Colonel Paul Owen assumed command of the New York District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in September 2012. The New York District is responsible for the Corps’ water resource development, navigation, and regulatory activities in northeastern New Jersey, eastern and south-central New York State, including the New York Harbor and Long Island, as well as parts of Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.

The New York District is also responsible for design and construction at U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force installations in New Jersey, New York, and overseas in Greenland. Colonel Owen also holds the title of Supervisor of New York Harbor.

Colonel Owen graduated from the United States Military Academy, West Point in 1990 with a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering. He earned a Master of Science in Engineering Management from Missouri University of Science and Technology and a Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a licensed Professional Engineer (Civil) in the state of Missouri. His most recent assignment was as a Senior Service College Fellow in the Secretary of Defense Corporate Fellow Program with duties at Cisco Systems San Jose, California.

Colonel Owen served his first tour of duty in Germany with the 79th, 94th and 54th Engineer Battalions.

In 1994 he served as a company commander and aide-de-camp to the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Engineer School, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. After completing graduate studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he served as an Assistant Professor of Physics at the United States Military Academy, West Point. In 2001, he departed the U.S. Military Academy to attend Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Colonel Owen was then assigned to the 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized) at Fort Hood, Texas. During this assignment, he deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom from March 2003 – March 2004 where he served as the Operations Officer for the 588th Engineer Battalion in Baqubah, Iraq.

In 2005, Colonel Owen became the Deputy Commander for the Chicago District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, during which he participated in Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts as the Operations Officer for the Louisiana Recovery Field Office.

Colonel Owen commanded the 11th Engineer Battalion at Fort Benning, Georgia where he prepared his units for multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2009, Colonel Owen was assigned as the Division Engineer for the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He deployed to Afghanistan as part of Combined Joint Task Force - 82 from May 2009 through June 2010 as the Director for Engineering in Regional Command - East. Upon redeployment, Colonel Owen became the Deputy Commanding Officer for 20th Engineer Brigade and subsequently the Commander of the 20th Engineer Brigade (Provisional) at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Colonel Owen’s military education includes Airborne School, Air Assault School, Engineer Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, and Command and General Staff College. He is a Senior Service College Fellow through the Secretary of Defense Corporate Fellowship Program.

His awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, Chilean Jump Wings, and the Combat Action Badge.