U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District welcomes Moran as new commander

Col. John Moran assumed command of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District in a change of command ceremony held at the district’s new headquarters at 220 W. Main Street in Louisville, Kentucky, July 30, 2026. As commander of the Louisville District, Col. Moran will provide strategic direction and command and control for the district’s more than $1 billion annual workload including civil, military, environmental and Interagency and International Services programs.

Col. Moran assumed command from Brig. Gen. Daniel J. Herlihy, USACE Great Lakes and Ohio River Division commander, who presided over the ceremony. The change of command is a time-honored Army tradition marking the formal transfer of authority from the departing commander to the incoming commander.

“This is an exciting time to join the Louisville District as we advance delivery of vital engineering projects for the nation,” Moran said. “The district has a mission-critical portfolio, from civil works projects essential to the safety and economic prosperity of our five-state region, to the military construction program that provides purpose-built facilities for our warfighters. The Louisville team has an exceptional reputation for expertise and dedication across all our missions, and I’m incredibly proud to lead this district and its world-class workforce as we build infrastructure for the nation.”

Moran has held a range of command and staff roles in engineer units and joint commands. Prior to joining the Louisville District, Moran served as the Special Operations Command – Africa Chief of Staff in Stuttgart-Mohringen, Germany. In this assignment, he was responsible for the day-to-day operational leadership and management of the command’s special operations forces in Africa.

Moran commanded the 554th Engineer Battalion at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and served as Staff Engineer for Special Operations Command (SOCOM) and Engineer Operations Branch Chief at Central Command (CENTCOM) at MacDill Air Force Base. He also served as Deputy Chief of Staff -Engineer Operations at Southern European Task Force – Africa (SETAF-AF) in Vicenza, Italy.

He is a native of Huntsville, Alabama, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, a Master of Arts in National Security Studies from the Naval War College and is a Registered Professional Engineer in the state of Alabama.

The outgoing commander, Col. L. Reyn Mann, expressed her gratitude to the Louisville District workforce, stakeholders, and the communities they serve.

“It’s been an honor to serve on this team for the past three years, fighting for the communities and the Servicemen and women that we support,” said Col. L. Reyn Mann. “Over the past 140 years of delivering for the Nation, Louisville district commanders come and go. It’s the hardworking Department of the Army Civilians and wage grade employees that are truly the heartbeat of this organization. This district has built a strong reputation for being lean and fast, and for relentless mission execution. I am confident that the Louisville District will continue to be there when the Nation calls for the next 140 years.”