WIESBADEN, Germany — Col. J. Richard Jordan III assumed command of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Europe District, in a ceremony Thursday at the Schloss Biebrich in Wiesbaden.

He replaces Col. John Kem, who will head to Kabul, Afghanistan, to become the chief engineer for the NATO training mission and Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan. While there, he will oversee construction of NATO training facilities throughout Afghanistan.

Jordan most recently served as the division engineer for the Wiesbaden-based 1st Armored Division headquarters and for the U.S. Division-Center in Baghdad.

The Europe District is currently working 225 contracts totaling more than $1.3 billion and has projects in 30 countries in Europe and Africa, according to Army Corps of Engineers spokeswoman Carol Davis.

Since 2008, Kem oversaw engineering services for 742 contracts totaling more than $1.25 billion.

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