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  • September

    Photo of 8 construction workers in a group shot. One is being given the rabbit ears gesture used in photos.

    USACE Dive Safety Experts Support Overseas Construction Projects

    That ability to reach out and utilize expertise from another district is known as reach back and it’s a resource USACE’s Transatlantic Middle East District (TAM) used when it was in need of dive safety support. While many USACE districts maintain dams, levees and other water related infrastructure with a need for dive safety expertise, TAM’s primary mission is supporting USCENTCOM and allied partners in the Middle East. Recently however, the district found itself working a pier refurbishment project for the U.S. Navy in Bahrain that included the need for safety dive plans and observation support for several dives by the contractor.
  • Now Lt Col David Kaulfers on a project site visit on 11 September, 2001.

    Afghanistan District reflects on 9/11 while currently serving

    Wednesday September 11, 2019 was a solemn day around the country, and even more so for the volunteer civilians and military members of the Afghanistan District, currently deployed in the country.
  • Mr. Jimenez-Vargas reviewing the work on the culvert at Bagram in progress. Vargas is the lead engineer for this project.

    Culvert Operation Underway

    Always ready, always engineering.

  • August

    Transatlantic Division Commander Col. Christopher Beck presents the Department of the Army Superior Civilian Service Medal to Ronald J. Tomechko for his years of dedicated service to USACE and the American public. The medal was presented during Tomechko’s retirement ceremony on Aug. 29, 2019, at TAD’s headquarters in Winchester, Virginia.

    Long-serving program manager retires from TAD

    After a career that spanned more than 35 years with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Transatlantic Division employee Ronald J. Tomechko, retired from federal civil service during a Town Hall event that took place on Aug. 29, 2019, at TAD’s headquarters in Winchester, Virginia. The event was hosted by TAD Commander Col. Christopher Beck who said that throughout his three-plus decades working for the Corps of Engineers, Tomechko “touched more people, more programs, more dollars, and more careers than anyone can imagine.” Beck said if you look up “quiet professional” you would “find the definition of Ron.”
  • Tambour Eller, currently serving as the project executive on the Mosul Dam Task Force during its final close out, was recently named the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civilian of the Year. Eller received the award for her combined work in three jobs over the course of the awards period.

    USACE Employee Awarded Top Honors for Three Separate Assignments

    Tambour Eller, currently serving as the project executive on the Mosul Dam Task Force during its final close out, was recently named the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civilian of the Year. Eller received the award for her combined work in three jobs over the course of the awards period.
  • Roof framing is underway on the Life Support Area at the Aviation Enhancement Project in Kandahar.

    USACE remains the "Go-To" solution for engineering challenges nationally

    The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers continues to build critical infrastructure for the Afghan nation. As the peace talk’s loom, and the Transatlantic Afghanistan District maintains its course for success, it will continue using economical engineering solutions to build stability in the region, employing local labor, empowering them with the ability to see the fruits of their own labor.
  • David Hardin, USACE TAAC Project Manager and TAAC Local National Lead Engineer discuss ongoing assessment of Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police at the Kabul Project Delivery Platform.

    Improving the quality of life of Security Forces

    Train, Advise, Assist Command partners with USACE Afghanistan District to provide improved quality of life for Soldiers throughout Afghanistan.
  • ​E. Scott Lowdermilk (center), the Transatlantic Division Chief of Plans and Operations, receives the Army Engineer Association's Silver Order of the de Fleury Medal at his retirement ceremony from both the military and civilian service on Aug. 2, 2019, after a career that spanned 38 years. Presenting the award to Lowdermilk are Maj. Gen. Donald Jackson (left) and Maj. Gen. Robert Carlson (right).

    Lowdermilk retires after 38 years of military, civilian service

    Transatlantic Division employee E. Scott Lowdermilk retired from both federal civil service and the U.S. Army Reserves on Aug. 2, 2019, during a dual-retirement ceremony that took place on the campus of Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia, in front of a crowd of more than 250 of his colleagues, peers and friends. In addition to the event celebrating both a military and civilian retirement, it was unique in that two Army Major Generals hosted the event: Maj. Gen. Donald Jackson, Deputy Inspector General of the United States Army Inspector General Agency, oversaw Lowdermilk's civil service retirement and Maj. Gen. Robert Carlson, Senior Military Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, oversaw the military retirement.

  • July

    Army Reserve Col. Scott Lowdermilk, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic Division Director of Plans and Operations (left) presents a gift to Sally Heuser, the wife of Army Reserve Col. Todd M. Heuser, who retired July 13, 2019, after a 30-year military career, during a ceremony held in Winchester, Virginia.

