IN THIS ISSUE

U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS

B U I L D I N G S T R O N G

Vol. 35 No. 9 October 2011

By Ann Marie HarvieNew England District

Pounding rains, an ocean storm surge nearly nine feet above sea-level and wind in excess of 80 miles an hour stuck New England with a vengeance as Hurricane Irene made landfall on Aug. 28.

Acting on National Oceanic and Atmo-spheric Administration updates from the National Weather Service, New England District (NED) implemented its emer-gency mobilization and response posture at the 36 federal dams and reservoirs in the five major New England river basins; at hurricane barriers in New Bedford, Mass., Providence, R.I., and Stamford, Conn.; and activated the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers emergency operations center in preparation for any contingency.

PreparationsA week before the storm arrived, the

district’s hydraulic engineers at NED headquarters in Concord, Mass., moni-tored water levels in the region’s major rivers to regulate USACE-managed dams to minimize downstream impacts.

“Our team did a great job of preparing for and responding to Hurricane Irene,” said Col. Charles Samaris, the district en-gineer. “Our Reservoir Control Center (RCC), in coordination with the National Weather Service, effectively monitored and reported the hurricane’s path. They performed predictive modeling and anal-ysis that allowed proactive coordination with, and actions by, our field personnel across New England before, during and after the storm.”

“We also monitored the coastal storm activity and storm surge in the operation of the three hurricane barriers to reduce area tidal flooding,” said Paul Marinelli of the RCC. “To keep an eye on New Eng-land waters, the engineers used the Geo-stationary Operational Environmental Satellite with advanced weather imagery as its data collection satellite.”

Physical preparations commenced on Aug. 24 with district personnel testing the hurricane barriers at New Bedford, Mass., Stamford, Conn., and Fox Point, (Provi-

Page 2Great Lakes & Ohio River Division gets first full-term female division commander

Page 3 An era ends as GRD cases colors

USACE responds to Minot flood

Page 4Susquehanna River threatens Pennsylvania

Page 5 New project helps protect New Orleans

Page 6Mark Center to display Soldier art

HR CornerAdvance planning helps smooth retirement

Page 7Around the Corps

Page 8Strategic ideas and solutions discussed at leaders conference

USACE future leaders trained, mentored

New Englanders defy hurricane

dence,) R.I., to ensure they operated cor-rectly.

NED’s Emergency Operations Center contacted the emergency operations cen-ters for each of the New England states beginning Aug. 25 and throughout the week, offering USACE representatives to be on call at their centers should assistance be needed. Massachusetts requested a USACE liaison to be positioned in their center.

“Our team in the field monitored the RCC’s rainfall and storm surge informa-tion to regulate our USACE-managed reservoirs and hurricane barrier projects in New England,” Samaris said. “The field team was on the front line. They spent Sunday during the storm, and most of the following week, manning their facilities and actively mitigating Irene’s impact for the communities we serve.”

USACE team leaders from Mississippi Valley Division, Southwestern Division, and Huntington District traveled to New England to lend assistance during the emergency. District team members as-sisted the team leader assigned to Rhode Island, and a district member served as a

Photo by Kevin Burke, New England District

A resident of Cape Cod boarded up his business and left a defiant message for Hurricane Irene.

liaison for New Hampshire. A team lead-er and a district team member were also sent to Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Regional Response Co-ordination Center in Maynard, Mass., to represent USACE should mission assign-ments be assigned.

The Cape Cod Canal office in Buzzards Bay, Mass., began moving its floating plant and most of the vessels into New Bedford Harbor on Aug. 26. Preparations were also made for the Marine Traffic Control Center to relocate to the Railroad Bridge if conditions required. Preparations were also made to lower the Railroad Bridge to the halfway position on Sunday morning.

The governors in all six states issued dec-larations of emergency before the storm.

The day before the storm hit, Samaris, accompanied by Larry Davis, the canal manager, met with Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee, state officials and nation-al news media to give a tour and a briefing at the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier.

Samaris and Davis also met with Scott Lang, the mayor of New Bedford, Mass., to give him a tour and briefing at the New

Continued on page 2

ENGINEER UPDATE is an unofficial publication under the provisions of AR 360-1. It is published monthly by offset for the Headquarters, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Editorial views and opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Corps of Engineers or the Department of the Army. Letters to the editor are encouraged.

Deadline for submitting articles is the 15th of the month preceding publication. Subscriptions are available free of charge but must be requested in writing. Circulation: 35,000.

Address mail to: EDITOR, ENGINEER UPDATE, CEPA-C, Washington, D.C. 20314-1000. Telephone (202) 761-4285. Photographs are U.S. Army photos unless otherwise credited. Available on the internet at www.usace.army.mil.

Acting Commander, USACE .............Maj. Gen. Merdith W. B. TempleChief, Public Affairs .................................................W. Curry GrahamEditor .........................................................................Bernard W. TateDesigner....................................................................Wendy L. Medlin

2 ENGINEER UPDATE

U . S . A r m y C o r p s o f E n g i n e e r s

Great Lakes & Ohio River Division gets first full-term female division commanderBy Rachel HaringGreat Lakes & Ohio River Division

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers made history when Col. Margaret Burcham became the first female officer se-lected as a division engineer. Burcham took command of Great Lakes and Ohio River Division (LRD) Sept. 18 at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati.

Burcham, commissioned at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., in 1982, previously served at the Pen-tagon as the Chief of the Joint Capabilities Division of the Resources, Assessments and Force Management Director-ate, and commanded Gulf Region North District in Iraq and Europe District.

Burcham will lead seven engineer districts that include more than 4,800 personnel operating in a 17-state area with responsibility for the federal water resource develop-ment throughout the Great Lakes and Ohio River basins. The infrastructure is valued at more than $80 billion.

The annual operating and construction budget exceeds $2 billion, and the missions include planning, construc-tion and operations of navigation structures and flood damage reduction structures, hydropower, environmental restoration, water conservation, recreation and disaster as-sistance.

LRD also executes military construction in Ohio, Ken-

tucky, Indiana, Illinois and Michigan with design and construction of barracks, hospitals, airfields and family housing on military installations.

Burcham has a master’s degree in computer science from Kansas State University. Her additional military ed-ucation includes the Engineer Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, the Combined Arms Services Staff School, the Command and General Staff Officers Course, and the Senior Service College, Industrial College of the Armed Forces.

