Posted on July 17, 2024
DETROIT — Lt. Col. Wallace W. Bandeff assumed command of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Detroit District from Lt. Col. Brett Boyle during a Change of Command ceremony at The War Memorial in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, July 16.
Maj. Gen. Mark Quander, USACE Great Lakes and Ohio River Division commander, presided over the ceremony attended by family members, district staff and community members.
The U.S. Army Change of Command ceremony is a formal transfer of authority between an outgoing and incoming commander. The departing leader passes the unit guidon or colors – its unique flag – to the new commander symbolizing the unit and all its responsibilities. The tradition dates back to the 18th Century when the flag served as a critical rallying point for Soldiers on the battlefield.
“It’s because of the District’s daily positive impact on the lives of so many citizens that my family and I are excited to join this team,” said Lt. Col. Bandeff, incoming commander, addressing the more than 100 attendees upon taking command. “Throughout my career I have served overseas as well as domestically with other Districts, but nothing brings me more personal or professional satisfaction than to serve the American public right here in the Great Lakes region, especially from the state I call home.”
Lt. Col. Bandeff previously served as the Chief of Panel Operations in the Army Talent Management Task Force’s Command Assessment Program. This is his fourth assignment with USACE having served in the Alaska, Omaha and Walla Walla Districts – the latter of which he served as the deputy commander.
He is a Michigan native and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Michigan Tech University, where he was commissioned from the Army ROTC program.
Under the outgoing commander’s two-year tour, Lt. Col. Boyle guided the first year of Phase 3 of the $3 billion New Lock at the Soo megaproject in Sault Ste. Marie, increased vital staff to 550 people from 430 in 2022 and maintained the Great Lakes Navigation System through critical harbor maintenance and the dredging of more than 2,000,000 cubic yards during the past two years.
“You are winning. You are doing this the right way with character. This District team is flexible, adaptive and – as we like to say in this city – has real grit,” said Lt. Col. Boyle, addressing the Detroit District staff during his exiting remarks. “So, I’m proud to have been a small part of that the last two years.”
Lt. Col. Boyle continues his military service at his next duty station as a professor of Military Science at the Slippery Rock University in his native Pennsylvania.
The Detroit District, established in 1841, encompasses 3,150 miles of shoreline and 81 harbors and channels joining lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, St. Clair and Erie. In addition, the district boundaries cover projects and regulatory oversight throughout the state of Michigan and portions of Indiana, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
