Alaska District News

Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works visits Nome

Cameron McLeod — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 18:36:22 GMT

Adam Telle, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, visited Nome and met with local officials to observe and discuss the Port of Nome Modification Project on Mar. 25, 2026. Maj. Gen. Jason Kelly, deputy commanding general for Civil and Emergency Operations; Brig. Gen. Joseph Goetz, commanding general of the Pacific Ocean Division; and Col. Jeffrey Palazzini, commander of the Alaska District, also represented USACE at the event.

USACE breaks ground on Joint Integrated Test and Training Center at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson

Cameron McLeod — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 23:20:18 GMT

Col. Jeffrey Palazzini, district commander, joined Lt. Gen. Case Cunningham, commander of Alaska NORAD Region, Alaskan Command and Eleventh Air Force, and other distinguished guests to celebrate the groundbreaking for the Joint Integrated Test and Training Center at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on Sep. 22. The center will be the first of its kind, enabling important joint and multinational force training.

Barrier wall project at Moose Creek Dam reaches completion

Cameron McLeod — Sat, 13 Sep 2025 00:00:11 GMT

Col. Jeffrey Palazzini, district commander, attended the ribbon cutting for the Moose Creek Dam Safety Modification Project near North Pole on Sep. 11. He joined representatives of the Fairbanks – North Star Borough and contractor as well as the USACE team in celebrating the significant milestone.

USACE breaks ground at coastal erosion project in Alaskan community of Utqiagvik

Cameron McLeod — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 21:38:16 GMT

Representatives of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Alaska District participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for the Barrow Coastal Erosion Project in the community of Utqiagvik on Aug. 11. They joined representatives of the North Slope Borough and the contractor to celebrate the construction of the critical shoreline protection, which began in July after the first batch of armor rock arrived from Nome on the 28th.

14-year multipurpose disaster shelter program reaches completion in Bangladesh

Cameron McLeod — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 18:14:44 GMT

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District recently completed a robust construction effort aimed at reducing the threat of coastal storms to communities in eastern Bangladesh. Multipurpose Disaster Shelters, or MPDSs, are tailor-made for the volatile conditions of cyclone season. During periods of normal weather, these structures serve functions such as schools and clinics. When the annual storms bring severe flooding, the shelters are built to stand above the flooding and provide secure, elevated spaces for the community.

USACE completes handover of newly constructed kindergarten building in Mongolia

Cameron McLeod — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 18:38:13 GMT

While Alaska and Mongolia are separated by an ocean, the two regions share some key characteristics. Frigid climates, rugged mountains and austere regions can make for challenging construction, but staff at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District are experts at delivering high-quality infrastructure in arctic conditions. The team recently celebrated the handover of a newly constructed kindergarten building in the remote community of Tosontsengel. For this critical project, their experience in Alaska guided them to an effective construction solution while thousands of miles from home.

USACE staff observe dam infrastructure in Switzerland in preparation for tunnel project in Alaska

Cameron McLeod — Fri, 23 Aug 2024 18:20:53 GMT

Staff from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District toured dam infrastructure in the heart of the rugged Swiss Alps as part of a temporary duty trip. After cataloguing their findings abroad, the team returned to Alaska with a renewed perspective for the improvement of the Lowell Creek Flood Diversion project set in similar mountains near Seward.

Concrete is hard: Materials workshop keeps technical staff skills sharp

Cameron McLeod — Tue, 07 May 2024 18:00:47 GMT

Recently, members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Alaska District’s Construction Division, Civil and Sanitary Section and Geotechnical and Materials Section participated in a field concrete and materials workshop at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. The event included classroom instruction, applied training and a written exam for attendees to obtain the American Concrete Institute’s foundational Level One Field Concrete Certification, which acts as the industry standard for engineers and construction workers around the world.

USACE engineer support team provides expertise, broadens professional experience on European deployment

Cameron McLeod — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 19:00:14 GMT

Headquartered at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Alaska District and staffed with engineering professionals from throughout USACE, the 62nd Forward Engineer Support Team – Advanced, or FEST-A, is one of eight expeditionary teams that provides rapidly deployable engineering capabilities throughout the world. Primarily composed of civilian employees, these critical personnel groups perform infrastructure damage assessments, environmental surveys and building plans in support of the Army’s mission abroad.