Her previous assignments include the 516th Engineer Company and the 130th Engineer Brigade in Hanau, Germany; Far East District in Seoul, Korea; U.S. Military Academy; 4th Region (Reserve Officer Training Corps) and 864th Engineer Battalion at Fort Lewis, Wash.; U.S. Total Army Personnel Command in Alexandria, Va.; 94th Engineer Battalion in Vilseck, Germany; Headquarters U.S. Army Europe in Heidelberg, Germany; and Human Resources Command in Alexandria, Va.

(Editor’s note: Burcham is the first woman selected as a full-term division commander. In Jan. 2009, the chief of en-gineers gave command of South Pacific Division to Col. Jan-ice Dombi, deputy commander, when Brig. Gen. John Mc-Mahon, SPD commander, left early to support U.S. forces and NATO in Afghanistan. Dombi commanded SPD for six months, and then resumed duties as deputy after the selection of McMahon’s successor.)

Maj. Gen. Merdith “Bo” Temple, acting chief of engineers, transfers command of Great Lakes and Ohio River Division to Col. Margaret Burcham dur-ing the change of command ceremony on Sept. 19.

Photo by Rachel Haring, Great Lakes and Ohio River Division

Bedford Hurricane Barrier. In addition, Samaris kept Brig. Gen. Peter DeLuca, the North Atlantic Division commander, up to date on preparations for the storm.

The day before the storm, NED closed all its camp-grounds and recreation areas and all the district’s flood risk management projects including dams. The three hur-ricane barriers were staffed and ready for the storm. All of the USACE dams in the Naugatuck Basin in Western Connecticut closed to minimum gate settings, with the remainder of the district dams closing to minimum gate settings the day of the storm.

Water control “The district distributed 100,000 sandbags to New

Hampshire on Aug. 26 and 2,000 sandbags to Rhode Is-land on Aug. 28,” said Dave Schafer of the district’s Emer-gency Operations Center. “The commodities team from Chicago and Detroit districts deployed to Fort Devens, Mass., to be in position in case the district received a mis-sion from FEMA.”

Irene reached New England as a tropical storm, but her

wind and rains caused significant damage and flooding in the region. “All three hurricane barriers closed at about 5:30 a.m.,” Marinelli said. “The peak tide at Stamford reached 9.6 feet, the third highest since its construction in 1969. The barriers at Fox Point and New Bedford op-erated during the storm, but did not experience historic tide levels.”

At 8 a.m., as the heavy rains fell, all of the NED dams began to store run-off water. Some dams temporarily lost power and were operating on generators, with most back on commercial power after the storm. At the Woonsocket Local Protection Project in Rhode Island, three of the four tainter gates at the Woonsocket Falls Dam were open to one foot.

Dam operationsAt the Cape Cod Canal, winds never reached 75 miles

an hour, which meant that the Bourne Bridge and Saga-more Bridge stayed open during the storm. “The Railroad Bridge also stayed in its normal position, and the Marine Traffic Control Center remained in its permanent space,” said Larry Davis, canal manager.

Hurricane IreneContinued from page 1 The Connecticut River Basin was hardest hit by Irene,

which dumped 10-14 inches of rain in a 12-18 hour period. According to Marinelli, most of the tributary rivers to the Connecticut River receded gradually and the main stem Connecticut was just above flood stage in portions of Southern New Hampshire and Central Massachusetts.

“Flood storage at the district’s dams in the hardest-hit Connecticut and Naugatuck River Basins was between 40 and75 percent,” he said. “In other river basins that weren’t as severely impacted, flood storage use was only between 10 and 20 percent. Controlled reservoir releases began within all river basins with the exception of the Connecti-cut River Basin as the main stem Connecticut River was still above flood stage from Massachusetts through Con-necticut. The Connecticut River crested Aug. 31, and controlled releases from all USACE dams were delayed until that occurred.”

According to Marinelli, the total damages prevented during Hurricane Irene was about $1 billion, with 78 per-cent attributed to USACE dams and hurricane barriers, and 22 percent to local flood protection projects.

B U I L D I N G S T R O N G

October 2011 3

USACE responds to Minot floodBy Patrick MoesSt. Paul District

In the months since flood water threatened the Souris River Basin and flooded the North Dakota cities of Minot and Burlington, St. Paul District has been conducting re-covery operations to help rebuild the communities.

The Souris River crested at 1,561.7 feet above sea level in Minot, more than 12 feet above flood stage. The his-toric flooding caused more than 4,000 homes to suffer flood damage, and displaced nearly 12,000 citizens -- 25 percent of Minot’s population.

In the days following the crest, the Federal Emergen-cy Management Agency (FEMA) tasked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with two missions to help rebuild affected communities – temporary housing and debris removal. To date, St. Paul District has been authorized nearly $60 million to complete these tasks and has ex-ecuted 11 contracts.

The debris mission was further broken down into col-lecting residential debris from more than 4,000 homes that suffered water damage, and removing temporary emergency levees that were installed along the river dur-ing the flood fight.

Lt. Col. Kendall Bergmann, St. Paul District deputy commander and flood fight commander for the basin, said driving through the communities after the flood was difficult. “They are shadows of their former selves,” he said. “As people demolished parts of their homes, you

could see through them.”He explained that many residents had stripped their

homes down to the frame and roof. The material removed from these homes, from sheet rock to kitchen sinks, be-gan to pile up. Bergmann said he remembered passing by homes where the debris pile would be more than 10 feet tall and reach from the roadside curb back at least 20 feet.

The mounds of debris created a unique challenge for the debris team. Due to legal concerns, the district can only pick up debris in the public right-of-ways, which is within 10 feet of the curb. To combat this problem, Bergmann said the district launched a communication effort to let residents know debris had to be moved toward the curb. Local volunteer groups also began assisting homeowners.

As of Sept. 22, the district had completed the residen-tial debris removal mission in Minot, and completed the residential debris removal mission in Ward Count on Sept 26. District personnel conducted four complete passes in both Ward County and Minot and hauled more than 62,000 tons of debris to the local landfills.

Removing the temporary emergency levees has also been a part of the district’s recovery work within the ba-sin. One truck at a time, the dirt placed along the river this summer to hold the river back is being removed. In downtown Minot, along Broadway Boulevard, these le-vees reached 18 feet in height and 50 feet wide. During the flood fight, the contractors used about 1.4 million cu-bic yards of clay to build the temporary levees.

Along with the debris mission, FEMA tasked USACE

Col. Jon Christensen (left) and Command Sgt. Maj. Gregg Phillips furl the Gulf Region District flag during the casing of the colors ceremony. The ceremony marked the fourth and final ceremony signifying the end of USACE contin-gency districts in Iraq.

