Shaw Assumes Command In Mobile District

In a ceremony held at the Mobile Engineer District headquarters in Mobile, Ala., on July 18, Col. Kelcey Shaw replaced Col. Jeremy Chapman as commander of the Mobile District. Brig. Gen. Zachary Miller, commander of the South Atlantic Division, presided over the ceremony.

“We are bringing in an amazing leader in Col. Kelcey Shaw,” Miller said. “Kelcey is joining Mobile after two years at headquarters, where he developed a deep appreciation for the interaction among our senior leaders and the professionalism of our dedicated civilian workforce. These experiences and relationships will guide him toward a successful command.”

Shaw spent those two years in Washington as executive director for Civil Works and Emergency Operations for the headquarters. Before his time with the Corps, he received his bachelor’s degree in aerospace, aeronautical and astronautical engineering from Tuskegee University in 2001. Shaw also holds two master’s degrees, one in engineering and industrial management from the Missouri University of Science and Technology and another in military operational art and science studies from the U.S. Air Force Air Command and Staff College. He spent three years with the Corps’ 249th Engineer Battalion and was commander of the 20th Engineer Battalion (Airborne) at Fort Bragg.

“My family and I are grateful for such a sincere and personable welcome,” Shaw said. “The Mobile District stands out as an outstanding organization and part of a larger, phenomenal team, thanks to its exceptional federal employees.”

Shaw replaces Chapman, who has retired after 27 years of service in the U.S. Army and a four-year tenure as commander of the Mobile District.

“It has been an honor and a lot of fun to command the Mobile District on my final assignment in the U.S. Army,” Chapman said. “I will miss our outstanding people and partners most. They are the strength of our mission and why we continue to deliver year after year. I will truly miss the Army team, the spirit, the camaraderie and the strong sense of purpose that comes with serving your nation.”

Chapman was a part of multiple successes throughout his command of the Mobile Engineer District. He led the district through the rebuilding of Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida after Hurricane Michael, a category 5 hurricane that hit Florida in 2018, and aided in the completion of the Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in Tampa. He guided the district through the Mobile Harbor expansion project and through the repair and reopening of the Demopolis and Holt locks and dams in Alabama.

“The district will be in great hands with Col. Kelcey Shaw leading the way,” Chapman said. “I know he has already been impressed by our talented people and the immense impact and breadth of our mission across the region and Latin America. The Mobile District is like a big family to me, which I will miss considerably.”

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Featured photo caption: Col. Kelcey Shaw, newly appointed commander of the Mobile Engineer District, speaks at a change of command ceremony on July 18. (Photo courtesy of the Mobile Engineer District).