Lt. Gen. Thomas Bostick, Chief of Engineers and the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, promoted Kent D. Savre, the North Atlantic Division Commander, to the rank of Brigadier General March 15 in a ceremony in Washington, D.C.
During the promotion ceremony Savre was officially pinned with a general’s star by his wife Mary Beth and Gen. Robert Cone, Commanding General of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, with whom Savre served in Iraq. Savre’s children as well as parents, Robert and Avis Savre, attended the event, which was held at the headquarters building of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
“When Superstorm Sandy struck the Northeast on October 29, Brig. Gen. Savre and the 3,000-plus North Atlantic Division employees – many of whom were personally impacted -- did a superb job of preparing for and responding to the storm.,” said Bostick at the event. “The challenges that faced the Corps were enormous, and Brig. Gen. Savre's insights, guidance and leadership proved invaluable to the entire Corps of Engineers team.”
As Division Commander, Savre is responsible for an annual program of more than $5 billion to plan, design and construct projects to support the military, protect America’s water resources, and restore and enhance the environment. He is also responsible for a variety of Division engineering and construction activities for international, federal, state and local governments and agencies in more than a dozen Northeastern states as well as overseas.
He has held this role – located in Fort Hamilton, Brooklyn, New York – for the past eight months, during which time he led the Army Corps' response to Hurricane Sandy, which included unwatering 475 million gallons of salt water from the New York City metro area and providing emergency temporary power to critical public infrastructure affected by the storm.
Savre was commissioned as a second lieutenant engineer officer in 1985 upon graduation from Officer Candidate School. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction from the University of Wisconsin-Stout, a Master’s degree in Construction Management from Arizona State University and a Master’s degree in Strategic Studies from the Army War College. He is a graduate of the Engineer Officer Advanced Course, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and U.S. Army War College.
Before becoming the Commander of the North Atlantic Division, Savre served as Director of the Office of the Chief of Engineers in the Pentagon. His overseas tours include Germany as well as three deployments to Southwest Asia and two deployments to Kosovo.
Savre’s awards include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star medal (with Two Oak Leaf Clusters), the Meritorious Service Medal (with Four Oak Leaf Clusters), the Army Commendation Medal (with Four Oak Leaf Clusters), the Army Achievement Medal, the Parachutist Badge, and the Army Staff Identification Badge.