Home / About / Transatlantic Afghanistan District (Update) / Media / Stories

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic Division serves as USACE’s tip of the spear in one of the most dynamic construction environments in the world, STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIPS, BUILDING CAPACITY, and ENHANCING SECURITY for our nation, allies, and partners. 

We SAFELY deliver agile, responsive, and innovative, design, construction, engineering and contingency solutions in support of U.S. Central Command, U.S. Special Operations Command and other global partners to advance national security interests.

  • September

    The Memphis District awarded a contract to perform dike construction and maintenance at Donaldson Point, near New Madrid, Missouri (River Mile 903), Aug. 24, 2022. The funds provided for the work are a combination of Disaster Relief Supplemental Act of 2022 (DRSAA) and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) money allocated by Congress earlier this year. Contractor, Luhr Bros., Inc. from Columbia, Illinois, will perform the construction work, which will consist of, “Placing approximately 316,000 tons of Graded Stone A (5,000 pound maximum stone size) to restore and raise four existing stone dikes and construct environmental notches in all four dikes for habitat diversity in the secondary side channel along the right descending bank,” Cook said. “This dike project will work in conjunction with dike work completed earlier this spring at Below Island 9, Tennessee, to improve the channel crossing and low water navigation conditions in this reach of the Mississippi River.”

    $11.8 million River Contract awarded, need for repetitive dredging decreased

    The Memphis District awarded a contract to perform dike construction and maintenance at Donaldson Point, near New Madrid, Missouri (River Mile 903),  Aug. 24, 2022.  The Corps is partnering with Commercial Towing Interests, represented by the Lower Mississippi River Committee (LOMRC), to execute this $11,809,760 funded project. “This work is needed in this reach of the river due to continued navigation concerns raised by towboat pilots during recent low water years," said Project Manager Zach Cook. "This area has also required repetitive dredging over the past few years as well.” The funds provided for the work are a combination of Disaster Relief Supplemental Act of 2022 (DRSAA) and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) money allocated by Congress earlier this year.
  • The Memphis District recently finished the first Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) funded construction project on the Mississippi River near Caruthersville, Missouri. The Corps partnered with the Lower Mississippi River Committee (LOMRC) and commercial towing industry to complete the $1.15 million revetment maintenance project at Little Cypress near Mississippi River Mile 863.

    Memphis District’s first IIJA-funded project complete

    The Memphis District recently finished the first Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) funded construction project on the Mississippi River near Caruthersville, Missouri. The Corps partnered with the Lower Mississippi River Committee (LOMRC) and commercial towing industry to complete the $1.15 million revetment maintenance project at Little Cypress near Mississippi River Mile 863. “Work consisted of placing approximately 43 thousand tons of “Graded Stone C (400 pound maximum stone size)” to repair seven riverbank failures along an approximate 4-mile reach of the existing revetted riverbank,” Project Manager Zach Cook added. “Work started on August 13 and was completed in two weeks."
  • The Survey Vessel Sarge sits in the storage facility at the Irvington site office on August 25, 2022, in Irvington, AL. The vessel is named in honor of former Irvington site employee Mr. Stephen Sema, who served in the U.S. Air Force, earning the nickname, “Sarge”. (U.S. Army photo by Jeremy Murray)

    Irvington Site Office Delivers Navigational Support

    By Jeremy MurrayMOBILE, Ala. – In 1992, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District opened the
  • The Memphis District's Revetment Branch and Metals Units recently finalized a flapgate repair on what’s called the “Fritz Landing Culvert” in Lake County, Tennessee, in August 2022. “In 2021, the flapgate on the river side end of one of the culverts became loose, fractured, and fell off,” Project Manager Mark Mazzone said. “The flapgates ensure that flood water cannot back up through the culverts. They also provide the actual protection against flooding through culvert openings in the levee.” To repair the flapgates, construction involved building temporary cofferdams, pumping standing water to access the end of the culvert, fabrication and installation of temporary structures, and fabrication/installation of a replacement collar and supporting structure. (Courtesy photo)

    Teamwork protects land, “helps ensure Mississippi River does not try to change course”

    The Memphis District's Revetment Branch and Metals Units recently finalized a flapgate repair on what’s called the “Fritz Landing Culvert” in Lake County, Tennessee, in August 2022. Their hard work and collaboration will undoubtedly result in the extended protection of almost 7 thousand acres of land. Additionally, this project will contribute to decreasing the Mississippi River’s meandering ways, and thus safeguard many surrounding localities for many, many years to come.
  • Bret Styers and his sons, Easton and Brecken, enjoy the beauty of the great outdoors in Alaska. Styers, senior program manager for Huntsville Center's Balistic Missile Defense Mandatory Center of Expertise, lives in Anchorage with his wife, Britta, and their four kids, including daughters Remy and Paige. (Courtesy Photo)

    Getting to Know Bret Styers, Huntsville Center's 'Snowshoes on the Ground' in Alaska

    Bret Styers is the senior program manager for the Ballistic Missile Defense Center of Expertise at the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville. Styers was born in Valencia, California, but moved to Alaska when he was a toddler. He now lives with his wife and four children in Anchorage and serves as the Center’s lead on missile-defense projects across the state.