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  • January

    A man in a black shirt has his back turned and a woman in a black shirt with green cacti on the shoulders looks at him and smiles.

    Construction Management Technology Modernization Office: The future of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

    For the last 250 years, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been tasked with delivering vital engineering solutions to secure the nation, energize the economy and reduce disaster risk. While the mission has evolved over time, USACE has always been America’s engineers, serving the country by providing solutions for the nation’s toughest challenges. Like USACE’s mission, the nation’s toughest challenges have also evolved over time, but perhaps never more quickly than the rate at which they evolve today. To keep up with constantly evolving challenges, USACE must also keep up with industry partners and stakeholders technologically. This is no small feat since the federal government is often disparaged as being slow, outdated, difficult to work with or posing unnecessary barriers to its industry partners.

  • August

    A man in a grey shirt and green pants touches the keypad of an orange machine with greenery in the background.

    Ranger leads the way: Kansas City District park ranger a proponent of cashless fee system

    In the U.S. Army, they say “Rangers lead the way.” In the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, it’s often park rangers leading the way at our nation’s lake projects. At Rathbun Lake, located in southern Iowa, one park ranger is leading the way by being a proponent of the cashless fee system at the lake’s campgrounds and boat ramps. Since 2020, Ryan Vogt, natural resource specialist and park ranger at Rathbun Lake, has led the way in the Kansas City District for adopting a cashless fee system at both the lake project’s campgrounds and boat ramps. While many lake projects in the district’s area of responsibility have automated fee machines from which recreators can purchase recreation passes, Rathbun Lake is one of the first to have a cashless reservation system at its over 400 campsites.

  • July

    A woman in blue jeans and a blue striped shirt holds a camera while smiling in front of a tree with grass in the background.

    Real property, real people: District real property accountability officer on making the most of her job

    April Coleman is no stranger to change. Growing up in a military family, Coleman was accustomed to changing environments. As a former Airman and military spouse, she’s continued to live a life full of change.

  • June

    Four soldiers in uniform stand with trees and a concrete path in the background.

    Force multipliers: 51 Charlies benefit both USACE and U.S. Army

    Behind almost every project at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is at least one contracting action. Depending on the size of the project, there could be dozens. Behind every contract is a dedicated team of professionals ensuring contracts are prepared within federal regulation. Most of these contracting professionals are Department of the Army civilians. But a select few are active-duty military serving in USACE as contracting officers, also known as 51 Charlies.
  • 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.

  • May

    A man in a green shirt and blue pants stands in front of a brown wall with silver writing on it.

    Striking a chord: District review appraiser and musician on being part of something bigger than himself

    The success of an organization often depends on having an effective support staff. An organization with a mission set as large and varied as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers requires many support offices and positions. Among these many critical support positions at the Kansas City District is David Capell, district review appraiser. A team of one, Capell is the Kansas City District’s sole review appraiser responsible for appraising and reviewing appraisals of all district property. If it sounds like an important job, that’s because it is. With an area of responsibility spanning five states, the Kansas City District has a robust civil works and military mission, which require a lot of real estate. Before a project can be completed, there is almost always some sort of real estate action and many of these actions require an appraisal or review of one.

  • 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.

  • January

    A woman in a military uniform stands with wooden tables on her left and right and a grey file cabinet in the background.

    Safety first: Northwestern Division’s occupational health nurse hopes to prioritize health and safety across the division

    Active construction sites can be dangerous places. Full of heavy mechanical equipment and other hazards, the risk posed to the workers at these sites is often high. But there are other, less obvious workplace dangers that even those who spend their days behind a desk can face, like stress, high blood pressure and lack of support or fulfillment. Those charged with preventing and mitigating these workplace dangers play an important role in the success of an organization but are often in the background, working behind the scenes. Occupational health professionals and other safety specialists are the frontline for workplace safety. Yet their services can remain elusive to the very employees they serve.

  • December

    Several people in athletic clothing stand under the Arch with grass in the foreground and blue sky in the background.

    District Officer Introductory Course offers unique learning experience for junior officers

    One common misconception about the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is that most people who work for the agency are in the military. In fact, of the roughly 37,000 people who work for USACE, only about 800 are active-duty military, with the vast majority being civilians. Because there are so few uniformed USACE employees across the enterprise, an annual course was developed to bring them together to learn about the organization from a military perspective. The District Officer Introductory Course is an annual course that is designed to bring junior officers from all over USACE together to learn, collaborate and network. This year’s course was hosted by the St. Louis District in St. Louis, from December 4 to 8. The Kansas City District and the Louisville District both supported the course.

  • 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.