An era ends as GRD cases colorsBy Alicia EmbreyTransatlantic Division

It began eight years ago with great fanfare during a war.It ended with a quiet ceremony in Virginia.The Gulf Region District flag retired in a casing-the-col-

ors ceremony Aug. 29 at the Middle East District in Win-chester, Va. The ceremony symbolized the end of eight years of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers presence in Iraq.

Friends, family, Soldiers and former employees of Gulf Region District (GRD) stood in silence as Col. Jon Chris-tensen, district commander, and Command Sgt. Maj. Gregg Phillips, GRD command sergeant major, rolled the flag and cased it.

USACE began reconstruction in Iraq in 2003 with the deployment of Forward Engineering Support Teams, fol-lowed by the activation of the Gulf Region Division on Jan. 24, 2004, with its three districts -- North, Central and South. The success of the task force teams, division and districts was crucial in efforts to secure a new and reliable government as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

“These USACE employees accomplished phenomenal work in Iraq by completing more than 5,000 projects, $8.4 billion worth of work in eight years in a hostile envi-ronment,” Christensen said during the ceremony. “They persevered by putting the policies, procedures and (more importantly), the work ethic into place.”

As part of the drawdown, Gulf Region Division and its North District were inactivated in 2009. South District followed in 2010 and the Central District reorganized to become the Gulf Region District assigned with complet-ing legacy projects.

“To all the employees of Gulf Region past, we [Gulf Region District] stood on the shoulders of giants and I appreciate everything you did to set us up for success,” Christensen said.

Christensen explained that the employees who served with him during GRD’s final year had a lot in common with their predecessors. “To a large extent we got to ex-perience the success of those that went before us. We saw the fruits of their labor to completion.”

The GRD team worked tirelessly to bring the transfer

across the finish line. With a dual mission of completing the 250 legacy projects worth $1 billion while reducing staff. “Those two do not necessarily support each other,” Christensen said. “The employees of GRD were undaunt-ed in their efforts and were a great team and family.”

An official GRD transfer of authority ceremony to Mid-dle East District – Iraq Area Office (IAO) was held June 2 at Camp Wolfe on Victory Base Complex near Baghdad. The IAO has three project offices in Tikrit, Taji and Basra, and it is responsible for more than 20 ongoing projects with an estimated value of more than $422 million.

Christensen reminded the USACE men and women, family and friends attending the ceremony of the impor-tance of the missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. “As we teardown GRD and case the colors, let’s not forget the great people in the Iraq Area Office, the Afghanistan dis-tricts, along with the Soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, Coast Guardsmen and DA civilians deployed in harm’s way,” he said.

Although the casing symbolized the downsizing of the USACE contingency operations in Iraq, it also represent-ed a new era. While the IAO will complete the remain-ing projects, it will also establish a new relationship with the Government of Iraq as the lead construction agent in Iraq, and their role in supporting the U.S. Department of State’s diplomatic mission.

“Even though we’ve cased the colors that represent you, the spirit of GRD, each of you has that spirit. Take that back with you. God bless,” Christensen added.

The GRD casing ceremony marks the fourth and final USACE ceremony signifying the end of contingency dis-tricts in Iraq.

with building temporary mobile home parks. USACE contractors install the infrastructure (sewer, water and electricity), grade the site, build roads and a pad for the mobile home. Then USACE hands the sites to FEMA to place the mobile homes, hook up the utilities and move in evacuees. To date, FEMA has tasked USACE with build-ing 900 pads in Minot and 50 in Burlington.

Bergmann said, in addition to the number of temporary housing sites built, it has been difficult at times to build so much before winter arrives. “The unique piece in Minot is the winter,” he said. “Normally all water and sewer lines would be above ground with no insulation.”

Due to the extreme weather conditions (the average winter temperature can reach minus 30 degrees), the dis-trict has to place water lines eight feet below ground to prevent the pipes from freezing.

Digging that deep created unexpected delays. Berg-mann said that the contractors had to deal with water tables and move a lot of material. He added that the dis-trict also had to focus on safety due to the trench depth. This required the contractors to either angle the trenches outward or build trench boxes to prevent injuries.

While delays slowed the construction timeline, Alberi-co said the utilities are all being built to local code and include fiber optic cables, power, sewer and water lines. Natural gas is the only utility not being installed.

As construction continues in Minot and Ward County, Bergmann said, “Our goal is to have the group sites, or pads, turned over to residents by Nov. 1.”

Photo by Alicia Embrey, Transatlantic Division

U . S . A r m y C o r p s o f E n g i n e e r s

4 ENGINEER UPDATE

Susquehanna River threatens PennsylvaniaBy Ashley WilliamsBaltimore District

In September, U.S. Army Corps of En-gineers flood risk management projects in northeastern Pennsylvania proved their worth while being tested by record flood-ing. On the heels of Hurricane Irene, which passed through the region in late August, Tropical Storm Lee drenched the region, causing the Susquehanna River to overflow its banks, flood neighboring towns and test the Wyoming Valley Levee System at unprecedented levels.

Experts from USACE responded to the heavy flooding by deploying a team to Wilkes-Barre, Pa., one of the towns pro-tected by the Wyoming Valley Levee Sys-tem, to provide technical support to Lu-zerne County Flood Protection Authority throughout the event, Sept. 8-10.

“We are extremely appreciative of the relationship with the Corps of Engineers, especially during this historic event,” said Brozena, executive director of the Luzerne County Flood Protection Agency (LCF-PA). “Their rapid response was pivotal in helping this region respond to the flood.”

The systemThe river gage in Wilkes-Barre recorded

42.66 feet of water, a full 1.75 feet higher than Tropical Storm Agnes in 1972, which reached 40.91 feet.

“The levee system did what it was de-signed to do – protect lives and property,” said Col. Dave Anderson, commander of Baltimore District. “It withstood some wear and tear, but it performed exactly how it was designed to perform.”

The Wyoming Valley Levee System, originally built in 1936, consists of three levee systems at Plymouth, Kingston-Exeter, and Wilkes-Barre-Hanover Town-ship. The levees extend about 15 miles with 13 storm water pump stations.

In 1972, Tropical Storm Agnes drenched Pennsylvania, resulting in overtopped le-vees and about $1 billion in damages. In response, USACE improved the levee project to provide Agnes-level protection. All 15 miles of levees and floodwalls were raised three to five feet and the storm wa-ter pump stations were modified. The levee raising portion of the project was completed Jan. 14, 2003. The cost of the entire project is about $250 million.

Through fiscal 2010, the project has pre-vented an estimated $3.6 billion in dam-ages, and played a pivotal role in protect-ing the cities along the Susquehanna River during this historic flooding.

