The Legacy of America's Engineers in the Middle East

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic Division
Published June 9, 2025
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers BUILDING LEGACY graphic utilizing historical photo from Bricks, Sand, Marble publication showing Army Corps of Engineers employees, Gulf District, Khaneh Area, Naqadeh Project, July 1959 (Graphic by Catherine Carroll, USACE public affairs.)

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers BUILDING LEGACY graphic utilizing historical photo from Bricks, Sand, Marble publication showing Army Corps of Engineers employees, Gulf District, Khaneh Area, Naqadeh Project, July 1959 (Graphic by Catherine Carroll, USACE public affairs.)

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers BUILDING LEGACY graphic utilizing historical photo from Bricks, Sand, Marble publication showing fighter planes flying over camels in Morocco. (Graphic by Catherine Carroll, USACE public affairs.)

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers BUILDING LEGACY graphic utilizing historical photo from Bricks, Sand, Marble publication showing fighter planes flying over camels in Morocco. (Graphic by Catherine Carroll, USACE public affairs.)

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers BUILDING LEGACY graphic utilizing historical photo from Bricks, Sand, Marble publication showing the water reservoir under construction at the Nouasser airfield, Dec. 16, 1953. (Graphic by Catherine Carroll, USACE public affairs.)

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers BUILDING LEGACY graphic utilizing historical photo from Bricks, Sand, Marble publication showing the water reservoir under construction at the Nouasser airfield, Dec. 16, 1953. (Graphic by Catherine Carroll, USACE public affairs.)

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers BUILDING LEGACY graphic utilizing historical photo from Bricks, Sand, Marble publication showing the interior of Dhahran Civil Air Terminal while under construction. (Graphic by Catherine Carroll, USACE public affairs.)

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers BUILDING LEGACY graphic utilizing historical photo from Bricks, Sand, Marble publication showing the interior of Dhahran Civil Air Terminal while under construction. (Graphic by Catherine Carroll, USACE public affairs.)

WINCHESTER, Va. -- Legacy  is not about what is built. It is about what endures. For 250 years, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has shaped the nation’s strength through engineering. Every district, division, and mission contributes to that legacy, supporting the U.S. Army, serving the public, and building the foundations that carry us forward.

George Washington appointed the first engineer officers of the Army on June 16, 1775, during the American Revolution, and engineers have served in combat in all subsequent American wars. The Army established the Army Corps of Engineers as a separate, permanent branch on March 16, 1802, and gave the engineers responsibility for founding and operating the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Assigned the military construction mission in 1941, the Army Corps of Engineers built facilities at home and abroad, quickly becoming the ‘Partner of Choice,’ delivering excellence and innovation in engineering, design and construction solutions as America’s Engineers.

That legacy extended into one of the most strategically important and logistically complex regions in the world. The Middle East also proved to be one of the most challenging construction environments known to man. But the Army Corps of Engineers, marching to the cry of ‘Essayons’ [Let us try!] established itself as a critical enabler, quietly and reliably delivering the infrastructure that allowed Army and joint missions to take shape. Wherever operations required mobility, access, or secure basing, engineers were already at work, ensuring the environment could support the mission before it ever began.

What started in the 1940s as a need to move supplies through the Mediterranean and Persian Gulf region quickly evolved into something deeper: a long-term investment in access, readiness, and regional partnership. The Army Corps of Engineers expanded ports, developed road and rail networks, and turned limited infrastructure into lasting capability. These efforts didn’t just solve immediate challenges. They laid the groundwork for strategic presence that would endure for generations.

Col. Craig S. Baumgartner serves as the commander of the Transatlantic Division, which today leads the Army Corps of Engineers’ regional mission across the Middle East, Central and South Asia, and the Levant Representing decades of continuous engineering presence, he reflected on how early efforts in the 1940s and 1950s set the stage for the long-term role the organization plays today.

“We don’t just deliver projects, we deliver the foundation for enduring presence,” said Baumgartner. “Those early efforts weren’t about recognition or short-term wins. They were about solving hard problems in tough places and proving that America’s Engineers could be counted on. That legacy isn’t built from concrete, it’s built from trust, resilience, and the quiet certainty that we’ll deliver, no matter where the mission leads.”

As U.S. interests in the region deepened, so did the mission. The Mediterranean Division was activated in 1952, expanding engineering capabilities across the Middle East. Even after the Mediterranean Division was inactivated in the late 70s, the Army Corps of Engineers maintained a continuous and structured presence through a series of evolving districts and commands, ensuring uninterrupted support to the region’s growing operational and strategic demands.

