USACE New England District: Change of Command

In a Change of Command ceremony yesterday at Faneuil Hall in Boston, Mass., District Commander Col. Charles P. Samaris passed the command flag, signifying change of command authority of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in New England, to new District Commander Col. Christopher J. Barron.

Presiding over the ceremony was Brig. Gen. Kent D. Savre, Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, North Atlantic Division.

Challenges he will face include regulatory activities, navigation improvements, environmental restoration, clean up at formerly used defense sites, dredging needs of harbors and other issues.

As District commander since July 29, 2011, Col. Samaris had many accomplishments while managing Corps responsibilities in the six-state region, overseeing civil works activities and engineering, construction and real estate work for Army, Air Force and other Department of Defense and federal activities.

Accomplishments include: dredging projects; environmental restoration; progress on several EPA Superfund projects including the New Bedford Harbor Superfund Project; flood risk management that prevented millions of dollars in flood damages; and support to military projects at Joint Base Cape Cod, Hanscom Air Force Base, U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center and Westover Air Reserve Base.

He managed an annual program of $210 million in fiscal year 2014.

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Press Release, August 1, 2014