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  • February

    FORT CARSON, Colo. — The data collected from "green roof" will help determine the best use of plants and grasses in Colorado's semi-arid climate.

    Sustainable makeover: 1950s barracks renovation targets LEED certification

    The cost to transform the 1950s barracks building was about $5.1 million; the tab for a new building constructed to the same specifications would have been about $20 million.
  • GEORGIA — Col. Jeff Hall, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Savannah District, and Jimmy Luo, an electrical engineer at the Corps' Fort Stewart field office, speak with a student about his science project at the 2012 Georgia Tech Regional Science and Engineering Fair, Feb. 16, 2012.

    Corps of Engineers recognizes students at Georgia Tech regional science fair

    Members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Savannah District judged more than 100 science projects created by local middle and high school students at the Georgia Tech Regional Science and Engineering Fair, Feb. 15-16, 2012, at the Coastal Georgia Center in downtown Savannah.
  • SAVANNAH, Ga. — Maj. Gen. Todd Semonite, Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers South Atlantic Division, presents Beth Williams with the prestigious Connolly Award at the Savannah E-Week Technical Training Conference, Feb. 22, 2012. Right: Col. Jeff Hall, USACE Savannah District Commander and SAME Savannah Post President.

    Army civilian engineer earns prestigious Savannah award

    The Connolly Award is presented each year to a civilian or military engineer within the Savannah community for notable contributions in the field of engineering, particularly in design and construction methods. The award is named in honor of James B. Connolly (1868-1957), who was an Olympic gold medalist, Spanish-American War veteran, distinguished author, and a former Corps' Savannah District employee. Williams is the eighth recipient of the Connolly Award since it was first presented in 2004.
  • WIESBADEN, Germany — Philip Cohen, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Europe District planning section chief, facilitates the discussion on Net Zero during the district's second annual Customer Partnering Workshop at the Community Activity Center on the Wiesbaden Army Airfield, Jan. 25, 2012.

    People, Partners, Projects: It's about communication

    More than 50 customers from the Departments of Public Works, U.S. Africa Command, U.S. Army Installation Management Command, and other agencies discussed district processes, German construction policies, and environmental practices. The workshop's topics were generated from the 2011 customer service survey responses and from last year's workshop.
  • AFGHANISTAN — Soldiers watch and catch beads as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Afghanistan Engineer District-South Mardi Gras parade passes by on Kandahar Airfield here, Feb. 21, 2012.

    Mardi Gras Afghanistan Engineer District-South style

    What happens when several people from Louisiana are deployed together in Afghanistan and Mardi Gras is just around the corner? At the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Afghanistan Engineer District-South, the Mystic Krewe de Kandahar was formed and then a parade, dinner of red beans and rice, king cakes and beignets plus a heavy dose of Cajun-style music and fun materialized Feb. 21.

  • Europe District engineers work to improve project delivery at workshop

    Engineers from across the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Europe District gathered together to discuss priorities, process improvements and future workload at the district's annual Area Engineer/Resident Engineer Workshop here Feb. 14-16, 2012.

  • Army mentors students on track to engineer careers

    Engineers help the Army and the nation in building structures, developing civil works programs, controlling waterways, working with natural resources, as well as providing combat support on the battlefield. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is one of the world's premier design and construction agencies, consisting of more than 30,000 civilian and 750 military engineers.
  • SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Richard Perry, archaeologist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District, poses here, Feb. 15, 2012 with the recently published book, "Archaeology in Society". Perry's study of prehistoric and historic sites at a former target range at Honey Lake, Calif., is featured in the book.

    USACE Sacramento District archaeology study nationally recognized

    Government and science synchronized in perfect alignment in 2003 when a Department of Defense base realignment and closure, or BRAC, action enabled a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers archaeological team to produce an impressive 3,554-acre survey of an ancient hunting site and help transfer ownership of the 69,000-acre-plus former gunnery range back to the state of California -- all in just five months.
  • WIESBADEN, Germany — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Europe District Grafenwoehr Environmental Project Delivery Team receives a Certificate of Achievement from Col. D. Peter Helmlinger (far left), district commander, for the exceptional execution of 20 projects and more than $40 million in fiscal year 2011 during the district Town Hall at the Taunus Theater here, Nov. 18, 2011.

    More numbers equal success for USACE, its customers

    When agencies are already using a numbering system to track its projects, implementing a new multi-agency system with more numbers does not seem very innovative, however, for a group of project managers at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Europe District and their customers -- additional numbers into the equation equals success.
  • Calhoun Point, located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Illinois rivers provides serves as a resource for the community and animals.

    St. Louis ecosystem restoration project highlights importance of wetlands

    Often found where rivers, lakes and oceans meet land, wetlands provide a rich mix of nutrients and produce high levels of oxygen. Additionally, they filter chemicals out of water, reduce flooding and erosion and recharge groundwater.
  • Will we have enough water and natural resources in the future? What will the quality of these resources be? How much will they cost? What will be the future impacts to our environment? These are just a few of the questions USACE water and natural resources planners attempt to answer every day.

