Winchester, Va. – In a ceremony held June 25, Lt. Col. Anthony Mitchell received the Bronze Star Medal for his yearlong service with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during Operation New Dawn and the United States Mission-Iraq.
Col. Jon Christensen, commander, Middle East District, presented the award and congratulated Mitchell for his accomplishments as the officer in charge of the Iraq Area Office.
"You took leadership of the USACE mission at a time of great transition," Christensen said. "When you took charge of the area office (in July 2011), no one could predict how the mission would evolve. You built strong relationships with the U.S. Embassy-Iraq to deliver projects that support the operations of the Department of State and the Office of Security Cooperation-Iraq."
Christensen said that Mitchell provided stability for USACE operations in an environment of constant change and uncertainty. He recited the names of several military officers and civilians who worked with the Iraq Area Office and with whom Mitchell built collaborative relationships to carry out projects that support Iraq’s sovereignty.
"You led your team in delivering many hard projects, completing health facilities, police stations and border roads, among others," Christensen continued. "You had passion for the job and took your responsibilities personally to establish USACE support for the long term."
Mitchell thanked the Middle East District team for supporting operations in Iraq. "Thank you for the great opportunity to lead USACE operations in Iraq at a time of significant change," Mitchell said. "I look forward to continuing to represent you as I move into my next position at USACE headquarters."
The USACE mission in Iraq includes support to:
• The Iraq Strategic Partnership Office for Department of State projects. These projects support governance and private sector economy, as well as support Iraq Security Forces in reaching their minimum capabilities. Many of these projects are nearly complete.
• The Office of Security Cooperation-Iraq for foreign military sales projects. These FMS projects support Iraq Ministry of Defense operations and include administrative offices, barracks and Iraq Air Force facilities. FMS projects also support Iraq Ministry of Interior operations and include border roads and police facilities.
Mitchell predicts that USACE will remain in Iraq for another two to three years, with most of the work supporting FMS projects aimed at strengthening Iraq air defense, ground and maritime capabilities.
Mitchell received a Bronze Star Medal previously for service in Iraq with the 62nd Engineer Combat Battalion (Heavy).
His next assignment is at USACE headquarters as executive officer to the USACE commanding general. Before his tour with the Middle East District, Mitchell served as the Nashville District commander from July 2009 through June 2011.