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Author: Abigail Voegeli, Public Affairs Specialist
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  • June

    A man in a red shirt sits behind a computer with a blue coffee mug in front of him.

    Risk and reward: An innovative strategy pays off

    The toughest problems require the most creative solutions. Being willing to think outside the box to find the answers can feel risky, but often the rewards are great. This is something the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District’s Contracting Division knows firsthand. For the past three fiscal years, the Contracting Division has been able to successfully complete its mission, awarding upwards of $700 million in obligated funds and as many as 1,670 contracts per year. However, four years ago, the Contracting Division was facing a problem that was exhausting every current solution. It was time to get creative.

  • April

    A brown brick building with a brown awning.

    Improving quality of life at Whiteman Air Force Base

    Everyone knows home is where the heart is. The Whiteman Air Force Base Resident Office with the Kansas City District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers understands this. That’s why they put their heart into making sure the Airmen at Whiteman Air Force Base have the best home possible. Recently, the team finished work on Discovery Hall, now the most updated dorm on base. This dorm was a team effort between USACE and the 509th Civil Engineer Squadron at Whiteman Air Force Base.

  • February

    A tan building with grass in the foreground and a tower to the left.

    Innovative project receives 2023 Department of the Air Force Design Award

    When you hear the word ‘merit’, you probably think of a great achievement or outstanding accomplishment. Both of those things could be used to describe the work of the Whiteman Air Force Base Resident Office, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District on the Consolidated Operations Building at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. The civil engineering team at Whiteman has done great work on this building, and their effort was recognized. The Combined Operations Building was selected as the recipient of a Merit Award for the 2023 Department of the Air Force Design Awards at the 14th annual Design and Construction Partnering Symposium, sponsored by the Air Force Civil Engineer Center.
  • Several people sit at a white table in an L shape with a beige wall in the background and grey carpet in the foreground.

    First meeting of task force set to address issues in the Kansas River Basin

    This month, a dedicated group of professionals took an important step for the health of Kansas water resources. On Jan. 18, 2024, the Kansas Reservoir Sedimentation Task Force, made up of representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City and Tulsa districts, the Kansas governor’s office and the Kansas Water Office met for the first time as a formal working group in Topeka, Kansas. The group was assembled to collaborate on a solution for a major challenge facing the Kansas River Basin — sedimentation in reservoirs across the basin.

  • November

    A man in a red shirt unrolls a brown sheet of paper and gazes down at it.

    Jack of all trades—cartographer, archivist and pilot all in one

    When asked to describe his job, long-time Kansas City District employee John Atkinson has a humorous response. “Jack of all trades, I guess,” he says. Officially, Atkinson serves as the district’s archivist and a cartographer in the Survey and Geospatial Data section. However, Atkinson’s diverse background and skillset, as well as his openness to trying new things, have combined to turn his career into something he never imagined. From deployments to piloting a drone to working with century-old photography, Atkinson’s work with the Kansas City District has been full of surprises.

  • October

    A glass display case holds ammunition with a blue background.

    Shaping the future of the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant

    Lake City Army Ammunition Plant, located in Independence, Missouri, is the largest producer of small-arms munitions within the Department of Defense, turning out over a billion rounds of ammunition per year. This plant is a vital part of the past, present and future of the U.S. military. Production at the plant started in 1941, during World War II. Currently, it provides the majority of small-caliber ammunition for the U.S. military. It also performs ammunition development for the U.S. Army’s Next Generation Squad Weapons program. LCAAP is doing important work, and its partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District is a key part of this success.

  • September

    Four men sit at a round table with computers and notepads.

    Kansas City District, Missouri Silver Jackets host extreme-flood response tabletop exercise

    Be prepared—it’s the best way to handle an emergency when one occurs. The Kansas City District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers knows this, and that’s why they partnered with the Missouri Silver Jackets team to host a tabletop exercise simulating an extreme flood event in the Kansas City metropolitan area. This exercise, the first of its kind in a decade, included participants from multiple levee and drainage districts, fire departments, public works, emergency management specialties, local, municipal, county and federal entities who support the levees during flood emergencies.
  • A building is seen at dusk with an American flag and a grey sky in the background.

    Kansas City District continues legacy of dedicated work on the Lewis and Clark Center at Fort Leavenworth

    The Lewis and Clark Center at Fort Leavenworth is a state-of-the-art building, boasting three floors full of custom stained-glass windows and military artifacts from many different countries and centuries. The building houses the Command and General Staff College, a joint, interagency, intergovernmental and multinational college and the U.S. military’s premier school of tactics. It is also one of the Kansas City District’s many projects at Fort Leavenworth from over the years. The district has a long and proud history of partnership with Fort Leavenworth. The Lewis and Clark Center is one of the largest projects the district has done for the installation. Completed in 2007, the building has since required repairs on the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system. Now, the Kansas City District is continuing its commitment to this building and taking the lead on the repairs.

  • June

    A group of soldiers in uniform pose with a blue sky in the background.

    Training with Industry: Teaching the next generation of leadership what the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has to offer

    Progress in a profession is often the result of an innovator identifying an issue, proposing a solution and working to accomplish that solution. That is just what the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District did in 2012 when they collaborated with the Command and General Staff College, also known as the CGSC, hosted at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, to develop a new educational program. CGSC is a joint, interagency, intergovernmental and multinational College, and was the perfect place for a program to teach more about USACE. At the time, the Kansas City District identified a need for greater recruitment of officers into USACE, as well as a need for increased understanding across the U.S. Army of what USACE could provide to the nation. The solution they proposed, spearheaded by then district commander Col. Anthony Hofmann, was Training with Industry, or TWI, an educational program administered by the Kansas City District. The program is now an annual elective in the CGSC curriculum. The first few years of the program, the class averaged about 10 to 15 students. This year, 31 students participated in TWI, including international students from partner nations. The 2023 course started on April 6 and ran through May 31. Although the need to recruit officers into USACE is still ongoing, the benefits from the program have not gone unnoticed.
  • Two men are on a stage shaking hands as an award is presented.

    Young and Promising: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District Employee Receives Industry 40 Under 40 Award

    The inland maritime profession is a unique and demanding one. Tackling the challenges associated with the career field requires determination and innovation. Every now and then, an individual comes along who, early in their career, makes an impact that is felt across the industry. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District employee Dane Morris is one of these individuals. This June, Morris was recognized with a 40 Under 40 Award at the 2023 Inland Marine Expo in Nashville, Tennessee, also known as IMX, for his outstanding achievements. IMX is an annual event where inland marine professionals collaborate to make maritime transportation more cost-effective, safe and environmentally friendly. Each year, the event recognizes a group of individuals under the age of 40 who have made significant contributions to the inland marine transportation industry and show promise in shaping its future. These award recipients are young professionals in a variety of career fields within the industry, including engineers, surveyors and professionals working on towboats, passenger vehicles or other commercial craft. This year, Morris was the only employee of the federal government to receive the honor.