    USACE planning professionals become esteemed planning associates

    SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. —  Will we have enough water and natural resources in the future? What will
  • (Left to Right) Bristol, Tenn., City Manager Jeff Broughton; John Gillenwater, project organizer; Jery Goodpasture, project organizer; Anne Gillenwater, project organizer; Lt. Col. James A. DeLapp, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District commander; Bristol, Va., Mayor Edward K. Harlow; and Bristol, Tenn., Mayor David Shumaker officiall break ground on the Beaver Creek Flood Risk Reduction Project Feb. 7, 2012 on the project site Feb. 7, 2012.

    Corps, cities of Bristol break ground on flood risk reduction project

    In partnership with the cities of Bristol, Va., and Bristol, Tenn., the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District is moving forward with phase one of four phases that removes an existing box culvert in Beaver Creek, slopes the creek banks, creates a plaza area, installs a parking lot, and provides for landscaping and lighting.
  • WIESBADEN, Germany — George VanCook, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Europe District civil engineer, gives VIPs a tour of the new 285,000-sq.-foot, environmentally sustainable mission command center, being built on U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden by USACE.

    Teamwork yields on-time, on-budget USACE project delivery

    Building the new mission command center on the Wiesbaden Army Airfield was an exercise in complex construction and teambuilding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Europe District and its partners. The completion of the 285,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art, environmentally sustainable MCC was accomplished on time and on budget by a project delivery team with common goals and a shared vision.
  • Randi Elder, a project manager with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District's Fort Irwin Office, (center, white sport coat), briefs potential offerors about the Fort Irwin Replacement Hospital during a site visit. The Barstow Area Chamber of Commerce, along with officials from the National Training Center, Fort Irwin and the District, held a day-long meet and greet and project overview for the Fort Irwin Replacement Hospital.

    Contractors meet and greet over new Fort Irwin hospital

    The Barstow Area Chamber of Commerce, along with officials from the National Training Center and Fort Irwin, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District, held a day-long industry meet and greet and project overview for the Fort Irwin Replacement Hospital.

  • On the border: USACE works with stakeholders to complete remote garrisons for Afghan Border Police

    Protecting and controlling borders are key elements of statehood. To help the Afghan government control its borders, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Afghanistan Engineer District-South is building eight company garrisons for the Afghan Border Police.
  • Col. Mark Toy, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District, spoke with more than 90 Roosevelt Science, Technology, Engineering and Math High School students Jan. 20 during a Viva Technology Day on campus.

    Los Angeles District commander helps students visualize a STEM life

    Col. Mark Toy, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District, spoke with more than 90 Roosevelt Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) High School students Jan. 20 during a Viva Technology Day on campus.
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles and security line a portion of Route Bear as USACE personnel inspect construction in December 2011.

    USACE completes major section of Route Bear highway

    The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Afghanistan Engineering District-South recently completed construction of a major eight mile section of a two lane roadway between Kandahar City and Tarin Kwot. The $11.4 million project is expected to increase commerce and significantly reduce travel time between the two cities.
  • Workers continue vertical construction at the 9th Commando Kandak project near Herat, Afghanistan. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Afghanistan Engineering District-South is building a base that will provide Afghan commandos with housing, dining, office and other facilities.

    USACE continued contracting and construction momentum

    The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Afghanistan Engineering District-South continued to meet its contracting and construction goals set for fiscal year 2012 during January. The South District exceeded first quarter goals and is on track to meet the second quarter goals as well.
  • NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Lt. Col. James A. DeLapp (far right), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville district commander, speaks at the last Nashville District Lock Operator Graduation at J. Percy Priest Lake Jan. 31, 2012.

    Nashville District holds its last lock operator training graduation

    The commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District recognized the end of an era as he presented nine students from its lock operator class with graduation certificates at J. Percy Priest Lake, Jan. 31, 2012.
  • This gate marked the entrance to the Williams Field Army Air Station in 1942. Since then, the AAF has closed and the site has been returned to the former owners. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District is currently conducting a Treatability Study/technology Demonstration at several of the sites as part of the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study of the formerly used defense sites.

    USACE talks FUDS with Southern Arizona residents

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District began clearing work Jan. 30 following a public involvement meeting the District hosted Jan. 26 to discuss the state of several of the former Williams Field Bomb Target Ranges.
  • DALE HOLLOW LAKE — Susie Dixon of Livingston, Tenn., looks for the American Bald Eagle during an Eagle Watch Tour Jan. 28, 2012.

