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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic Division invests in our planet, plans to use native plants in landscaping

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Transatlantic Division
Published April 24, 2023
Updated: April 22, 2023
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WINCHESTER, Va. —A project manager assigned to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic Middle East District, one of two districts under the Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic Division’s umbrella, shares how the Army Corps of Engineers is continuing to invest in green initiatives.

One of the things we look at when we begin designing projects is using native plants for landscaping, said Lauren Wougk, a project manager for the Middle East District. We do this to help the environment and support our partner’s initiatives for a greener planet, as well as continue our own commitment, she said.

Using native plants supports biodiversity of local areas. It also, decreases pesticide use, reduces energy consumption and pollution (limited need for mowing) and native plants are less likely to be invasive or overly competitive with other native plants, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

This is only one of many initiatives the organization has undertaken to support sustainability.

“The environment is very important to me,” said Wougk. “I like to celebrate Earth Day. Working here was a great fit for me, as a younger person I wanted to find a job that was connected to the environment and connected to helping the planet.”

Wougk is a project manager and a former Summer Hire and Army Fellow currently working in Winchester, Virginia on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Transformation Program. She recently completed a trip overseas to assist with recruitment efforts where she gained a deeper understanding of the District’s support to the U.S. Central Command’s region.


TAM
Transatlantic Division
Transatlantic Middle East District
enviromental
Earth Day 2023

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, partners and allies.

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

Transatlantic Division News

  • May

    USACE Transatlantic Division Reinforces Commitment to CENTCOM State Partnership Program at Adjutant General Conference

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic Division made a significant impact at the U.S. Central Command's State Partnership Program Adjutant General Conference, held at the CENTCOM Headquarters, May 4-5, 2023. Scott Cilley, the Transatlantic Division’s Plans and Operations chief, represented the division at the conference, which convened Adjutant Generals from Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia, along with senior CENTCOM officials and representatives from U.S. Army Central, U.S. Air Forces Central, U.S. Special Operations Command Central, U.S. Space Force Central, and the U.S. National Guard Bureau.

  • April

    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic Division invests in our planet, plans to use native plants in landscaping

    A project manager assigned to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic Middle East District, one of two districts under the Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic Division’s umbrella, shares how the Army Corps of Engineers is continuing to invest in green initiatives.
  • Brian J. Blusius, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic Middle East District structural engineer (center), explains innovative design feature updates on the U.S. Army Central’s Bunker Retrofit project, designed to increase protection for servicemembers throughout the U.S. Central Command’s area of operations, prior to the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s Phase II Live-fire Experiment at Fort Polk, La., Mar. 10.

    Strong Partnerships – A Catalyst for Innovation

    The U.S. Army Central’s Bunker Retrofit project is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ latest battlefield innovation and is the result of a partnership between U.S. Army Central, U.S. Air Forces Central, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic Division and the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center. This project, now in its second phase of testing, is designed to increase the protection provided by force protection bunkers throughout CENTCOM’s AOR.

  • March

    Strengthening Partnerships Starts from the Inside – People First

    WINCHESTER, Va. – Strengthening relationships is as important within an organization as it is with external mission partners. Once a month, Col. William C. Hannan, Jr., the U.S Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic Division commander, sits down with his workforce for a bit of conversation over a morning cup of coffee. It may seem like a small gesture, but it has a huge impact.

  • January

    Three people standing in emergency operations center.

    Reflecting on 2022 partnerships: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic Division’s response to Ian

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  • Official photo of Elaine Lawson, program and management analyst with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic Division’s Business and Integration Division.

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    Today, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic Division and its districts join the nation in honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. But the importance of this day and its impact on our lives and our organization were felt well before the holiday weekend began – through conversations that will make a difference well beyond our MLK Day celebrations.

  • September

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    Always Ready, Always There and Always Forward

    The Transatlantic Expeditionary District, headquartered at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, is the only district in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that is expeditionary and forward deployed. As a contingency district, it has relied on stateside Corps districts and state Army National Guard units to fill the various positions necessary to take on the complex engineering and construction environment in the Middle East.
  • Pre-deployment training

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  • August

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    Pioneering Partnership Strives to Save Lives Through Innovation

    Winning an award is not the goal of innovation but they often go hand-in-hand. The goal of innovation, according to Medium.com, is to improve life for the end-user. A pioneering partnership between three U.S. Army Corps of Engineers organizations recently received a USACE Innovation of the Year Award for doing just that – and then some! This team’s innovative approach to solving an engineering challenge doesn’t simply improve the life of the end-user, it strives to save their life.

  • July

    Passing the unit colors

    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic Expeditionary District Holds Assumption of Command

    CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait – U.S. Army Lt. Col. Richard T. Childers took command of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic Division’s Expeditionary District, in an Assumption of Command ceremony, July 21, 2022, at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.