    Heuser retires from military service; heads to Army War College as a civilian

    Army Reserve Col. Todd M. Heuser was retired July 13, 2019, at the George Washington Hotel in downtown Winchester, Virginia, after a 30-year military career. And, in an unusual twist, he was also “farewelled” from his civilian position as the Transatlantic Division’s Chief of Plans as he departs the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to attend the Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Usually, military colonels attend the Army’s senior service school while still in uniform; however, it is open to members of the civil service ranks. Heuser will be a part of the Class of 2020, where he will earn a Master’s Degree in Strategic Studies following 10-months of rigorous study at the college.
  • Col. Chris Becking assumes command of the Transatlantic Afghanistan District during the informal Change of Command Ceremony held July 15 at the District headquarters.

    Becking assumes command of Transatlantic Afghanistan District

    The Transatlantic Afghanistan District welcomes new commanding officer Col. Chris Becking.
  • The new AAFES Exchange on Erbil AB in Iraq officially opens July 4, 2019. It will serve a significant base population of U.S. and coalition soldiers and civilians. The new facility replaces a mobile expeditionary unit which consists of two semi-trailers providing approximately 650 square-feet of retail space. The new store has more than 2,100 square feet of retail floor space to provide necessary commodities and popular merchandise. It will also have a Western Union financial service area, almost 500 square-feet of warehouse space and stocking area, administrative office space, a dedicated communications closet, and covered exterior entrance and break areas.

    New AAFES Exchanging opening in Iraq on July 4th

    The coalition members assigned to Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve will soon have a new AAFES Exchange at Erbil Air Base in Iraq, thanks in part, to the hard work and dedication of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Task Force Essayons (TFE). The new Exchange, which will officially open July 4, 2019, in line with the Independence Day celebrations on Erbil, will serve a significant base population of U.S. and coalition soldiers and civilians.

  • June

    Lt. Gen. Todd T. Semonite, the 54th Chief of Engineers and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Commanding General, passes the Transatlantic Division flag to incoming commander Col. Christopher G. Beck during a Change of Command ceremony held June 26, 2019 in Winchester, Va. The change of command is a military tradition that represents a formal transfer of authority from one commanding officer to another.

    Beck takes command of Transatlantic Division

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic Division held a Change of Command ceremony June 26, 2019, at the Winchester National Guard Armory, as the division’s outgoing commander, Col. Mark C. Quander, relinquished his command to Col. Christopher G. Beck. The change of command – a military tradition that represents a formal transfer of authority from one commanding officer to another – was hosted by Lt. Gen. Todd T. Semonite, the 54th Chief of Engineers and USACE Commanding General.
  • The men and women of the Mosul Dam Task Force stand on the top of the Mosul Dam spillway. The Mosul Dam Project was a 3-year partnership started in 2016 as a joint venture among the Iraq Ministry of Water Resources, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Italian Company Trevi S.p.A. in an effort to stabilize and repair the dam, and update the infrastructure of the dam.The dam sits in a valley along the Tigris River approximately 30 miles outside Mosul City in Iraq. It is the largest dam in Iraq, and the fourth largest in the Middle East, and supplies water, hydropower, irrigation and flood control to the region.

    Mosul Dam Task Force celebrates mission completion

    When a heavy downpour the morning of June 15, 2019, dumped even more water into the 32 billion gallons already in the reservoir of Iraq’s Mosul Dam, it didn’t faze the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) staff, the Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR) employees, or the Italian Contractors working inside and on top of the dam, because they knew that despite record rainfalls this past Winter, Mosul Dam was standing strong. In fact, the rain was a welcomed addition to the day because it cooled down the entire valley a few hours prior to the arrival of several dignitaries, including U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Matthew H. Tueller, Iraq Minister of Water Resources Jamal Abbas al-Adili, and Italian Ambassador to Iraq Bruno Pasquino, who were travelling to Mosul Dam to formally recognize the conclusion of the largest drilling and grouting project currently in the world, and to celebrate the full return of the drilling and grouting operations back to the Iraqis.
  • Capt. Laura Winn (left) is presented with an Army Commendation Medal by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mosul Dam Task Force Commander Col. Philip Secrist during a ceremony held in Mosul, Iraq on June 14, 2019. Winn served as a battle captain, requesting and monitoring air movements for the entire task force, maintaining accountability and force-protection procedures.Mosul Dam is a well-designed and well-constructed dam that is unique in that it requires continuous maintenance grouting operations due to the geology under the dam. USACE arrived at Mosul Dam in September 2016 to serve as “the Engineer” providing construction management, quality assurance, engineering and technical oversight and project management services in connection with a contract between Iraq and an Italian company for maintenance grouting and rehabilitation of the bottom outlet of the Mosul Dam.

