Temple Picked as New Deputy Chief of Corps

The U.S. Army is making changes at top levels of the Corps of Engineers, announcing on Oct. 16 that Maj. Gen. Merdith W.B. “Bo” Temple will become deputy chief of engineers, the Corps’ No. 2 position. Temple has been the Corps’ deputy commanding general for civil and emergency operations since 2008.

Effective in January 2010, Temple will succeed Maj. Gen. Don T. Riley, who will be retiring, says a Corps spokesman. Riley has been the deputy chief of the Corps since April 2008.

Before becoming head of Corps civil works and emergency relief, Temple was deputy commander for military and international programs. Earlier, he led the Corps North Atlantic Division and its Transatlantic Programs Center. An industry source says Temple is “an obvious choice to go to the deputy chief’s job” because he has overseen the civil-works and military sides of the Corps.

Taking Temple’s place is Maj. Gen. William T. Grisoli, who has been director of program analysis and evaluation in the office of the Army’s deputy chief of staff, G-8 (resource management). Previously, Grisoli held senior positions with the Corps, including commander of its Northwestern and North Atlantic divisions. Grisoli will move into his new position in January.

Lt. Gen. Robert L. Van Antwerp remains chief of engineers and Corps commander. He has held those posts since May 2007. Maj. Gen. Jeffrey J. Dorko continues as the Corps deputy commander for military and international operations.

Tom Ichniowski has been writing about the federal government as ENR’s Washington Bureau Chief since the George H.W. Bush administration, and he has covered at least five major highway bills. A recognized expert on government policy on infrastructure and regulation, Tom is also a Baltimore native and Orioles fan who grew up rooting for Brooks and Frank Robinson. He is a graduate of Columbia College and Columbia’s graduate school of journalism, where he once used “unrelentless” in a headline.

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