Colonel Charles L. Decker is the inaugural commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Caribbean District, which was established in 2024.
Headquartered in Puerto Rico, the district is delivering a multi-billion-dollar civil works program as well as oversight of military construction projects, navigation initiatives, regulatory permits, emergency response efforts, and interagency and international services throughout the Caribbean region.
The colonel was direct commissioned as an ensign into the U.S. Naval Reserve Civil Engineer Corps in 1996 and has since served in numerous leadership and staff positions to include: Detachment Assistant Officer-In-Charge for Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit 303; Assistant Administration Officer, Assistant Operations Officer, Headquarters Company Commander, Disaster Preparedness Officer, and Training / Intelligence Officer for Naval Mobil Construction Battalion 24; Commander of multiple Special Forces Operational detachments, and Executive Officer of a Special Forces Training Detachment for 19th and 20th Special Forces Groups (Airborne); Operations Officer for 102nd General Support Battalion; Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel and Sustainment to an Area Command and Program Liaison Officer (to a contractor) for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Huntsville Engineering Support Center; Assistant Plans Officer and Assistant Operations Officer for Special Operations Detachment – North (Airborne); and Exercise Project Officer, Exercise Control Chief of Operations, and Deputy G3 for the 91st Training Division.
In his previous two assignments, Colonel Decker was the Defense Support of Civil Authorities plans officer for the 1st Mission Support Command in Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico, and Commander of the 841st Engineer Battalion in Miami, Fla. He has deployed in support of Operation Noble Eagle and Enduring Freedom.
Colonel Decker’s military education includes U.S. Navy Direct Commission Officer Indoctrination, Civil Engineer Corps Officer School Basic Qualification Course, Construction Battalion Operations, Seabee Project Planning and Seabee Project Execution, U.S. Army Airborne School, John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School Special Forces Detachment Officer Qualification Course, Field Artillery School Captain’s Career Course, Combined Arms Exercise, Pathfinder School, Command and General Staff Officer Course (Intermediate Level Education – Common Core), Battalion Pre-Command Course, Command and General Staff Officer Course (Advanced Operations Course), and USACE Command Course.
Colonel Decker’s decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal w/Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Commendation Medal w/Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Achievement Medal, Navy Achievement Medal w/Gold Star, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal w/Four Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, National Defense Service Medal, Global War On Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War On Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal w/10-yr Bronze Hourglass and M Device, Army Service Ribbon, Army Overseas Service Ribbon, Army Reserve Component Overseas Training Ribbon w/Bronze Numeral 2, Navy “E” Ribbon, Foreign Parachutist Badge (Uzbekistan), Gold German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency, Special Forces Tab, U.S. Navy Seabee Combat Warfare Specialist, U.S. Army Parachutist Badge, and U.S. Army Pathfinder Badge.
Colonel Decker holds a Master of Science degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Stanford University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Clarkson University. He is a licensed Professional Engineer (PE) in the state of Tennessee and a Project Management Institute (PMI) certified Project Management Professional (PMP).