WASHINGTON -- The 55th Chief of Engineers and the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lt. Gen. Scott A. Spellmon notified U.S. Rep. Grace Napolitano of her selection to receive the Gold Order of the de Fleury award Dec. 7, 2020.
Congresswoman Napolitano was chosen to receive the award for her significant contributions to Army Engineering. She is a member of the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure as well as the Committee on Natural Resources.
“Rep. Napolitano has been a staunch supporter of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects,” said Spellmon. “Most recently she made securing funding for the Whittier Narrows Dam one of her top priorities. She understands the importance of dam safety work and water supply operations. She has spent years working with the Corps and advocating for this project and other infrastructure of national significance.”
The 54th Chief of Engineers, retired Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite, selected Napolitano to receive the award. The award was scheduled to be presented in July 2020, however due to COVID-19, the award presentation is now scheduled for July 2021.
The Order of the de Fleury was established in 1779 in honor of Francois Louis Tesseidre de Fleury, a French engineer, who volunteered to serve during the American Revolution. There are four different levels of the award, which are steel, bronze, silver and gold, with gold being the most prestigious.
The chief of engineers selects one gold award recipient from inside the Engineer Regiment, and one recipient from outside the regiment, each year.
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Release no. 20-211