    Mosul Dam Task Force members earn awards

    Seven members of the Mosul Dam Task Force (MDTF) in Northern Iraq received Army Commendation Medals for their work providing engineering excellence to the Government of Iraq’s Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR) and the during a ceremony that took place June 14, 2019, at the Mosul Dam Project site in Iraq.
  • Operations and Maintenance work takes place throughout Afghanistan projects.

    Focusing on TAA's #1 Line of Effort

    The Transatlantic Afghanistan District works from three Lines of Effort and we'll focus on Line of Effort 1 as we work with our stakeholders and customers in theater.
  • The Kandahar Project Delivery Platform Engineering Team joins in to the Awards Ceremony in Bagram via Virtual Teleconferencing from Kandahar to be a part of the final presentation to Ms. Kolevski.

    Engineering excellence earns top award recognition

    The Transatlantic Afghanistan District bids farewell to its Chief Engineering and Technical Services civilian following a successful deployment delivering the program in theater.

  • May

    Middle East District Commander Col. Stephen Bales, Supervisor Carlos Ramos, Contract Specialist Andrea Greene, Program Manager Pete DeMattei, Supervisor Annie Cain and Transatlantic Division Commander Col. Mark C. Quander, pose for a group photo following the presentation of Civilian Service Commendation Medals to Greene and DeMattei, during a ceremony held at the TAD headquarters in Winchester, Va., on April 25, 2019.

    TAM employees receive 'impact awards' for work in Bahrain

    Transatlantic Middle East District employees Andrea Greene and Peter DeMattei were presented with the Army Civilian Service Commendation Medal during a surprise ceremony held at the TAD headquarters in Winchester, Va., on April 25, 2019. The Civilian Service Commendation Medal is the civilian equivalent of the Army Commendation Medal and is awarded for very specific levels of achievement by civilian employees.

  • April

    Kim Adkins poses for a selfie while hiking at Capilano Suspension Bridge Park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 2017.

    Go 'outside the cubicle' with new Current Ops Chief

    Emergency Management expert Kimberly Adkins is just finishing up her fourth week at the Transatlantic Division in Winchester, Va., so she says she's "still in learning mode" when it comes to her job and how TAD operates. Her primary responsibility is to maintain awareness of all current operations in the TAD area of responsibility and review, analyze and report on current events and activities that might affect or intersect with those operations.
  • The official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony celebrates the turnover of the Women’s Participation Program facilities at the Marshal Fahim National Defense University.

    Month of the Military Child takes on a whole new meaning in Afghanistan

    As Month of the Military Child wraps up on April 30, and it is a time to honor the sacrifices made by military families worldwide, with an emphasis on the experience of the dependent children of military members, USACE Afghanistan District is affording a better opportunity for the Women and Children of the Afghan National Army.
  • His Excellency Mr. Mohamad bin Hasan Al-Obaidly, Assistant Undersecretary for Labor Affairs at the Qatari Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, spoke to a group of more than two thousand USACE contractors at a Shield 5 in Doha on Apr. 21, 2019. The event bolstered ongoing Qatar human rights initiatives, while also supporting the U.S. government's Combating Trafficking in Persons prevention measures. Remarks were delivered in both Arabic and Hindi to ensure workers received the information in their native languages, and all attendees received a "Workers' Rights" booklet printed in their language of choice. The event was attended by Mr. William Grant, the Chief of Mission and Chargé d’Affaires of the United States in Qatar, who said the U.S. Government makes it a priority to protect human rights for our workers around the world. During his comments he said the U.S. Government is "impressed" by the continuing efforts undertaken by the Qataris to protect the human rights of guest workers in their country.

    USACE partners with Qatar to promote Human Rights

    His Excellency Mr. Mohamad bin Hasan Al-Obaidly, Assistant Undersecretary for Labor Affairs at the Qatari Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, spoke to a group of more than two thousand U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) contractors at a USACE build site in Doha, Qatar, on Apr. 21, 2019. The event bolstered ongoing Qatar human rights initiatives, while also supporting the U.S. government's Combating Trafficking in Persons prevention measures. Remarks were delivered in both Arabic and Hindi to ensure workers received the information in their native languages, and all attendees received a "Workers' Rights" booklet printed in their language of choice.