“I commend Gov. Corbett and the Lu-zerne County Flood Protection Authority

for their proactive preparations for this storm, and for their partnership through-out the historic event,” Anderson said.

Water riseBefore and during the event, Baltimore

District’s water control team monitored water levels along the Susquehanna River, its tributaries and USACE-managed dams. The team used stream gages, weather and flood forecasts from the National Weather Service, and information received from dam operators to strategically manage re-leases from the dams. The goal is to reduce downstream flood peaks by storing water during the greatest flow and slowly releas-ing it after the flood crest has passed.

“We monitor reservoir and river levels before, during and after an event,” said Ju-lia Fritz, Baltimore District water resources section chief. “When rivers rise and fore-cast exceeds the flood stage, we will close the outlet gates at the dams.”

This process includes close coordination with dam operators at Baltimore District.

“The dam operators are critical to the flood response,” Fritz said. “The water control team makes the decisions, but they are the ones on-site, taking action as the reservoir level rises.”

Gates were closed or reduced to mini-mum releases at multiple dams in New York and Pennsylvania during this event. Flood waters were stored at Stillwater, Say-ers, Tioga-Hammond, Raystown, Cowan-esque and Indian Rock in Pennsylvania; East Sidney and Whitney Point in New York. This extensive network of reservoirs and dams in Pennsylvania and New York helped reduce downstream flooding along the Susquehanna River.

In Wilkes-Barre, the Corps worked in partnership with state and local officials to provide technical assistance and support. In addition, the USACE team performed 24-hour levee patrols on projects experi-

encing high water, walking the levees and examining the flood walls and pump sta-tions to ensure proper performance.

“Patrols are conducted to look for any irregularities that may compromise the project. If something is discovered, engi-neers can quickly propose an interim solu-tion,” said Ben Fedor, Baltimore District civil engineering section chief. “Typically during patrols we look for cracking, tilting and soft foundation conditions around the floodwall. We also look for sand boils and properly working closure structures, drain-age structures and pump stations.”

Forty-FortAs the water continued to rise, the Wyo-

ming Valley levee system began to show signs of wear, particularly at two locations at its section at Forty-Fort. On Sept. 8, the patrol team discovered a series of cracks in a floodwall at the cemetery along River Street. The wall in this location in-cludes steel sheet piling that extends into the ground, with a concrete facing above ground. The cracking wall, combined with soft ground conditions at the land-side base of the wall, caused the team to be concerned that small movements of the wall system were beginning to develop.

“As water rises on one side of the flood-wall, it causes the floodwall to begin to bend back,” said Tony Vidal, deputy chief of engineering for Baltimore District.

Recognizing this danger, USACE engi-neers and representatives from the local flood protection authority quickly con-sulted on the best way to ensure the con-tinued integrity of the wall, determining that a “stability berm” of crushed rock should be placed against the land side of the wall. This berm would add support and prevent further movement.

Mericle Construction Inc., a local con-tractor, immediately mobilized equip-ment, staff and truckloads of material to

Citizens of Sunbury, Pa., expressed their appreciation for the floodwall after it successfully protected them and their homes.

Photos courtesy Gene Pawlik

the area. Working at night, the contrac-tor used flares to help guide their trucks, carefully navigating through a cemetery, where they dropped more than 500 tons of rock onsite. The contractor, LCFPA and USACE worked through the night to but-tress the strength of the wall with a berm about 30-foot wide more than 100 feet along the wall, finally finishing at 2 a.m.

“The area was frequently monitored through the remainder of the flood and was a complete success,” said Brian Glock, a USACE engineer onsite.

At daybreak, a second trouble area ap-peared at Forty-Fort, first noticed by local first responders when they saw that a set of grandstands at a local recreational field had fallen over near the toe of the levee.

A phone call to the Emergency Opera-tions Center prompted engineers to exam-ine the scene, where they notice a field of sand boils that had developed and began eroding the ground near the toe of the levee. Sand boils occur when seepage of water from the river rapidly flows out of the ground. This flow can carry away soil from below the levee, possibly leading to eventual levee collapse.

“Walking on the grass near the boils sort of felt like walking on a water bed, because soil underneath the turf had literally lique-fied,” said Jim Ludlam, one of the USACE engineers onsite.

Emergency officials coordinated with local law enforcement to cordon off road-ways and escort a steady stream of large quarry-type dump trucks to the site three to four at a time for the next four hours. Contractors performed the work as dozens of truckloads of stone were placed in an area more than 100 feet wide.

“The area around the boils was ex-tremely unstable, but Mericle safely and carefully performed the work by pushing out the stone platform from nearby stable ground,” Glock said.

By noon Sept. 9, the field of sand boils had been eliminated, and engineers began watching the water recede.

AssessmentIn the days since the high water event,

officials from USACE and LCFPA took an initial assessment and concluded that, de-spite the few troubled areas, the system did not sustain any significant damage, due in part to the quick thinking and cooperation among the agencies.

“The Luzerne County Flood Protec-tion Agency was exceptional in addressing any issue that arose,” Anderson said. “I’m proud of the performance of our team and helping this levee system done what it’s supposed to do -- hold back the water.”

B U I L D I N G S T R O N G

October 2011 5

New project helps protect New OrleansBy Lee MuellerNew Orleans District

Expressions of gratitude, praise and ad-miration echoed throughout the Motor Vessel (MV) Mississippi and the inspection barge that it towed on Sept. 9 as leader-ship from the U.S. Army Corps of Engi-neers, Louisiana, New Orleans, stakehold-ers and partners joined to recognize the accomplishments in the construction of the Greater New Orleans Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System (HSDRRS).

The Day of Recognition provided an opportunity for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to recognize the dedication and service that were instrumental in provid-ing a risk reduction system that will de-fend the greater New Orleans area against a 100-year storm surge.

AnniversaryMore than 170 guests joined Mississippi

Valley Division (MVD) and New Orleans District to celebrate the recovery efforts that have taken place in the six years since Hurricane Katrina. These efforts includ-ed not only the design and construction of the risk reduction system, but also the emergency response after the hurricane. People were applauded for their dedication to the emergency response mission and the innovation and teamwork that made this mission successful.

In addition to the recognition of work completed, leaders and team members also focused on the future. Guest speakers stressed that work will continue to ensure that the New Orleans area has the best risk reduction in this region’s history.

The day began with guests boarding the MV Mississippi and inspection barge at the Port of New Orleans. Maj. Gen. Michael Walsh, MVD commander, opened the Day of Recognition Ceremony with the pledge of allegiance and welcoming re-marks, setting the tone for the day with the acknowledgement that the HSDRRS is the largest USACE civil works project built in the shortest time in the nation’s history.

