Lieutenant Colonel Joseph M. Baumann serves as the Deputy District Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Chicago District, assisting the District Commander with the responsibility for water resources development in the Chicago metropolitan area, upper Illinois River watershed, Lake Michigan watershed in Wisconsin, and the upper Wabash River watershed in Indiana – an area of about 31,500 square miles.
Prior to arriving to the Chicago District, Lieutenant Colonel Baumann served as the Brigade Operations Officer for 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia and previously served as a Project Manager and District Chief of Staff at Seattle District from 2018-2020.
Lieutenant Colonel Baumann commissioned into the United States Army as an engineer Lieutenant and earned a Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering in 2007 from the United States Military Academy. He also holds a Master of Science in Engineering Management from Missouri University of Science and Technology and a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering from the University of Wisconsin. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, the Engineer Captain’s Career Course, and the Engineer Officer Basic Course.
Lieutenant Colonel Baumann’s previous operational assignments include Platoon Leader, Battalion Chief of Operations, and Battalion Logistics Officer, 7th Engineer Battalion, Fort Drum, New York; Company Commander, 544th Engineer Company, 4th Engineer Battalion, Fort Carson, Colorado; Brigade Chief of Plans, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Battalion Operations Officer, 10th Brigade Engineer Battalion, and Brigade Operations Officer, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Georgia.
Lieutenant Colonel Baumann’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, and Armed Forces Service Medal. He also earned the Parachutist Badge and is the recipient of the Bronze Order of the De Fleury Medal and the Noble Patron of Armor.