Seattle District - US Army Corps of Engineers


Seattle Army Corps of Engineers welcomes new District Engineer

Seattle District, Army Corps of Engineers, welcomes new District Engineer Contact: Patricia Graesser (206) 764-3760 July 12, 2000 SEATTLE—Col. Ralph H. Graves assumed command today of the Seattle District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. As district engineer, Graves oversees military construction in Washington, Idaho, Montana and Oregon. He also manages an extensive civil works engineering and construction mission in Washington, Idaho and Montana. His programs also include Historic Preservation of Historic Structures, and Hazardous, Toxic and Radioactive Waste cleanup. Prior to arriving in Seattle, Graves attended the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in Washington, D.C. Colonel Graves has been assigned to a variety of command and staff positions. He served in engineer troop units in Korea and in Germany. In the course of a second tour in Germany, he was Executive Officer of the 16th Engineer Battalion, 1st Armored Division and took part in Operation Desert Storm. Colonel Graves has earlier served in the Army Corps of Engineers as Commander of the Honolulu District and Deputy Commander of the Baltimore District. His other assignments included helping to redesign the Engineer Officer Advanced Course at the U.S. Army Engineer School, Fort Belvoir Virginia; teaching civil engineering at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point; writing speeches for the U.S. Army Chief of Staff; and working for the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations and Environment in Washington, D.C. Colonel Graves graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1974. He earned a master’s degree in civil engineering from the University of California at Berkeley in 1978 and a civil engineering doctorate from Stevens Institute of Technology in 1987. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and Staff College and is a registered professional engineer in the state of Minnesota. His military decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star and the Meritorious Service Medal with five Oak Leaf Clusters.