Walsh said that the Day of Recogni-tion was to “honor the people of Team New Orleans for the Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System.”

The MV Mississippi departed the Port of New Orleans and began the first leg of the journey down the Mississippi River, through the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal Lock, to the IHNC/Lake Borgne Surge Barrier.

On the way, representatives from Loui-

siana and New Orleans spoke in regard to what the HSDRRS means to the Greater New Orleans area. Garret Graves, chair-man of the Coastal Protection and Resto-ration Authority, the Corps’ non-federal sponsor for HSDRRS construction, high-lighted several key items necessary for a successful project, such as funding and an equal partnership.

Lt. Col. Jerry Sneed, deputy mayor of public safety for the City of New Orleans, echoed these sentiments, and added “the HSDRRS is a better system than ever, which allows the City of New Orleans and surrounding areas to grow again.” Sneed applauded USACE in developing a project that has made the city safer.

Surge BarrierUpon reaching the IHNC Surge Bar-

rier, guests congregated on deck to view the completed barrier wall and final con-struction efforts on the navigation gates. The Corps’ largest design-build civil works project offered an impressive sight, stretch-ing 1.8 miles long and about 25 feet high. It provides risk reduction for the metro New Orleans area, New Orleans East and St. Bernard Parish.

With the surge barrier as backdrop, members of USACE ceremoniously re-moved former Chief of Engineers Lt. Gen. (retired) Robert Van Antwerp’s banner outlining the Corps’ commitment to at-taining the 100-year level of risk reduction by June 2011. Dropping the banner was a symbolic act for all teammates engaged in Task Force Guardian, Task Force Hope and construction of the HSDRRS.

“The recognition that we are giving ev-eryone today is long overdue,” said Jo Ellen Darcy, the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works). “We have a great system here that is going to give resilience to this city, resilience to the people, and resilience to the country, because we have created partnerships to help give them the kind of assurances they need to rebuild their city.

Darcy emphasized the importance of New Orleans and the port as a support sys-tem for agriculture, oil and gas and other industries. She also applauded the resil-iency of the people of the New Orleans area and expressed admiration for their tireless efforts to rebuild the risk reduction system, their homes, businesses, commu-nities and culture.

From there, the MV Mississippi began the second leg of the journey, moving back through the IHNC Lock and down the Mississippi River toward the Gulf Intra-coastal Water Way West Closure Complex via the Algiers Lock and Canal. During this travel, certificates and awards were presented to contractors, non-Corps gov-ernmental organizations, and USACE di-visions and districts that played a notable role in responding to Hurricane Katrina and delivering the HSDRRS in such a short time.

Guest speakers also took this opportu-nity to discuss the challenges and oppor-tunities that shaped the Corps’ response to Hurricane Katrina and the delivery of the HSDRRS. Brig. Gen. (ret.) Robert Crear, former MVD commander, arrived in New Orleans shortly after Katrina to command the repair mission. This effort

This banner hung outside the New Orleans District office. Ceremoni-ously lowering the banner symbolized the completion of the project.

Photo courtesy of New Orleans District

came with immense challenges, such as a lack of communications and an enormous scope of damages. “The resilient people of New Orleans made it worthwhile to go to bat,” Crear said.

Tim Doody, president of the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East, provided a local perspective of Hur-ricane Katrina and the need to repair and restore the risk reduction system. He expressed “sincere gratitude to the entire country for investing in this area.” He added that “Mother Nature never gives you the same test twice” and stressed that partnerships and collaboration must con-tinue to ensure a resilient system.

Van Antwerp then addressed the engi-neering goals he set when he stated “the Corps of Engineers has committed to pro-vide 100-year level of protection by June 2011…or break our backs trying.” He said that committing to completing the HSDRRS was a challenging mission, but he knew that “if you put the right peo-ple in the right seat on the bus and give them the power to make decisions,” it was achievable.

West Closure ComplexUpon reaching the confluence of the Al-

giers and Harvey Canals on the west bank of the Mississippi River, the MV Missis-sippi arrived at the West Closure Complex. Consisting of a massive pump station, a 225-foot sector gate, floodwalls and levees, the West Closure Complex represents al-most every aspect of flood risk reduction features that USACE builds, said Col. Edward Fleming, commander of New Or-leans District. Guests viewed a pump sta-tion test with nine pumps moving more than 15,660 cubic feet of water each sec-ond.

This structure is an essential component that will ensure essential drainage capabili-ties for communities in Orleans, Jefferson, and Plaquemines parishes during a hurri-cane. After docking at the West Closure Complex, guests disembarked to hear re-marks by Walsh and Maj. Gen. Merdith “Bo” Temple, acting commanding general, who presented MVD with an Army Supe-rior Unit Award.

Almost every speaker stressed the impor-tance of moving forward, improving rela-tionships and collaboration, and ensuring that resources are used to support the risk reduction system. Maj. Gen. William Grisoli, deputy commanding general for civil and emergency operations, captured this sentiment when he urged that every-one “keep the fire burning.”

U . S . A r m y C o r p s o f E n g i n e e r s

6 ENGINEER UPDATE

HR CornerAdvance planning helps smooth retirement

By Edgar HillMississippi Valley Division

One of the most important steps in planning for your retirement is to request a retirement estimate. If you are within five years of retirement eligibility, you may request a retirement estimate by calling the Army Benefits Cen-ter-Civilian (ABC-C) at 1-877-276-9287.

In addition to giving you a dollar amount of your esti-mated retirement income, you will be able to determine if all of your service is properly credited. Be sure to have your Employee Benefits Information System (EBIS) PIN available to expedite the connection.

An estimate is also available via the EBIS website at https://www.ebis.army.mil. You may use this to get a re-tirement estimate if you are not within five years of retire-ment.

Selecting your voluntary retirement date is another im-portant step in the planning process. If you are under

the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), it may be advantageous to select the first, second, third or the last day of the month as your retirement date. With these dates your annuity begins to accrue the following day, to be paid six to eight weeks after your retirement date. If you retire voluntarily, under CSRS, on any other date, you will not begin to accrue an annuity until the follow-ing month.

For Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) employees, if you retire voluntarily on the last day of a month, your annuity will begin to accrue the first day of the following month, to be paid six to eight weeks after your retirement date. If you retire voluntarily on any other date, under FERS, your annuity will not begin to accrue until the following month.

There are various classes offered throughout the nation that will provide up-to-date information regarding retire-ment planning. Attendance at an on-site class/seminar is highly recommended when you are within five to 10 years

Greg Miller holding the artwork he submitted to the Wounded Warrior Art Program.

