Colonel Christopher D. Lestochi will assume command of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Alaska District, in a change of command ceremony on July 2. Colonel Reinhard W. Koenig, the outgoing Alaska District Commander who served since 2009, will relinquish command in a ceremony at District headquarters on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson at 10 a.m. Koenig’s next assignment is executive officer to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works in Washington, D.C.
The Alaska District has a multi-million dollar program providing planning, engineering, construction, contracting, real estate, emergency operations, and regulatory services to military, federal and local government entities and the public in Alaska.
Col. Lestochi comes to the Alaska District from the Army War College in Carlisle, Pa. From 2009 to 2011, he served as Chief of Construction and Executive Officer of the Engineer Division at U.S. Central Command Headquarters, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. His previous assignments include Commander, 54th Engineer Battalion in Bamberg, Germany, and during Operation Iraqi Freedom 08-10 from 2007-2009; Officer Commanding the Engineer Operations Wing, Royal Australian School of Military Engineering in Sydney, Australia, from 2004-2006; Assistant Division Engineer, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky., and as Battalion operations officer, 326th Engineer Battalion, 101st Airborne Division during Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2002 to 2004.
He served as Deputy Chief of the Construction Division for the Alaska District from 1998 to 2001.
Earlier assignments include as supply officer, Assistant Brigade Engineer and Commander, C Company, 91st Engineer Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division in Fort Hood, TX, from 1993-1997; and 2nd Platoon Leader, Assault and Barrier Platoon Leader and Executive Officer, 84th Engineer Company, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment in Bayreuth, Germany and during Operation Desert Shield/Storm from 1989 to 1992.
Colonel Lestochi was commissioned in the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1989 from Pennsylvania State University. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Architectural Engineering, Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Penn State, and Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. His military education includes the Engineer Officer Basic and Armor Officer Advanced Courses, Combined Arms Services and Staff School, Army Command and Staff College, Airborne and Air Assault Schools, Cavalry Leader's and Scout Platoon Leader’s courses. He is a registered Professional Engineer. His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters (3 OLC), Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (3 OLC), Army Commendation Medal (2 OLC), Army Achievement Medal (3 OLC), Valorous Unit Citation, Meritorious Unit Citation (1 OLC), Airborne Badge, Air Assault Badge, Combat Action Badge, and Bronze Order of the de Fleury Medal.