Todd T. Semonite

Todd T. Semonite
Born	(1957-05-29) May 29, 1957 Bellows Falls, Vermont, U.S.
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1979–present
Rank	Lieutenant General

Todd Thurston Semonite (born May 29, 1957) is the 54th Chief of Engineers of the United States Army and the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Semonite is a graduate of the United States Military Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering and was commissioned into the Army Corps of Engineers in 1979. He also holds a Master of Science degree from the University of Vermont as well as a Masters of Military Art and Science from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

In January 2020, Scott A. Spellmon was nominated to succeed Semonite as Chief of Engineers.

U.S.-Mexico border wall

During a visit to a new section of border wall near San Diego in September 2019, President Donald Trump revealed to reporters that the wall was "wired so that we will know if somebody’s trying to break through." When asked to provide the reporters with further details, Semonite cautioned the president: "Sir, there could be some merit in not discussing that."

2020 COVID-19 pandemic response

In March 2020, Semonite gave the Pentagon briefing on how the US military would be initiating and leading an effort to lease a large number of facilities nationwide in hotels and in larger open buildings to immediately ratchet up the number of rooms and beds with ICU capability for patients of the COVID-19 pandemic. The US Army Corps of Engineers will handle leasing and engineering, with contracts for rapid facility modification and setup to local contractors. The plan envisions that the operation of the facilities and the provision of medical staff would be entirely handled by the various US States rather the US Federal government.

External links

• Appearances on C-SPAN