USACE Walla Walla District welcomes new commander

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District
Published July 16, 2026
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District Change of Command

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District Change of Command

Lt. Col. Douglas D. Droesch

Lt. Col. Douglas D. Droesch

Maj. Gen. Jason E. Kelly officiates the Change of Command ceremony

Maj. Gen. Jason E. Kelly officiates the Change of Command ceremony

Lt. Col. Kathryn A. Werback relinquished command of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District, to Lt. Col. Douglas D. Droesch, during a change of command ceremony held in Walla Walla, Washington, July 15.

Maj. Gen. Jason E. Kelly, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Deputy Commanding General for Civil and Emergency Operations, officiated the ceremony.

Werback served as the district commander for the past two years. Droesch, a native of West Boylston, Mass., most recently served as the Infrastructure, Storage, and Supply Branch Head at NATO’s Allied Joint Force Command in Naples, Italy. Werback is slated to transfer to Portland, Oregon, to serve as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Northwestern Division deputy commander.

The Walla Walla District, established in 1948, encompasses more than 107,000 square miles in parts of six states – Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada and Utah. It is a multi-faceted district responsible for providing hydropower, environmental stewardship, flood risk management and recreation opportunities, and maintaining a commercial navigation channel in the Snake and Columbia River basins.

For more information about the Walla Walla District and to read Lt. Col. Droesch’s complete biography, visit our website at www.nww.usace.army.mil/About/Leadership/.


Contact
Public Affairs Office
509-527-7020
cenww-pa@usace.army.mil

Release no. 26-022