Photo by Heather Miller

Mark Center to display Soldier artBy JoAnne CastagnaNew York District

Heather Miller of Saint Charles, Mo., remembers the horrific day: Oct. 20, 2009.

“My husband Greg sent me a text message telling me he was going to take his life and that he would send me a message with the location of his body.”

Luckily, she found him hours later safe in a hospital bed. Greg Miller suffers from severe post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and this was one of several suicide at-tempts he had made after his last deployment to Kirkuk, Iraq in 2008.

But today Greg is a retired staff sergeant with the U.S. Air Force and is on the road to recovery. He and his wife attribute this in large part to his love of art.

“His talents and ability to complete art projects literally saved his life,” Heather said. “It also makes Greg feel good to finally have his passion for art get noticed.”

One of Greg’s works of art will be displayed in the Mark Center, the new Department of Defense administrative office complex at the Mark Center in Alexandria, Va. The program is named Spirit of Wounded Warriors and Veter-ans: Healing the Soul through Artistic Expression.

“This program is a way for us to thank our wounded veterans for their service and provide them a venue to display their artwork. Those who work in the complex will also benefit by viewing the works of art,” said Joanne Hensley, who helped create this program in cooperation with personnel from other federal agencies.

Hensley is the chief of project development for BRAC 133 in New York District. The building was built as part of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Act and was built by New York District. (BRAC stands for the Base Realignment and Closure Act.)

Hensley and her team announced the program by creat-ing a flyer and distributing it to veterans groups and hos-pitals. They received many art submissions from around the U.S., including Hawaii, New Mexico, Massachusetts and Illinois. Submissions came from veteran’s that served in several wars, including Vietnam. The art they received

included paintings, photography, sculptures and quilts. Two dozen of these were selected for display in the BRAC 133 admin complex.

Miller’s artwork was one of them. He spray painted a mountain landscape with a lake at the foot of mountains and a moon in the sky with the American flag as a back-drop.

“I’m still very patriotic,” Miller said. “I love my country and that we are free and this is what I wanted to portray in this work of art. We live in a beautiful part of the world.”

Andrew Bourne’s artwork was also selected. He, like Miller, suffers from PTSD and brain injuries after serving in the Gulf War in the 1990s, and more recently in Hu-saybah, Iraq for the Marine Corps.

Bourne, a retired staff sergeant, submitted a giclée, a fine art digital print made on an ink-jet printer, named “The American Rocker.” The image shows a guitar player engrossed in his music.

“You look at this picture and it says America,” Bourne said. “It takes you back. I’m in my mid-40s and I look at it and it means Jimmy Paige, Led Zeppelin, the heyday of early rock and roll.”

of your expected retirement date.Proper retirement planning is complex and early infor-

mation concerning topics as diverse as the Thrift Savings Plan, Social Security benefits, estate planning, survivor benefit considerations, life insurance, health benefits coverage and Medicare will have a direct impact on your enjoyment of a well-deserved retirement. Decisions you make in these areas will have a financial impact on your retirement income.

There is a wealth of information to assist you in your retirement planning and, no matter when you began your federal career, the best time to start planning for retire-ment is now. The ABC-C is our principal point of con-tact for retirement information and retirement process-ing. Information, on line briefings, and instructions are accessible at their website, https://www.abc.army.mil. In addition, benefits counselors are available by phone at 1-877-276-9287 Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Central Time.

Both men heard about the Spirit of Wounded Warriors and Veterans: Healing the Soul through Artistic Expres-sion program through their recovery care coordinators, who also encouraged them to use art as a form of therapy. Both feel that artwork is good therapy for wounded vet-erans.

“When I’m doing my artwork I go into a different zone,” Miller said. “I can tune everything out and focus on my art. It’s kind of a getaway.”

“Creating art has been a family-saver,” Bourne said. “It keeps my wife and I close. It’s a way for me to get my brain to relax, get it to refocus and learn how to think.”

For both men, their confidence in their art has even grown into fulltime careers. Miller has always enjoyed artwork, and after getting out of the service he and his wife started their own interactive art studio named My Handy Works that teaches art classes and art camps for children.

Bourne said, “This whole thing went from my therapy just to get my brain going and sort of as a distraction all the way to its own career.”

He and his wife are starting their own company named Epic Artwork & Photos. This fall, the agencies involved with the construction of the Mark Center, in collabora-tion with the Fisher House Foundation, an international non-profit organization that provides assistance to fami-lies of critically injured service men and women, are hold-ing a ceremony to showcase the artwork and introduce the artists.

Miller and Bourne plan to attend and are honored that their artwork was selected and feel this program is good for disabled veterans. Bourne said, “It gives somebody that may not necessarily have all of their confidence re-built. This is one of those things that can help.”

All of the Soldier artwork from the Wounded Warrior program will be displayed on the first two floors of the BRAC 133 office complex, which sits on a 16-acre cam-pus at the Mark Center in Alexandria Va. The building was built as part of the 2005 Base Realignment and Clo-sure Act and was built by New York District. It will be dedicated next January.

B U I L D I N G S T R O N G

October 2011 7

a team commitment from several offices in the district.”The Family Readiness Support Team has several mem-

bers from FED offices. Each provides a unique service to the program, whether it is non-combatant evacuation op-eration program stewards or gathering donations for care packages for those who are deployed.

Since 2003, FED has deployed more than 70 Soldiers and civilians to Iraq, Afghanistan and civil disasters. There is also the threat from North Korea, so FED participates in the Korea-wide noncombatant exercise twice a year.

Although there have not been any real-world contingen-cies, the Family Readiness Group was ready with messages during events such as the typhoon scare in September 2010 and in August. Every FED employee, military member, and family member was accounted for.

“Family readiness stands at the forefront of our Army Strong values,” said Col. Donald Degidio, FED command-er. “This great achievement here in Korea highlights our preparedness and commitment of our district toward our great families.”

Grafenwoehr lodgeU.S. Army Garrison Grafenwoehr opened a new Army

lodge Sept. 19. The new lodge has 136 rooms -- 46 family suites, 18 extended-stay suites and 72 standard rooms. The rooms also feature kitchenettes, in-room connectivity and even storage for long-term visitors.

Before the opening of the new lodge, incoming personnel would stay in one of seven different buildings around the post, said Waldy Schill-Rueckert, lodge manager. “We had seven different buildings and 72 rooms. That means 72 different rooms, and it was tough to meet the right guests with the right room.”

Whether a Soldier is coming for a long-term stay or short temporary duty assignment, either a single Soldier or with a family, the rooms are standard and built to meet every-one’s needs. Even more, it allows the garrison to offer the customer service and type of facility incoming Soldiers and families expect Stateside.

