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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. 

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Archive: 2019
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  • July

    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.
  • 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.