Col. Andrew Baker grew up in an Army family and is originally from Portland, Maine. Baker assumed command of the Los Angeles District July 14, 2023, and leads more than 750 military and civilian personnel operating in a 226,000-square-mile area of California, Arizona, Nevada and Utah. He is responsible for a $750 million annual budget for planning, engineering, construction, real estate, regulatory, emergency management and environmental services for three Army and eight Air Force installations, interagency and international customers and the nation’s civil water resources infrastructure in the Southwest, with a current value of assets worth $240 million.
His previous operational assignments include chief of operations for Joint Task Force-Bravo at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, command of the 54th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team in Vicenza, Italy, and service as operations and executive officer of the 27th Engineer Battalion at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Baker commanded Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005 and 2006. During his tour with the 101st Airborne Division, he also served with the 326th Engineer Battalion as assistant operations officer and brigade engineer.
He began his Army career at Fort Hood, Texas, serving as platoon leader and company executive officer in the 8th Engineer Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division. Non-operational assignments include service as the chief of operations at the Office of the Chief of Public Affairs, Department of the Army Staff; Mission Assurance Team deputy team chief at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency; aide-de-camp to the chief of engineers and commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; and service with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a project manager and chief of design for the Wilmington District, and as Central America Area commander, managing projects throughout the sub-continent for the Mobile District.
Baker’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Joint Meritorious Service Medal, Combat Action Badge, Ranger Tab, Air Assault Badge, Master Parachutist Badge and the Army Staff Badge.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering at the United States Military Academy. Baker holds master's degrees in national resource strategy from the National Defense University’s Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy, civil engineering from the University of Virginia and engineering management from the Missouri University of Science and Technology. His military education includes the Army Command and General Staff College, and the Engineer Captain’s Career and Officer Basic courses. He is a registered professional engineer.
Baker is married to Shannon Schissler, and they have two daughters.