Commander & District Engineer New Orleans District
Col. Cullen Jones serves as the 65th Commander and District Engineer of the New Orleans District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He comes to New Orleans having recently served as the Chief of Staff for the Office of Security Cooperation–Iraq (OSC-I) at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, where he was a principal assistant to the Senior Defense Official/Defense Attaché (SDO/DATT) with responsibility for staff operations and management of the MILGROUP-Iraq Joint Staff.
Col. Jones is a native of Delaware and received his U.S. Army commission in 1999 from West Point. He has served in leadership and staff positions in Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan, and multiple locations in the United States. Between 2000 and 2004, he was a platoon leader, executive officer, and battalion air officer with the 27th Engineer Battalion (Combat) (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He remained at Fort Bragg from 2004 to 2005, transferring to the 18th Airborne Corps as a current operations officer. From 2005 to 2006, he deployed to Iraq, serving as the Multi-National Corps anti-terrorism/force protection engineer, before returning to the 27th Engineer Battalion (Combat) (Airborne) and deploying to Afghanistan in 2006 to assume command of B Company (Combat) (Airborne) (Rough Terrain) until 2008.
From 2010 to 2013, Colonel Jones was an Assistant Professor in the Civil and Mechanical Engineering Department at the United States Military Academy at West Point before transferring to the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where he served from 2013 to 2014 as the brigade engineer officer for the 2nd Brigade Combat Team (Strike). In 2014, he deployed with the Strike Brigade to Afghanistan as the battalion operations officer for the Special Troops Battalion. He continued with the Strike Brigade from 2014 to 2015 as the brigade executive officer. After completing a Training with Industry fellowship in the Washington D.C. area in 2016, Colonel Jones transitioned to serve as the Deputy District Commander for the Portland District, Northwestern Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Col. Jones commanded the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District July 7, 2017, to June 28, 2019. As Commander and District Engineer, Colonel Jones managed the water resources development and navigable waterways operations for the Cumberland and Tennessee River basins covering 59,000 square miles, with 42 field offices touching seven states and a work force of over 700 employees. While in command, Colonel Jones also supported Taskforce Power Restoration in Puerto Rico helping restore the Commonwealth’s power grid post-Hurricane Maria. Following command of the Nashville District, Colonel Jones served as the Executive Officer to the U.S. Army Chief of Engineers and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Col. Jones’ awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal (with two Oak Leaf Clusters), Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (with Silver Oak Leaf Cluster), Army Commendation Medal (with one Oak Leaf Cluster), Army Achievement Medal (with Silver Oak Leaf Cluster and one Oak Leaf Cluster), Department of State Meritorious Honor Award, Afghanistan Campaign Medal (with three campaign stars), Iraq Campaign Medal (with two campaign stars), Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal (with one campaign star), Kosovo Campaign Medal (with one campaign star), NATO medals for both Kosovo and Afghanistan, Armed Forces Service Medal, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, Ranger Tab, Air Assault Badge, and Master Parachutist Badge. He also wears the Joint Meritorious Unit Award (with one Oak Leaf Cluster) for operations with the Multi-National Corps – Iraq and the Department of State Office of Security Cooperation - Iraq, the Meritorious Unit Citation (with one Oak Leaf Cluster) for combat operations while serving with the 27th Engineer Battalion (Combat)(Airborne) and with Strike Brigade, both in Afghanistan, and the Army Engineer Association’s Bronze De Fleury Medal.
Col. Jones holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the United States Military Academy, a Master of Science degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. His technical education includes the Blast Effects Estimation and Security Engineering courses from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Protective Design Center and his military education includes Command and General Staff College and U.S. Army War College. Colonel Jones is a licensed Professional Civil Engineer (P.E.), Project Management Professional (PMP), and a Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM).