Brigadier General Kent J. Lightner has served as the Deputy Commander - Operations, 412th Theater Engineer Command, since September 2022.
He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in December 1993 through the Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL, ROTC program. His previous assignments include: Deputy Commander - Support, 412th Theater Engineer Command, Vicksburg, MS; Chief of Staff, 416th Theater Engineer Command, Darien, IL; Commander, 420th Engineer Brigade, Bryan, TX; Chief of Staff, 87th Training Division, Birmingham, AL; Commander, US. Army Corps of Engineers Contingency Response Unit (CRU), Washington D.C.; Deputy Chief of Staff, G5 (Plans), 416th Theater Engineer Command; Engineer Staff Officer, TCEM, Headquarters U.S. Southern Command, Doral, FL; Battalion Commander, 463rd Engineer Battalion, Wheeling, WV; Assistant G3 Operations Officer, 416th Theater Engineer Command; Operations Officer (S3), 389th Engineer Battalion, Dubuque, IA; Assistant G5 Plans Officer, 416 Theater Engineer Command; Director, National Reconstruction Operations Center, Gulf Region Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region Division, Baghdad, Iraq; Construction Officer (Electrical FCCME), 733rd Facilities Engineer Detachment, Fort Leavenworth, KS; Team Chief, 1-347th Battalion (Training Support), Fort Gillem, GA; Company Commander, Charlie Company, 16th Engineer Battalion (Mechanized), Giessen, Germany; Engineer Officer, 1-4th Infantry Battalion (OPFOR), Hohenfels, Germany; Plans Officer, Theater Support Brigade, U.S. Army South, Fort Clayton Panama; Horizontal Platoon Leader, 518th Engineer Company (Heavy), Fort Kobe, Panama; Horizontal Platoon Leader, Bravo Company, 536th Engineer Battalion (Heavy), Fort Kobe, Panama; Bridge Platoon Leader, 50th Engineer Company (Assault Float Bridge), Camp La Guardia, Korea.
Brigadier General Lightner earned a Bachelor of Science in Physics from Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL, a Master of Science in Engineering Management from the University of Missouri, Rolla, MO, and a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College, Carlisle, PA. He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and Six Sigma Black Belt. A Joint Qualified Officer, he is a graduate of the Engineer Officer Basic Course, the Engineer Officer Advanced Course, the Combined Arms and Services Staff School, the Army Command and General Staff College, the Army War College, the Joint and Combined Warfighter School, and the Senior Leader Development Seminar.
Brigadier General Lightner’s military awards and decorations include The Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (7-OLC), Army Commendation Medal (4-OLC), Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal (2-OLC), Combat Action Badge, Ranger Tab, Parachutists Badge, and Air Assault Badge.
Brigadier General Lightner grew up in Costa Rica and speaks fluent Spanish. He lives in Tampa, FL, with his wife Deidre and their three children, Isla (10), Luke (8) and Selah (5). He is the Executive Director of Strategic Operations at Baldwin Risk Partners, a publicly traded, national Top-20 insurance brokerage and financial services firm headquartered in Tampa, FL. He enjoys traveling, reading, and outdoor activities.