By 1976, the Middle East Division had been established to manage the increasing demand for complex, long-term infrastructure across the region. From master planning and execution of the King Abdulaziz Military Academy in Saudi Arabia, to air base development in the United Arab Emirates, to military housing and support facilities in Bahrain and Qatar, these projects reflected more than construction, they represented lasting investments in security cooperation, regional access, and strategic reach.

When U.S. Central Command was formally established in 1983, the groundwork was already in place. For decades, engineers had been shaping the physical foundation of U.S. posture in the region, supporting the Army, the joint force, and U.S. Special Operations Command well before the command flag was raised.

Col. Christopher D. Klein commands the current day Middle East District, which stands at the center of the Army Corps of Engineers’ legacy in the region. Shaped by decades of continuous presence and evolving mission requirements, the district has played a defining role in delivering infrastructure that supports U.S. operations and long-term regional objectives.

“There’s no blueprint for what we do,” said Klein. “There are plans, yes. But the real blueprint is experience. Our people understand the region, the mission, and the stakes. That’s why what we build stands the test of time.”

When Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm began in 1990, the Army Corps of Engineers surged forward, delivering the infrastructure that enabled the largest rapid deployment of U.S. forces since World War II. That capability was called on again after September 11, as engineers supported sustained operations across Iraq, Afghanistan, and throughout the broader CENTCOM area of responsibility. Whether supporting conventional forces, SOCOM elements, or coalition partners, engineers delivered access, protection, and the operational flexibility needed to succeed.

The scale and complexity of these efforts led to the 2009 activation of the Transatlantic Division, providing unified command and oversight for missions across CENTCOM. From its headquarters in Winchester, Virginia, the division continues to deliver strategic infrastructure that supports U.S. forces, regional partners, and long-term regional stability.

“These missions are shaped by complexity,” Baumgartner said. “Engineers are often asked to anticipate needs before they are spoken, to bring order to chaos, and to make the mission possible before it begins. That is not just expertise, it is foresight, commitment, and trust.”

The Army Corps of Engineers does more than build, it enables. Its projects support training, force projection, joint operations, and sustainable partnerships. Across the region, infrastructure is not just functional, it is strategic.

Lieutenant Col. Eder Ramirez commands the Expeditionary District, headquartered in Kuwait and shaped by a legacy of contingency operations. With roots in the Afghanistan Engineer Districts and Task Force Essayons, the district was purpose-built for agility, designed to meet urgent mission needs across a complex and rapidly shifting operational landscape. From austere environments to high-demand zones, it remains the Army Corps of Engineers’ forward edge in support of U.S. Central Command.

“This region pushes you to operate at a higher level,” said Ramirez. “The district was built on a legacy of contingency support, and that mindset still drives how we operate. You have to think ahead, solve complex problems, and deliver solutions that directly support the warfighter, because in these environments, every project has a mission behind it.”

Today’s challenges are not the same as those in 1942, or even 2002. Infrastructure must now account for cyber resilience, climate threats, energy security, and multidomain readiness. Yet the mission remains the same: to create the conditions for success and build the foundation the Army relies on—whether in peace, crisis, or conflict.

As America celebrates 250 years of Army service, it also recognizes the enduring role of America’s Engineers in securing that legacy. From the earliest forts of the Revolution to today’s mission-critical facilities, the Army Corps of Engineers has built more than infrastructure, it has built trust, adaptability, and strategic momentum.

That legacy is not just technical, it is human. Engineers. Soldiers. Civilians. Specialists. They bring knowledge, creativity, and resilience to some of the nation’s most complex projects. Their work supports not just operations, but options. Not just presence, but purpose.

America’s Engineers currently deliver more than $91 billion in programs around the world, including military construction on more than 287 installations. But nowhere is that impact more evident—or more tested—than in the Middle East and Central and South Asia. Here, legacy is not a concept. It is concrete.

Across 250 years of Army history, the Army Corps of Engineers has stood as the force behind the force, laying the foundation for what comes next. And in the CENTCOM region, that legacy is still being built.


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.

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    Legacy is not about what is built. It is about what endures. For 250 years, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has shaped the nation’s strength through engineering. Every district, division, and mission contributes to that legacy, supporting the U.S. Army, serving the public, and building the foundations that carry us forward.
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