Posted on June 29, 2026
Col. Victor Trujillo II became the 31st commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District during a change of command ceremony today on the front lawn of the organization’s headquarters building.
Brig. Gen. Joseph Goetz, commanding general of the USACE Pacific Ocean Division at Fort Shafter, Hawaii, served as host of the event.
Trujillo replaces Col. Jeffrey Palazzini, whose tenure as district commander began in June 2023. He departs for his next assignment as executive director for the Office of the Chief of Engineers at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.
Trujillo will now lead the organization responsible for executing major programs focused on military construction, civil works development and environmental cleanup within the state. He also oversees the delivery of contracting, regulatory, interagency, international, real estate and emergency management services, along with operations and maintenance activities.
Before assuming command, he graduated from the Army War College located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania in June 2026.
He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 2000 and was commissioned as an engineer officer. After graduating from the Engineer Officer Basic Course, he was assigned to the 299th Engineer Battalion, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division at Fort Hood, Texas, where he served as a mechanized combat engineer platoon leader and deployed as an engineer scout platoon leader as well as a battalion adjutant in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
In 2004, he graduated from the Infantry Captain Career Course and was assigned to the 20th Engineer Brigade serving as a plans officer in the 18th Airborne Corps, Staff Engineer Section. During this period, he deployed to Iraq and served as the Executive Officer of Multi-National Corps – Iraq C7. Upon his return to Fort Bragg, he served as the 30th Engineer Battalion Assistant S3 before taking command of the Headquarters and Headquarters Company.
As a major, Trujillo served as an Assistant Professor and instructor at the U.S. Military Academy in the Department of Mathematical Sciences. Following this assignment, he immediately served as battalion S3 and executive officer for the 1st Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade at Fort Riley, Kansas. He also served as the Assistant Brigade Engineer and then the Battalion Executive Officer for the 82nd Engineer Battalion, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division. He completed Command and General Staff College and served as the J3 Chief of Deployment at NATO Rapid Deployable Corps in Istanbul, Turkey.
Trujillo’s last operational assignment, prior to returning for a second tour as an Assistant Professor, was battalion commander of a 1-410 Brigade Engineer Battalion at Fort Knox, Kentucky. His research interests include edge computing, machine/deep learning, high energy laser propagation, and military applications.
He earned a Bachelor of Science in Operations Research from the U.S. Military Academy. He also holds a Master of Science in Mathematics and Statistics from Georgetown University as well as a Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Science at the College of William & Mary.
His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, two Distinguished Meritorious Service Medals, four Meritorious Service Medals, Army Commendation Medal, two Army Achievement Medals, Master Parachutist Badge, and Air Assault Badge.
He is married to retired Army Lt. Col. Elizabeth Mason and they have a teenage son, Victor III.