“Often families come to us, they’ve had a long ride, and we want their first experience to be positive,” said Audre Binder, director of the garrison’s Family and Morale, Wel-fare Recreation. “We want them to walk through the door and think, ‘Wow! I was nervous about coming to Germany. I’ve never heard of Grafenwoehr, but this is really good.’”

Project development teamThe detention facility in Parwan, Afghanistan, received

the 2011 Project Development Team of the Year Award during the 2011 Summer Leaders Conference.

The $43 million detention facility is located in Parwan Province several kilometers from Bagram Airfield. Con-struction on the project began in June 2010 and was com-plete in May, 11 months after the notice to proceed. The contractor was an Ihsan Qudrat Construction Co./Prime Projects International joint venture.

Overcoming obstacles such as a fast-paced design and construction schedule, the complications of working in a wartime environment, and funding issues made the 30-member project team the premiere project team.

The detention facility emphasizes rehabilitation and re-lease of detainees. It offers extensive medical care and classes in literacy and trades such as agriculture, bread making and tailoring. Families are allowed to visit detainees, and the facility includes a playground for the detainees’ children. Afghan and U.S. authorities report that the recidivism rate of released detainees is less than two percent.

The facility features three detention housing units that can hold up to 950 low-risk and high-risk detainees. The high-tech facility has appropriate security measures need-ed to keep track of prisoners to include catwalks, fencing, lighting and guard towers. It also features the necessary communications, electrical, sewers and drainage systems.

The facility meets Geneva Convention requirements and accommodates Afghan customs. For instance, many of the cells are 30-men holding units, allowing detainees to retain their traditional sense of community.

Armenia clinicA clinic in Talin, Armenia, reopened Sept. 2 after reno-

vation. The $220,000 project, funded by U.S. European Command and managed by Europe District in coopera-tion with the U.S. Embassy Office of Defense Cooperation, overhauled the second floor.

The clinic provides primary and secondary health care to more than 12,000 adults and 5,000 children. This is the third renovation since 2005. Hallways and rooms were re-paired and refurbished, and much of the interior such as sinks, doors, tiling and windows were replaced. A portion of the sewage system and electrical wiring was also repaired.

Previously, the clinic received renovations to the Obstet-ric Department in 2005, a renovation to the Children’s Department and establishment of a School of Motherhood in 2007, plus donation of tables, chairs and medical equip-ment in 2010.

“I want to thank every person who had input into build-ing this facility,” said Tamara Gevorgyan, the Talin Poly-clinic Hospital director.

Including the clinic, about $1.2 million has been invest-ed this year in Armenia’s health and educational facilities.

Mitigation banking conferenceNow celebrating its 15th anniversary, the mitigation

banking conference was established to improve communi-cation and education in this growing industry, and remains the only national conference that brings together key regu-lators, bankers, users and providers of services in the miti-gation, conservation and ecosystem banking marketplace.

The next conference will be May 8, 2012 in Sacramento, Calif. It will offer RIBITS (Regional Internet Bank Infor-mation Tracking System) training, and sessions include:

• Wetland and stream banking• Species and habitat banking• The science of banking• Emerging and multiple markets• The business of banking• Alternatives to banking• Success stories and lessons learnedVisit www.mitigationbankingconference.com for more

information, or call (800) 726-4853.

Afghanistan forward elementOn Aug. 9, Transatlantic Division realigned its overseas

operations in Afghanistan. A key part of the realignment is the stand-up of a TAD forward element in Kabul. The team in Kabul will provide a mirror capability to TAD headquarters in Winchester, Va.

“While there are a number of mission-critical reasons for us to stand up this activity, probably one of the most important is that it will operate in the same time zone as our downrange districts,” said Col. John Hurley, deputy commander of TAD. “You don’t have as much situational awareness and synchronization when you’re nearly nine hours time difference from the team you’re supporting.”

The forward element will have 20 civilian and two mili-tary personnel. The staff will be housed and work near the headquarters of the International Security Assistance Forces and U.S. Forces – Afghanistan. It will also be near another key partner, the U. S. Embassy.

“With the capability of TAD headquarters operating from both Afghanistan and Winchester, we will be able to provide a nearly around-the-clock focus on our critical mis-sion to support our forces and the government of Afghani-stan,” Hurley said.

Top EEO teamSt. Louis District’s Equal Employment Opportunity Of-

fice received the USACE 2011 Equal Employment Op-portunity Program Trophy at the USACE Summer Leaders Conference in New Orleans.

“When I assumed this position in 2008, my goal was to establish relationships with employees, and for employees and managers to not to see EEO as a problem,” said Tan-dika Gates, EEO officer. “That was the perception -- when you see EEO, there’s a problem. We’ve rebuilt relationships with employees and managers, and the confidentiality and trust in the process have increased. People trust we’re going to do the right thing.”

Improving perceptions of the EEO program with em-ployees and managers has improved the conflict resolution process, according to Gates. “People have to know you. I tell them ‘Don’t put your trust in me. Trust the process and that we’ll do the right thing.’”

To Gates, the success of the St. Louis District EEO office represents more than a win for her team. It is a milestone for the district. “The award is not just about what EEO is doing, but what the district is doing here and in the field. The EEO program is not my program; it’s the commander’s program. We just serve as his eyes and ears.”

Family readiness awardFar East District (FED) received the Family Readiness

Team Award at the Summer Leader’s Conference.“The most valuable resource that any program can have

is commitment from the command, managers and em-ployees,” said Monte Howard, chief of FED Workforce Management. “The Family Readiness Program has that commitment to ensure that our families are taken care of during a deployment or during a non-combatant evacu-ation due to a military or civil contingency. That takes

U . S . A r m y C o r p s o f E n g i n e e r s

8 ENGINEER UPDATE

Ideas, solutions discussed at conferenceBy Amy Ellin-Echevarria and Matt ParksStrategy and Integration Office

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Summer Leaders Conference (SLC) is one of the Corps’ most critical lead-ership events of the year. It provides a yearly opportunity for the most senior leaders to focus, align and fine-tune the strategic direction of USACE with Army and national priorities, and synchronize enterprise actions.

This year’s conference was Aug. 1-5 in New Orleans.The conference is not only a gathering of senior leaders.

It includes members of our Emerging Leader Program and Family Readiness Program leaders. This year, for the first time, stakeholders were invited to participate, which allowed USACE to build stronger relationships, forge new partnerships, increase transparency and demonstrate that the agency is willing to listen, hear and consider external perspectives in its most critical dialogue and conversations regarding USACE challenges and efforts to transform.

