Lieutenant Colonel Paul B. Olsen commands the 249th Engineer Battalion, a versatile power generation battalion assigned to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that provides commercial-level power to military units and federal relief organizations during full-spectrum operations. He will also serve as Commandant, U.S. Army Prime Power School, the institution responsible for the development of Army and Navy power generation specialists, and as Director, U.S. Army’s Generator Loan Program, the organization charged with the rapid provision of Army generators to support worldwide requirements.
Lieutenant Colonel Olsen was commissioned in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers upon graduation from the University of Wisconsin where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography. He has held leadership positions in mechanized and combat heavy engineer units in Europe, the Middle East, and the United States, including command of Bravo Company, 9th Engineer Battalion during Operation Joint Endeavor in Bosnia; Executive Officer of Headquarters Company, 43rd Engineer Battalion during Operation Restore Hope in Somalia; and Platoon Leader, Alpha Company, 317th Engineer Battalion during Operations Desert Shield and Storm in the Middle East. Additionally, he has held a number of key staff assignments including the Speechwriter to the Commanding General, U.S. Army Combined Arms Center, Operations Officer of the 249th Engineer Battalion, and the Executive Officer to the Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management.
Lieutenant Colonel Olsen holds a Master of Science Degree in Civil and Infrastructure Engineering from George Mason University and a Master of Arts Degree in Business Management from Webster University. He is also a registered Professional Engineer in the Commonwealth of Virginia. His military education includes completion of the Engineer Officer Basic and Advanced Courses and the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. He is also a graduate of the French Army Engineer Advanced Course.
Awards and decorations earned by Lieutenant Colonel Olsen include the Bronze Star Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters. Additionally, he was the 2003 recipient of the Secretary of the Army’s Frank Pace Award for innovation.
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