Mr. Karl Slaughenhaupt

Principal Deputy
Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant

Mr. Karl Slaughenhaupt
Principal Deputy
Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant

Mr. Karl E. Slaughenhaupt is the principal deputy for the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant (BGCAPP), one of two chemical weapons destruction facilities of the Department of Defense’s Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives. In this position, he is responsible for overseeing key aspects of the project to design, construct, systemize, operate and close the plant, which is destroying the chemical weapons stockpile at the Blue Grass Army Depot.

Prior to his position at BGCAPP, Mr. Slaughenhaupt served as the chief of operations for the U.S. Army Blue Grass Chemical Activity (BGCA) from 2011 to 2019. During his tenure at BGCA he was responsible for overseeing the chemical stockpile maintenance program consisting of 523 tons of chemical warfare agent. He also supervised plans, training, emergency response, exercises and special chemical operations involving M55 VX and GB rocket separation and GB nerve agent sampling to support the testing and development of neutralization and destruction methods.

A native of Pennsylvania, Mr. Slaughenhaupt was commissioned as an Infantry officer in 1987 through Pennsylvania State University Army ROTC with a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Resources Management. He has also completed the graduate program on negotiation for senior executives at Harvard Law School and a graduate program in military studies at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He has extensive National Incident Management/Incident Command System training. He has completed the Army Federal On-Scene Coordinator Course and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Removal Process Course.

Mr. Slaughenhaupt’s Army career spanned 29 years where he served in a wide variety of staff and leadership positions in the United States, Europe, Korea, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan. He is a veteran of Operation Desert Storm in the Persian Gulf and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. In 2006, he served as the deputy commander of a 250,000-acre Army Combat Training Center in Hohenfels, Germany, where he was responsible for supervising the installation staff in the areas of budget, lifecycle management, public affairs and instrumentation. He also supervised training area improvements and construction projects to meet rapidly emerging training requirements in support of the Global War on Terror.

In 2009, he served as commander of a combined U.S. and Romanian Task Force of 2,500 soldiers and was responsible for all military, reconstruction, business development and humanitarian assistance efforts for a 6,200 square mile province in southern Afghanistan.

In 2010, he served as the deputy commander of a brigade of more than 6,000 soldiers in southern Afghanistan, comprising an area of over 25,000 square miles. In this capacity, he was responsible for supervising the brigade staff in the areas of operations, countering improvised explosive devices, development and integration of Afghan Security Forces, liaison to NATO forces and special projects.

Mr. Slaughenhaupt is a graduate of the Army Ranger, Airborne, Jumpmaster and Air Assault courses. His awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Combat Infantryman’s Badge and the Army Achievement Medal for Civilian Service.