Infrastructure law helps to dredge Petersburg Harbor for first time in 42 years

John Budnik — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 20:45:00 GMT

Located in Southeast Alaska between Juneau and Ketchikan, the Petersburg Navigation Improvements project restored the Petersburg Borough’s South Harbor to original design depths ranging from minus 9 to 19 feet and improved general navigation features to allow for safe passage of vessels. The first ever dredging operation within the basin since it was built in 1982 removed about 57,000 cubic yards of material.

Alaska District to begin major infrastructure projects in 2024, emphasis on best small business practices

Cameron McLeod — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 19:03:00 GMT

The Alaska District is preparing for a productive 2024 construction season in the Last Frontier. The organization's robust workload includes major infrastructure construction efforts under the district's civil and military programs in every corner of the state.

Innovation leads to productive season for safety upgrade at Moose Creek Dam

John Budnik — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 18:05:00 GMT

With the onset of winter, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District capped off a successful summer by doubling its progress from last year to build a cement barrier wall in the center of the dam. The safety improvement project is now about halfway complete as the team works to reinforce 4.7 miles of the 8-mile-long earthen structure.

USACE monitors flood risk from breakup conditions in Chena River basin after record snowpack

John Budnik — Thu, 19 May 2022 19:00:00 GMT

When days become longer and temperatures get warmer in the interior region of the state near Fairbanks, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District uses snow survey data to forecast potential flood conditions on the Chena River during the spring breakup season.

National Guard armories find new purpose on Last Frontier

Ms. Amanda Kranz — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 21:28:04 GMT

Across the vast state of Alaska, small parcels of federal land host buildings used by the Alaska Army National Guard after World War II and during the Cold War. Now that these properties are no longer needed by the military, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District is working to transfer the land and associated improvements to local communities, which in many instances are native villages in critical need of additional housing and community facilities.

Winter recreation thrives at flood control project in Far North

Ms. Rachel Napolitan — Thu, 24 Feb 2022 17:26:12 GMT

As the cold wind blew and snow started to cover the landscape, the water that flowed through the Moose Creek Dam became stagnant. The freeze over at the Chena River Lakes Flood Control Project was a clear sign that the icy grip of winter had taken hold and would last for months to come.

Engineers help to improve educational opportunities in Mongolia

Ms. Anica Lind — Thu, 29 Jul 2021 18:53:00 GMT

In a country experiencing a shortage of critical educational facilities, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District is overseeing the design and construction of kindergartens to better the lives of children in Mongolia. Over the last three years, the district has partnered with the U.S. Embassy and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command to improve educational opportunities for more than 300 students throughout Mongolia.

General visits northernmost USACE-run flood control project

Ms. Rachel Napolitan — Fri, 19 Mar 2021 15:43:00 GMT

Maj. Gen. William H. Graham, deputy commanding general of civil and emergency operations for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, visited the Moose Creek Dam on Feb. 19 while touring the organization’s northernmost flood control project. Col. Kirk Gibbs, USACE Pacific Ocean Division commander, and Col. Damon Delarosa, USACE Alaska District commander, accompanied the general.

Project Manager Reflects on Austere Conditions at Cape Lisburne, Mission Success for Seawall Construction

Maj. Kathryn Hermon — Thu, 25 Feb 2021 23:15:00 GMT

Far away, on the northwest tip of Alaska, sits a remote, strategic military site nestled between a small mountain range and the unforgiving Chukchi Sea. Against this desolate backdrop, a few hours after midnight on Aug. 12, 2020, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District oversaw the placement of the final rock in a mile-long seawall to cap off a monumental arctic engineering and construction effort at the Cape Lisburne Long Range Radar Site.

Two years after quake, military repair projects continue as USACE reflects on response efforts

Mr. John Budnik — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 17:00:00 GMT

With the epicenter about 10 miles north of Anchorage, the Cook Inlet Earthquake registered a 7.1 magnitude and rocked most of Alaska’s population during the morning of November 30, 2018. First responders sprang into action, but once the dust settled the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District emerged as a reliable military partner inspecting and repairing infrastructure on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.