Lieutenant Colonel Taneha N. Carter is Deputy Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Middle East District, located in Winchester, Virginia. She became deputy commander in July 2016.
The Middle East District is responsible for providing engineering, construction, and related services in the Middle East, Central Asia, and other areas as required. Its work includes designing and constructing facilities for use by U.S. forces, performing engineering activities for other U.S. government and foreign agencies, and providing operations and maintenance services for various customers. In addition, the district provides project management, engineering, contracting and support services to the USACE district in Afghanistan.
As Deputy Commander, LTC Carter is responsible for supporting USACE operations in the region and for overseeing all business support organizations within the district. LTC Carter also served six months, October 2017 to April 2018, as Deputy Commander of the Transatlantic Division's Mosul Dam Task Force, involved with the management and execution of dam remediation efforts for Mosul Dam, Iraq, where she coordinated with senior representatives of the Government of Iraq, U.S. Department of State, U.S. Army Central Command, Operation Inherent Resolve Combined Joint Task Force Head-quarters, foreign militaries, intergovernmental agencies and other key stakeholders and customers, as well as logistics, force protection, life-support and morale and welfare for USACE soldiers, civilians, contractors and local nationals working with the team.
Prior to her assignment with the Middle East District, LTC Carter served as the United States Army Pacific Environmental Engineer. Other operational assignments included two deployments to Iraq: 2010-2011 with the 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division and 2005-2006 as Bravo Company Commander, 62nd Engineer Battalion.
LTC Carter spent a total of 12 years at Fort Hood, Texas, where she served as the battalion operations officer with the 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division; the 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division battalion commander and executive officer of 1-395th Engineer Battalion, First Army Division West. She became a field artillery officer basic course instructor in the Combined Arms Division and served as a battalion operations officer for a training Field Artillery Battalion. Her other assignments included the 1st Cavalry Division Engineer Brigade, Logistics Officer and in the 8th Engineer Battalion she held progressive positions as an Assistant Battalion Operations Officer, Support Platoon Leader, and Headquarters and Headquarters Company Executive Officer.
LTC Carter graduated from United States Military Academy in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, and a master’s degree in adult education from Kansas State. Military training includes the Engineer Officer Basic Course, the Field Artillery Captains Career Course, the United States Army Combined Arms and Services Staff School, the Joint Engineer Operations Course, and the United States Army Command and General Staff College- Intermediate Level Education.
Her military awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal (5th Award), Army Commendations, and two Army Achievement Medals.