Col. Karl D. Jansen has assumed command of the St. Paul District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to become the district’s 66th commander and district engineer. A registered professional engineer and certified project management professional, Jansen holds a master's degree in civil engineering from the University of Washington and a master’s degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College, according to the Corps.
Previously, Jansen served as executive officer to the commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Washington, D.C. A Colorado native. His prior assignments include 72nd commander of the Corps’ Buffalo District and tactical assignments at Fort Polk, La; Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; and Fort Stewart, Ga.
The St. Paul District covers most of Minnesota, the western half of Wisconsin, the northeastern half of North Dakota and small portions of northeastern South Dakota and northeastern Iowa. It has missions in the area of flood risk management, navigation, environmental management, regulation, disaster response and recreation.
The district traces its origins to 1866, when Congress authorized the Corps of Engineers to establish a 4-foot navigation channel on the Upper Mississippi River. Maj. Gouverneur K. Warren, a West Point graduate and veteran of the Battle of Gettysburg, was tasked with establishing the district and conducting preliminary surveys of the Mississippi River and its tributaries. Read more.