The conference also celebrated national award winners and provided opportunities for learning, relationship building and renewing long-term USACE friendships.

This year’s theme was a reflection of the times, since USACE is at a strategic crossroads, confronting the chal-lenges of overseas contingency operations, flood fights and other natural catastrophes, while striving to provide public value by delivering critical national missions.

From the first day, the driving force of conversation was exploring innovative ways by which USACE can deliver effective engineering solutions while confronted by the impact that the economy has on all federal budgets. The conference dialogue addressed strategic, operational and functional areas that need to be re-looked, restructured or even transformed by “confronting the brutal facts.”

Presenters clearly described the challenges: USACE must adapt current practices, identify what the agency needs to stop doing, consolidate or change, while keeping in mind that there are many hidden opportunities.

Leaders for civil works, military programs, and research

and development provided strategic ideas to:• Focus energy and resources,• Leverage and share cost and risks,• Capitalize on technical advances and knowledge

based systems that are applied effectively,• Think in terms of systems,• Communicate in terms of mutual benefit,• Educate our customers and stakeholders,• Match expectations with delivery realities,• Understand that performance and return-on-invest-

ment will be critical for decision-making,• Align enterprise goals national priorities.The presentations and discussions raised awareness and

understanding that none of these goals can be accom-plished overnight, but are critical to the Corps’ success.

Conference participants were invited to attend an elec-tive evening session, a trip on the riverboat Creole Queen through one of the largest USACE projects, the Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System. Those who took the trip heard about the relationship of USACE with the navigation, flood fighting and storm protection sys-tems of the Mississippi River watershed and New Orleans.

Several key stakeholders, such as Kathleen Blanco, for-mer governor of Louisiana, and Tim Matte, mayor of Morgan City, La., presented their unique perspectives.

The second day began with an entertaining speech by futurist Eamonn Kelly from the Monitor Group. His briefing, based on historical context, expounded on large philosophical concepts that have shaped society.

That presentation was followed by breakout sessions with key stakeholders, a discussion about the Corps’ cor-porate culture, a status report on the lines of operations (LOO) initiatives, and a promotion ceremony for the Se-nior Executive Service.

Day three had presentations on climate change, energy, human capital, family readiness and a wrap-up.

Key take-aways of the conference were:• USACE needs to address the brutal facts and make

hard decisions. The LOO methods of delivery helped

identify the things that the senior leaders consider of greatest importance, while keeping in mind that there are many hidden opportunities yet to be explored;

• The realization that to be successful USACE should focus energy and resources, leverage and share cost and risks, capitalize on technical advances and knowl-edge-based systems, think in terms of systems, com-municate in terms of mutual benefit, educate cus-tomers and stakeholders, match expectations with delivery realities, understand that performance and return-on-investment will be a critical factor and cri-teria for decision-making, and finally, align enterprise goals with those prioritized by the nation;

• USACE is entering an era of fiscal constraint, but it will not significantly decrease what the nation expects the agency to deliver.

Leading up to the SLC was a perfect example of these applied strategies and concepts. For the past year, our Strategic Leader Forum, Strategic Advisory Committee and designated project delivery team members worked on various lines of operations to assess methods of delivery, information technology/information management mas-ter plan and the assessment and system integration of les-sons learned from USACE 2012.

Each line of operations provided insights on how best to meet these challenges to continue delivering quality prod-ucts and services. The leaders concluded at the SLC that USACE must continue refining these efforts, including continued review of governance structure and continued development and enhancement of future capabilities.

This year’s conference was unique for confronting brutal facts, including stakeholder perspectives, and conducting an educational visit to a major USACE project. The con-ference was a success because it provided understanding of current program challenges, made available opportunities for building relationships with stakeholders, created op-portunity for discovery of the public value USACE pro-vides, and created venues for dialogue to help find solu-tions for the challenges that face USACE.

Developing the leaders of tomorrow is a constant chal-lenge for major corporations, including federal agencies.

The Emerging Leaders Conference (ELC) is one way that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers meets that chal-lenge. USACE has held an ELC during the annual Sum-mer Leaders Conference (SLC) for the past 20 years. The most recent SLC was held in New Orleans July 29-Aug. 4. About 50 individuals representing all USACE districts are selected to attend the ELC. Eligible candidates are USACE members GS-09 through 12 or NSPS equivalent, WG-09 and above, and company-grade military officers.

The goal of the ELC is to give participants a unique experience to identify and develop their strengths. This is accomplished through participation in a two-and-a-half-day intense, leadership development workshop. They also had to work together on a group project that was to be presented to the senior leaders at the end of the SLC.

Participants also closely interact with a senior leader sponsor during the SLC. Through this process, partici-pants learn how senior leaders use their talents to respond to the many changes in USACE. Kelly Barnes from the Institute for Water Resources said she was "excited to be

a part of the emerging leaders program. It gave me an opportunity to network with other emerging and senior leaders and learn more about the Corps mission."

Stacey Hirata, chief of the Installation Support Com-munity of Practice (Military Programs), was Barnes' men-tor for the week, answering questions, introducing her to people and exposing her to USACE programs outside of the civil works and navigation missions.

Andrea Greene and Brandon Chance from Middle East District in Winchester, Va., agreed that the ELC was also a great opportunity to spend time with their Transatlantic Division’s senior leaders, Maj. Gen. Kendall Cox and Se-nior Executive Service member Howard Stickley.

The ELC objectives are:• Align the development of future leaders with the cor-

porate strategic direction and engender commitment to the Corps’ ideal future.

• Create a shared understanding of leadership concepts and language.

• Provide individuals who exhibit leadership potential the opportunity to identify and refine their strengths.

• Provide the opportunity to apply those strengths at

the ELC and SLC.• Gain insights and a broader perspective on the re-

sponsibilities addressed at the executive level.• Create an environment for networking, exchanging

ideas and developing relationships.• Provide ELC participants an opportunity to partici-

pate in Corps-wide initiatives after the conference.The emerging leaders rate their relationship with their

senior sponsor as a significant benefit. The EL and his or her senior sponsor discuss the EL’s action plan for leverag-ing their talent to address the Corps’ challenges.

The emerging leaders also interview their senior leader sponsors before the SLC to learn about the challenges, demands and requirements of leadership in USACE. As a group, the ELs develop a presentation on what they have learned during the SLC that will address what USACE needs to do to meet current and future challenges.

After the SLC, the emerging leaders are encouraged to share their action plan with his or her supervisor and se-nior leadership in the home organization, and they are strongly encouraged to implement their plans and provide periodic feedback to their senior sponsor.

USACE future leaders trained, mentored