As stewards of our nation’s infrastructure, civil engineers work to design, build, and maintain our roads, bridges, water pipes, dams, and levees through many different private companies and public agencies, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). In honor of the veterans who have served in this way, here are some of the many ways that the USACE serve their fellow Americans by delivering engineering services.
Inland waterways were the first way that goods were moved across the country. The Corps was tasked with transforming our waterways into navigable paths for cargo ships, and today still maintains the inland waterway system. The system carries the equivalent to 51 million truck trips each year—making it the hidden backbone of our freight network and our economy. To help improve the condition of the infrastructure, USACE recently launched a pilot program for public-private partnerships to move projects forward more quickly.
USACE also has an Ecosystem Restoration Program, which works to restore degraded ecosystems such as Louisiana Coastal Area and Chesapeake Bay to more natural conditions.
Reducing risk from disaster is one of the pillars of the Corps’ mission. USACE’s emergency operations include responding to drought, floods, and hurricanes along with proactive mitigation of risk. Its Disaster Impact Model predicts the scale and scope of a disaster before it occurs to aid emergency managers’ preparations.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is led by Major General Donald E. Jackson, who assumed the position earlier this year. Thanks to the Corps vision of “engineering solutions for our nation’s toughest challenges,” the USACE delivers on its mission to strengthen our nation’s security, energize our economy, and reduce risks from disasters. Thank you to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and all are veterans for their service to our country.