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  • February

    Waves batter the shoreline as crews work to repair the seawall at Cape Lisburne on Aug. 4, 2019.

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

    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.

  • December

    An individual peers into an abandoned military structure on Annette Island. Starting in 1940, the military and other federal agencies used the island for various purposes, leaving structures and debris behind as the land changed hands.

    Corps moves into 22nd year of cleanup on tribal land in Southeast Alaska

    Nestled 20 miles south of Ketchikan, Alaska, the Metlakatla Indian Community resides on Annette Island.  The tribe opted out of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act when Congress passed the legislation in 1971.  Today the Annette Islands Reserve is the only Native American reservation in the state and the tribe lives among the remnants of past military and federal use of the land. Through the Native American Lands Environmental Mitigation Program, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District and the Metlakatla Indian Community are working together to continue environmental cleanup efforts for the 22nd year.

  • November

    During the 2018 quake, walls inside the building fell and some exterior walls cracked running from the foundation to the roofline. In total, the damages cost about $4 million. The project was completed in October 2020. Shown here, a crack in the middle that stemmed from the building's foundation to the roof was repaired.

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

    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.

  • October

    A worker installs a blackout shade in a barrack on Fort Wainwright in March 2020.

    Corps project helps improve Soldiers’ sleep

    Almost every night, people close their curtains to go to sleep; but for Soldiers stationed in the Fairbanks area, regular curtains will not suffice. Getting quality sleep in the middle of summer, when daylight is nearly 24 hours a day, is a challenge that can adversely affect mental health. U.S. Army Garrison Alaska is taking a multifaceted approach to address this problem and a small but effective piece of this work is by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District. They worked with Fort Wainwright and Fort Greely to install 2,740 blackout shades in 30 barracks this year to improve sleep quality and in turn, enhance the mental health and well-being of Alaska’s warfighters.

  • September

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  • July

    Workers completed the front of the Alaska District’s headquarters at the end of June.

    Alaska District breathes new life into 1940’s-era headquarters building

    In 1979, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District added 37,800 square feet of dark brown, steel siding and trim to its headquarters and laboratory buildings located on what is now known as Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. Since then, the organization has grown to more than 400 employees and implemented projects across Alaska and the Indo-Pacific Region. But, during nearly half of the district’s history, the exterior of the facility stayed the same color, weathering storms and harsh Alaskan winters each year.
  • Brig. Gen. Thomas J. Tickner relinquished his position as commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Pacific Ocean Division to Col. Kirk E. Gibbs, during a social distance adherence change of command and responsibility ceremony, July 8.

    Pacific Ocean Division holds Change of Command & Responsibility Ceremony

    Brig. Gen. Thoma J. Tickner relinquished his position as commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) Pacific Ocean Division (POD) to Col. Kirk E. Gibbs, during a social distance adherence change of command and responsibility ceremony, July 8. The Army division conducted the change of responsibility from Command Sgt. Maj. Patrickson Toussaint to Command Sgt. Maj. Douglas W. Galick.
  • The Westport, a red and white hopper dredge operated by Manson Construction, dredges near the Port of Alaska on April 3, 2019.

    Corps continues legacy of dredging at Port of Alaska

    All summer long, a crimson and white boat moves back and forth through the waters near the Port of Alaska collecting silt, sand and gravel off the seafloor to allow vessels to navigate the harbor in Anchorage. The boat is a dredging vessel called the Westport, operated by Manson Construction of Seattle, Wash., which the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District contracted to maintain the mooring areas for the past three years.

  • May

    The Moose Creek Dam regulates stream flow on the Chena River to prevent flooding due to ice jams on April 27 near North Pole.

    Ice Jams Trigger Operation of the Moose Creek Dam on Chena River

    For the first time since operation of the Moose Creek Dam began in 1981, ice jams in the Chena River were the reason that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District regulated stream flow to successfully prevent flooding of communities in the Fairbanks North Star Borough from April 24 to 30.

  • April

    BG Thomas Tickner Visits USACE Alaska District's Alternate Care Facility

    General’s visit punctuates engineering efforts converting arena to alternate care site

    Brig. Gen. Thomas Tickner, commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) – Pacific Ocean Division, toured the Alaska Airlines Center on the University of Alaska Anchorage campus on Tuesday. A portion of the arena was converted into an alternate care site capable of treating coronavirus patients.