Major General Kokaska was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1992 after graduation from Bradley University as a Distinguished Military Graduate. He assumed his current position as the Deputy Commanding General-Reserve Affairs and Deputy Chief of Engineers, Reserve Component at the United States Army Corps of Engineers in Washington, DC in August of 2022.
For over 35 years, Major General Kokaska has served in both active and reserve units in the United States Army. Previous assignments include Line Platoon Leader, Assault and Obstacle Platoon Leader, Executive Officer, and Assistant S-3, 23rd Engineer Battalion, 1st Armored Division, Friedberg, Germany and Bosnia; XVIII Airborne Corps Engineer Operations Officer, 20th Engineer Brigade (Airborne), Ft. Bragg, North Carolina; Company Commander, B/863rd Engineer Battalion, HHC/863rd Engineer Battalion and 739th MRBC; Civil Engineer, Facility Engineer Center Northwest, Ft. McCoy, Wisconsin with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan; S- 3 Operations Officer, Facility Engineer Group, Darien, Illinois, Executive Officer, 378th Engineer Detachment (FEST-M), Darien, Illinois; Executive Officer 416th Theater Engineer Command Deployable Command Post, Darien, Illinois; Deputy Chief, Theater Basing, ISAF Joint Command, Kabul, Afghanistan; Battalion Commander 863rd Engineer Battalion, Darien, Illinois; Brigade Commander 372nd Engineer Brigade; 416th Theater Engineer Command Chief of Staff, 416th Theater Engineer Command Deputy Commanding General; Commanding General, 102nd Training Division (Maneuver Support) and Deputy Commanding General for Mobilization and Training, United States Maneuver Support Center of Excellence.
Major General Kokaska holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Engineering from Bradley University; a Master of Science in Engineering Management from the University of Missouri; as well as a Master of Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College. His military education includes the Engineer Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Combined Arms Services Staff School, United States Army Command and General Staff College, Army War College, United States Army Airborne Course, the Sapper Leader Course, and the United States Army Ranger Course.
Major General Kokaska’s awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, Bronze Star Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Meritorious Service Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Achievement Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Army Superior Unit Award, the National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Service Star, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal with 2 campaign stars, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with 2 campaign stars, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Armed Forces Service Medal, the Overseas Service Ribbon with Numeral 4, the NATO Medal, the Parachutist Badge, the Sapper Tab, the Ranger Tab, Silver DeFleury Medal, and the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge (Gold).
His operational deployments include Operation Joint Endeavor, Bosnia, Operation Iraqi Freedom II, Iraq, and two tours Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan. Major General Kokaska, in his civilian capacity, works as the Vice President of Planning, Design and Construction for the Midwest Region of Advocate Health.
Major General Kokaska is married to the former Jane Ann O’Connell and they have five children; Ashlynn, Matthew, Lauren, Julia, and Ella.