6 Feb 2024

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.

11 Dec 2023

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.

17 Oct 2023

Peaks and valleys: Northwestern Division leverages regional project sharing to complete the mission

Comprised of nearly 37,000 employees, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is tasked with engineering solutions for the nation’s toughest challenges. Across the enterprise, many divisions and districts have seen a surge in workload over the last few years. While USACE has seen similar surges in the past, this increase in workload is larger than many can remember in recent history. The source of the current surge in workload is twofold. According to Col. Travis Rayfield, Kansas City District commander and district engineer, there has been an increase in funding from Congress through various infrastructure bills, which has resulted in more work across the enterprise. Additionally, The Economy Act allows federal agencies to enter into agreements to obtain supplies or services from another agency. This increase in funding for projects, coupled with an increase in resource sharing among agencies, has resulted in the surge in workload the enterprise is experiencing across the nation.

24 Jul 2023

No Fail Mission: Military Corrections Complex undergoes renovations at Fort Leavenworth

There is only one maximum security prison in the U.S. that houses male U.S. military members that have been convicted of crimes or violations under the Uniform Code of Justice. That prison is located at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and is known as the United States Disciplinary Barracks. The United States Disciplinary Barracks is part of a larger Military Corrections Complex located at Fort Leavenworth, which is comprised of the Joint Regional Correctional Facility and several support and administrative buildings. The United States Disciplinary Barracks is the facility which houses individuals sentenced to more than 10 years in prison, and the Joint Regional Correctional Facility is the facility which houses individuals sentenced to less than 10 years in prison.

6 Jan 2023

Bridging the gap: Warrant officers bring unique skills to mega projects

In the U.S. Army, warrant officers provide a unique and specialized role to a unit. Warrant officers are the few subject matter experts within their respective fields, with the ability to solve technical problems, provide advice to commanders, and lead troops all while supporting the larger mission. Their numbers are few, making up less than three percent of the force, but their role within an Army unit is invaluable. It might seem like a no-brainer then, to have a skilled warrant officer assigned to a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers construction project, but you’d be hard-pressed to find many within USACE. Knowing there are so few of these uniformed technical experts within USACE, it may be surprising to learn that the Kansas City District has not one, but two warrant officers assigned to two of its district mega projects.

15 Oct 2021

Replacement hospital for Fort Leonard Wood has used innovative collaborative processes to stay on schedule

The replacement hospital being built at Fort Leonard Wood continues steady progress on schedule for completion in 2024. The Kansas City District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has oversight on the project with JE Dunn Construction, based in Kansas City, providing the construction and RLF Architects of Orlando, Florida, as the architects, teamed up for the design/build project. Located on 52 acres in the heart of the Army post, the new hospital is near the current General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital. The new state-of-the-art facility will include a 235,400 square-foot hospital, a clinic with over 193,000 square-feet, a modern central facility plant, emergency back-up generators, a new helipad, a five-bay ambulance garage and supporting facilities. The current value of the contract is just over $302 million.

11 May 2021

N2W attracts diverse group of professionals for $1.7 billion construction project

The challenges and complexities of any Mega-Project are great, and the Next NGA West – known as N2W – project is no different. From the beginning of this military construction program for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, USACE’s leadership wanted to attract a diverse and talented group of professionals.

5 Nov 2020

Kansas City District delivers $740 million program for the Heartland

As the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District wrapped up final contract awards for fiscal year 2020, the team wants to share a summary of a few major accomplishments and how they tie into the district mission and benefit the Heartland region. The district awarded 1575 contracts worth $740.1 million in fiscal year 2020 – ending September 30.

24 Oct 2016

Mega projects continue at McConnell Air Force Base

You’ve probably heard chatter about the KC-46A Pegasus aircraft. One of the Kansas City District’s largest projects is to provide support to the warfighter and the latest incoming equipment at McConnell Air Force Base. The KC-46A is an aerial refueling and strategic transport aircraft for the military. A new fleet of aircraft is scheduled to replace nearly 100 of the oldest KC-135E Stratotankers across the U.S., which have been in production since 1957.