Colonel Michelle Vergara assumed duties as the Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Contingency Response Unit (CRU) in Washington D.C on June 11, 2022.
Vergara a native from Bronx, New York, graduated from Officer Candidate School in 1999 and commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Engineer Corps.
Vergara’s professional military education includes the Engineer Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Basic Topographic Officer Course, Transportation Officer Qualification Course, Command and General Staff Officer College, Reserve Component Theater Sustainment Course, Reserve Component National Security Course, Joint Engineer Officer Course, Defense Strategy Course, Joint Logistics Course, Battalion and Brigade Pre-Command Courses, and U.S. Army War College.
Vergara’s green-tab assignments include Commander, 50th Multi-Role Bridge Company; Detachment Commander, 1159th Terminal Supervision Team; and Commander, 368th Engineer Battalion.
Vergara’s key staff assignments include S3, 1-345th Engineer Regiment; Deputy Commander, 1182nd Deployment and Distribution Support Battalion; Executive Officer, 2-397th Basic Combat Training Battalion; and G4, 420th Engineer Brigade. She also served as a Facilities Engineer, 80th Training Command; and Small Group Instructor, 554th Engineer Battalion.
Vergara’s joint assignments include Engineer Action Officer at J35, Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Deputy Chief for CENTCOM J44 Vendor Threat Mitigation Division, and Liaison/Planner for the Federal COVID Response Task Force.
Vergara has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from the University of South Florida and has three master’s degrees in Business Administration, Procurement and Acquisitions Management, and in Strategic Studies.
Vergara’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (2), Joint Service Commendation Medal (2), Army Commendation Medal (5), Army Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal (4), National Defense Service Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal w/2 Campaign Stars, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal w/M Device & 10 Year Bronze Hourglass, Overseas Service Ribbon (3), and the Joint Meritorious Unit Citation (2).
She is authorized to wear the Parachutists Badge, Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge, and the German Armed Forces Efficiency Gold Badge.