; Commander of the South Atlantic Division, Atlanta, Georgia, from June 2004 to September 2006; Chief of Staff at headquarters, Washington, D.C., from May 2003 to June 2004; Executive Director of Civil Works at headquarters, Washington, D.C., from August 2001 to May 2003; District Commander of the Sacramento District, Sacramento, California, from 1998 to 2001; and District Commander of the San Francisco District, San Francisco, California, from 1994 to 1996.
Major General Walsh has held a wide variety of Army command and staff assignments, to include: project management officer for Engineer Branch, Supreme Headquarters, Allied Powers, Europe (SHAPE); Environmental Task Force Leader, Fort Stewart, Georgia; Executive Officer, 92nd Engineer Battalion, Fort Stewart, Georgia, and Saudi Arabia; Project Engineer and Assistant Area Engineer, Baltimore District; Construction Officer, 18th Engineer Brigade, Darmstadt, Germany; and Commander, Company B, 94th Engineer Battalion, Darmstadt, Germany.
His awards include a Distinguished Service Medal, two Bronze Stars, four Legions of Merit, and numerous other awards. He is parachute and Ranger qualified.
Major General Walsh graduated from Polytechnic Institute of New York in 1977 with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering. He also earned a master's degree in construction management from the University of Florida. His military education includes the Engineer Officers Basic and Advanced Courses, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and the U.S. Army War College.