    Eagles soar high overhead Dale Hollow Lake bird watchers

    Dale Hollow Lake park rangers assigned to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville district provided several free eagle watch tours to the public to showcase the eagles that make the lake their home every winter.
  • FORT CARSON, Colo. — (From left) Matthew Ellis, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District; Maj. Gen. Joseph Anderson, commanding general, 4th Infantry Division and Fort Carson; Col. Robert F. McLaughlin, garrison commander; and Monte Larsen, chief operations officer of the Native American Services Corp; scoop the ceremonial first shovel of dirt at the Jan. 27, 2012 groundbreaking of the Mission Command Training Center.

    Construction begins on new training center at Fort Carson

    Fort Carson leaders and representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Native American Services Corp shoveled the first scoop of dirt in a Jan. 27 ceremonial groundbreaking event, signifying the start of construction of the Mission Command Training Center.
  • CALIFORNIA — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District repaired a 2,000-foot stretch of slumping levee separating highway 80 from the Yolo Bypass, adding a gravel drain to help eliminate moisture that was weakening the levee's foundation. The levee has been seeded and will be monitored until grasses, planted to help prevent erosion, begin to fill in. The repair work was completed as part of the West Sacramento Project, a joint effort with the West Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency and the Central Valley Flood Protection Board to improve the levees surrounding West Sacramento.

    Corps of Engineers completes Yolo Bypass levee repairs

    USACE began necessary repairs on 2,000 feet of levee in July 2011 to restore its full flood risk reduction capability. After excavating the landside of the levee, construction crews installed a gravel drainage system in the toe, or bottom, of the levee, replacing the compacted soil before rebuilding the levee.
  • LAKE OKEECHOBEE, Fla. — Damon Wolfe (lower right), geodesist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District, leads pre-operation checks on the NOVA Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) in advance of a flight here, Nov. 29, 2011, with help from Victor Wilhelm, Brandon Evers, and Mike Hensch. The NOVA was flown multiple times to take pictures from above the lake that will help USACE biologists track various plant species.

    Jacksonville District's NOVA Unmanned Aerial Vehicle program soars

    The NOVA Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) offers USACE a low-cost method of obtaining pictures from the air for a wide variety of applications. In addition to the levee monitoring, the NOVA has also been used for wildlife surveys, regulatory permit reconnaissance, invasive species contract assessments and invasive species acreage estimation.
  • WASHINGTON — Lt. Gen. (ret.) Robert Van Antwerp, former U.S. Army Corps of Engineers chief of engineers, administers the oath of office to Brig. Gen. Margaret W. Burcham during her promotion ceremony at the headquarters here, Jan. 27, 2012. Brig. Gen. Burcham is the Army Corp of Engineers' first female general officer. Last September, Burcham became the first woman selected to command a Corps of Engineers division when she took command of the Great Lakes and Ohio River Division located in Cincinnati, OH. The division consists of seven engineer districts that include over 4800 personnel operating in a 17 state region with the responsibility for the federal water resource development throughout the Great Lakes and Ohio River basins.

    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers promotes first woman to general officer

    In a historic ceremony, Brig. Gen. Margaret W. Burcham became the first woman to be promoted to general officer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

  • January

    Zama teens make bid for top spot in engineering contest

    Sixteen Zama American High School engineering students recently competed in a realistic bid-proposal contest, giving them a taste of what they can experience if they continue their educational pursuit of science, technology, engineering and math careers.
  • VIRGINIA -- Pete DeMattei (left), and Blake Burd (right), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Middle East District, carry a log up and down a hill with teammates during one of the 25 obstacles on the course. Seven U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Middle East District employees were part of a large team that participated in the 10-mile endurance event to honor a fallen Navy SEAL and raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project.

    USACE Middle East District has some Tough Mudders

    Seven U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Middle East District employees were part of a large team that participated in the 10-mile endurance event to honor a fallen Navy SEAL and raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project.
  • IRAQ -- Government officials and representatives from Iraq's Ministry of Municipalities and Public Works cut the ribbon at a ceremony celebrating the facility's completion.

    USACE helps build a cleaner, more sanitary Fallujah

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Middle East District, in conjunction with Iraq's Ministry of Municipalities and Public Works, recently oversaw the completion of a new wastewater collection and treatment system for the city of Fallujah in Iraq's Al-Anbar Governate.

  • USACE helps build a cleaner, more sanitary Fallujah

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Middle East District, in conjunction with Iraq's Ministry of Municipalities and Public Works, recently oversaw the completion of a new wastewater collection and treatment system for the city of Fallujah in Iraq's Al-Anbar Governate.
  • Maj. Seth Wacker and Robert Isenberg of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers South Pacific Division's 59th Forward Engineering Support Team "Advanced" (center), visit a freshwater site at Santa Clara Pueblo and meet with Adrian Garcia, a Santa Clara tribal member.

    District Achieves Another First for Tribal Program

    In the first meeting of its kind, Robert Isenberg and Maj. Seth Wacker, members of the South Pacific Division's 59th Forward Engineering Support Team - Advanced (FEST) joined Albuquerque District Tribal Liaison Ron Kneebone in a visit with representatives of two New Mexico Pueblos.