The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Galveston District (SWG), bid a fond farewell to Lieutenant Colonel Ian P. O’Sullivan, SWG Deputy Commander for the Mega Projects Division in a ceremony at the Gemini Building in Houston, Texas, Jan. 22, 2026.
Major General (retired) Ed Jackson hosted and presided over the ceremony.
SWG Deputy Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Darryl W. Kothmann narrated the ceremony.
“The armed services have a longstanding tradition of celebrating milestones of members ranging from promotions to retirements,” Kothmann said during opening remarks. “This ceremony is a public recognition of 20 years of active-duty service and unwavering dedication of Lieutenant Colonel O’Sullivan.”
Major General (ret.) Jackson began his remarks by recognizing all the family members in attendance who support their Soldiers.
“I just want to welcome everybody who’s here, but especially the families because all of us who served in uniform know that without our families in full support of us every step of the way, nothing that we do would ever be possible,” Jackson said.
He then spoke about the retiring Soldier he had mentored and advised over the years.
“Ian’s done just about everything somebody can do as an Army engineer,” Jackson said.
Armored cavalry units at Fort Hood, airborne units at Fort Bragg and in Alaska, and the USACE, Jackson said.
“In all these assignments you left an indelible mark on the Soldiers and civilians under your watch, and you delivered incredible results in the execution of your mission both in peace and in war,” Jackson continued.
In preparing his remarks, Jackson reached out to O’Sullivan’s former coworkers, including Lt. Col. Neil Kester, who wrote, “Ian and I served together as platoon leaders at Fort Hood during our time together. We completed rotations at the National Training Center and the Joint Readiness Training Center. We deployed to southern Iraq as roommates and attended the captain’s career course. Ian was the best peer platoon leader I could ever have hoped for. Beyond being great friends, we used each other as motivation to become better officers and to do right by soldiers every single day. He’s a man of integrity and his character never faltered.”
Colonel Tim Hudson shared this, “He inherited a company that needed strong leadership in advance of his unit deployment to Afghanistan. But he was a guy for the task. Ian would come by the S3 (Operations) shop late in the evening and they would talk. They talked about tactics in the mission. He wanted to be better. He wanted to be the best he could be for his Soldiers, talk about leaders and how they were doing and talk about their families.”
After Jackson’s remarks, he presented O’Sullivan with the U.S. Army Meritorious Service Medal, the Certificate of Retirement, and the SWG Shrimp Plaque.
Jackson then presented O’Sullivan’s wife Stephanie with a commission from the State Texas Order as a “Yellow Rose of Texas” and a Certificate of Appreciation from SWG.
SWG Chief of Staff Eric Schourek then presented O’Sullivan with a gift from SWG, a personalized, custom-made, wooden cutting board.
Chief of the SWG Mega Projects Division, Ms. Antoinette “Toni” Addison took to the podium to say thanks to O’Sullivan.
“So today for me it’s bittersweet. It’s sweet because he’s had a very meaningful career in the Army and in the United States Army Corps of Engineers, but it’s bitter because we are losing a very impactful leader within mega projects division,” Addison said. “So, on behalf of the entire Mega Projects Division, I want to first say thank you. I thank you for your service, I thank you for your leadership and I thank you for the legacy you are leaving behind.
O’Sullivan was the last to speak.
“As I close, I want to say that serving the United States Army has been the greatest honor of my life. From being an executive officer in Iraq to commanding in Afghanistan, managing the engineer captains, to headquarters at USACE, to the work here on the Texas coast, every assignment has taught me something. Every mission has mattered, and every Soldier has made a difference,” O’Sullivan said. “To those Soldiers and civilians still serving, keep the faith. The work you do matters. The Army’s mission is noble and the people you serve with are worth every sacrifice. Thank you all for being here today. Thank you for allowing me the privilege to serve.”