SAN FRANCISCO -- Acting Army Chief of Engineers Maj. Gen. Merdith "Bo" Temple promoted South Pacific Division Commander Col. Michael C. Wehr to the rank of Brigadier General Thursday, March 15, 2012 in a ceremony at the San Francisco War Memorial Veterans Building.
Brig. Gen. Wehr said his career as an engineer officer has been an incredible journey made possible by family, friends, and faith. There have been numerous teachers and colleagues who coached him to deliver on his potential. This has motivated him to actively seek out the potential in others.
"We've all had opportunity to help one another deliver on potential," Brig. Gen. Wehr said. "Life is full of opportunities where each of us takes up the torch, carries it well, and then passes it on others to carry into the future. There is tremendous connection with our history along the journey. We are so much better together than alone."
His wife Deborah and his father Lt. Colonel (Retired) Arthur Wehr pinned on his new rank amidst applause from family, friends and a full house of U.S. Army Corps of Engineer senior leaders and employees including the Commanders of the Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Albuquerque Districts. Special guests included members of American Legion District 8 who offered the hospitality of their historic hall in the War Memorial for the celebration. The hall is distinguished as the historic site of the United Nations Charter signing in 1945.
As Division Commander, Brig. Gen. Wehr is responsible for the Corps of Engineers $1.2 billion military and civil works programs in California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and parts of five other western states. Key missions include engineering, construction, environmental restoration, and emergency response.
Brig. Gen. Wehr grew up in a military family and considers California home having graduated in the Jesuit High School Class of 1981 in Sacramento. He studied civil engineering and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant through ROTC at Santa Clara University in 1985. Additional education includes a Master's of science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas, and assignment to the U.S. Army War College as a Military Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the Security Studies Program.
Recent assignments include service in Afghanistan as the Engineer Director for the NATO Training Mission, and Command of the Army Corps of Engineers Vicksburg District. His overseas tours also included Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Japan Engineer District.