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  • February

    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.
  • LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Judge Joe Brown speaks to members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer Los Angeles District during its Martin Luther King Federal Holiday celebration Jan. 10 at the district's headquarters. The host of the popular syndicated "Judge Joe Brown Show" talked about the influence of family and education in today's society.

    Judge Joe Brown Highlights Martin Luther King Federal Holiday Events

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District celebrated the Martin Luther King federal holiday with a Jan. 10 visit to the District's downtown headquarters from Judge Joe Brown, who engaged the audience with a wide-ranging talk that addressed education, family, the criminal justice system and the influence of celebrity on today's society.
  • 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.
  • AFGHANISTAN — A Chinook helicopter bringing Regional Command West representatives to the Shindand Hospital ground breaking ceremony prepares to land, Jan. 28, 2012.

    Ground breaks for new hospital in Shindand

    A ground breaking ceremony marked the start of construction on a new 28-bed hospital in Shindand, Herat province Jan. 28. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Afghanistan Engineer District-South designed the $4.8 million hospital and is overseeing construction.
  • WASHINGTON, D.C — The Honorable Dr. Joseph W. Westphal, under secretary of the U.S. Army (left), and Maj. Gen. Merdith "Bo" Temple, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers acting commander and chief of engineers, have a breakout discussion during the USACE Leaders Conference here, Jan. 24, 2012. The leadership conference brings together all USACE senior leaders to discuss strategies and best business practices throughout the Corps of Engineers.

    Army Corps of Engineers: Building international partnerships

    Under Secretary of the Army Joseph W. Westphal spoke with senior leaders from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during their 2012 leader conference, highlighting the vital role of USACE as the Army faces unprecedented budget challenges.

  • Mississippi Valley Division identifies, communicates elevated risk of 2012 flooding due to damages from Great Flood of 2011

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mississippi Valley Division, is identifying and developing communication strategies for the elevated threat in the Mississippi River’s flood risk reduction system brought about by 2011 flood damages.
  • OSCAR, Ky. — Kentucky National Guard members Pfc. David Barrow, Spc. Tommy Wyatt and Pvt. Cedric Bransford, 2113th Transportation Company, assist local residents in flood relief mission here, April 27, 2011.

    St. Louis District, Mississippi Valley Division prepare for 2012 flood season

    After the monumental flood events of 2011, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Mississippi Valley Division carefully inspected and completed damage assessments reports for all levees, channel improvements, navigation channels and structures associated with the Mississippi River and Tributaries, or MR&T, project, one of this country's most comprehensive and successful flood control systems.

  • USACE districts collaborate to provide essential services in Afghanistan

    Teamwork is a tenet of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as it fulfills its mission to provide engineering services to the nation in peace and war, and nowhere is that better exemplified than the collaboration that exists among the districts of the Transatlantic Division in delivering services that support construction in Afghanistan.
  • Coastal Engineer Donald Cresitello and Resident Engineer Paul Jalowski, both with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District, chat as sand is pumped into place on Monmouth Beach, N.J.

    Army Corps doesn't play shell games with turtle protection

    Every time the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers begins a beach replenishment project, it takes measures to protect sea trtles that comply with environmental policies established by the National Marine Fisheries Service, or NMFS.
  • A wounded warrior uses a rock-climbing wall as part of his physical therapy at the Military Advanced Training Center at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Soldiers in Warrior in Transition units at Forts Stewart, Benning, Gordon and Bragg now have the option to learn valuable construction and engineering skills as part of Operation Warfighter.

    Corps of Engineers offers internships for Warriors in Transition

    he internships are offered as part of Operation Warfighter, a temporary assignment internship program developed by the Department of Defense for service members that are recovering at military treatment facilities throughout the U.S. The program provides wounded, ill or injured service members with meaningful activity outside of the hospital environment and offers a supportive means of transition back to the military or civilian workforce.
  • AFGHANISTAN — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Afghanistan Engineering District-South's ongoing construction at an Afghan national army facility in the Herat area.

    Data-based business dashboard drives project success in Afghanistan Engineer District-South

    A "dashboard" of statistics helps U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Afghanistan Engineer District-South move rapidly and efficiently toward completing its construction projects in Afghanistan on time.
  • HAWAII — Lt. Col. Douglas B. Guttormsen, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Honolulu district commander (second from right), recently attended the Association of Pacific Ports (APP) winter conference at Ko'olina on Oahu and presented a briefing called, the "U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Your Partner in the Pacific."

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers partners with the Association of Pacific Ports

    The main purpose of the Pacific Ports Association is to bring together leaders from ports and businesses from across the Pacific to build partnerships, share best practices and learn what is working and what is not as ports throughout the Pacific face similar challenges in different environments.
  • The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Afghanistan Engineer District-South completed a $3.1 million bypass project so Afghans have an alternative to driving over the Arghistan River bridge in Kandahar province.

    Corps of Engineers completes river bypass for Afghans

    Afghans now have an alternative to driving over the Arghistan River bridge in Kandahar province.
  • Lt. Col. Philip Secrist, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Philadelphia district commander, speaks about the Cape May beach nourishment project along with representatives from Cape May, New Jersey Department of Environment Protection, the U.S. Coast Guard, and Congressional staff for Congressman Frank LoBiondo and Senator Frank R. Lautenberg. The $9 million project placed approximately 600,000 cubic yards of sand onto the beach and was cost shared by USACE, the Coast Guard, NJDEP and Cape May City.

    Army Corps, partners, celebrate Cape May project

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and its state, federal and local partners marked the completion of a more than $9 million beach replenishment project, Jan. 18, 2012 with a ceremony at the Coast Guard base here.
  • Crew members of the Dredge McFarland rescued a boater who had reportedly been floating in 48 degree water for nearly three hours and was only minutes away from being carried out of the harbor and into the open ocean.

    Army Corps dredge rescues boater

    Crew members of the Dredge McFarland rescued a boater who had reportedly been floating in 48 degree water for nearly three hours and was only minutes away from being carried out of the harbor and into the open ocean when the McFarland crew spotted him and plucked him out of the channel.
  • FLORIDA — Jo-Ellen Darcy, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works (right), received the James D. Webb Award at the Everglades Coalition Conference Jan. 7, 2012. Julie Hill-Gabriel (center), State Everglades Coalition Co-Chair, presented the award along with Dawn Shirreffs (left), National Everglades Coalition Co-Chair.

    Corps discusses environmental, economic benefits of restoration at Everglades Coalition Conference

    Representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District spoke at the 27th Annual Everglades Coalition Conference, Jan. 5-8, 2012, in Stuart, Fla., the largest annual forum for discourse on Everglades restoration and conservation.