Capt. Kenneth D. Sowell is a native of Rolla, Mo. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1991 and was commissioned as a Naval Officer through Navy Officer Candidate School in April 2004. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Nebraska and a Master of Engineering Management from Old Dominion University.
His Air Force assignments as an Air Transportation Specialist include Francis E. Warren Air Force Base (AFB), Wyo.; Lajes Field, Portugal; Minot AFB, N.D.; and Tinker AFB, Okla.
His operational tours include Director, Expeditionary Maritime Operations, Commander, Task Group 75.5, 30th Naval Construction Regiment, Guam; Operations Officer, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 11, Gulfport, Miss.; Assistant Future Operations Officer, First Naval Construction Division, Little Creek, Va.; and Company Commander and Detachment Officer-in-Charge, NMCB 133, Gulfport.
Sowell’s shore assignments include N4/Public Works Officer, Naval Station Rota, Spain; Operations Officer, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Marianas, Guam; Branch Head, PERS-401, Navy Personnel Command, Millington, Tenn.; Resident Officer In Charge of Construction, Barksdale, AFB, La.; Project Engineer, Public Works Department, Naval Air Station Oceana, Va.; and Public Works Operations Officer, Naval Air Station Brunswick, Maine.
Sowell is currently serving as the Commanding Officer, Officer in Charge of Construction (OICC) Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine.
He is a registered Professional Engineer in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a member of the Defense Acquisition Corps, a certified Project Management Professional, and a qualified Seabee Combat Warfare Officer. His decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal (four awards), Navy Commendation Medal (six awards), various unit and campaign awards, and the 2016 Adm. Ben Moreell Medal from the Society of American Military Engineers for outstanding contributions to military engineering.
Last Updated: 16 June 2025