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Author: John Budnik
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  • April

    A few boys stand next to one of the new water spigots in Puttalam, Sri Lanka. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Alaska District, U.S. Pacific Command and the U.S. Agency for International Aid are coordinating an effort to connect 371 family households to the town's water supply.

    Corps clean water project quenches thirst in Sri Lanka

    Clean water to satisfy parched throats and more time for other activities are becoming a new standard for 371 families living below Sri Lanka’s poverty line. The new hookups are drawing water from existing main supply pipes owned and operated by the Puttalam Water District alongside neighborhood roads. The additional network is delivering water to resident’s front door steps through an outdoor spigot and water meter.

  • February

    Twenty-four children between the ages 9 and 17 visited the district headquarters building Feb. 14 to participate in the biennial Bring Your Youth to Work Day event. The kids were encouraged to think about future careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Demonstrations exposed them to different elements of the Corps of Engineers such as breakwaters, cost engineering, computer generated modeling, environmental sampling and wetland permitting.

    Corps brings youth to work, promotes love for hard sciences

    A youthful spirit bounced through the halls of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District as children learned about the different responsibilities of the organization that employs their parents.
  • Mike Alley, civil engineer in the Design Branch at the Alaska District, instructs Jarrett Oney Feb. 18 about a storm water outfall on Kodiak Island. Alley is mentoring Oney who is a local high school student and member of the Anchorage School District Gifted Mentorship Program. Alley's passion for teaching led him to volunteer his time and expertise to the program.

    Passion for teaching leads Corps engineer to gifted youth

    One U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District employee is influencing future careers in the hard sciences by mentoring Anchorage’s most talented high school students. For Mike Alley, coaching youth comes naturally and is an example of his selfless service to the nation.

  • January

    Richard David, a civil engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District, volunteered for 45 days during the 2013 spring flood crisis in Galena, Alaska. His tour of duty provided the citizens of Galena with helping hands and a familiar face.

    Lifelong Alaskan gives Corps a familiar face

    Calling him a late bloomer would be as inaccurate as saying Alaska is not cold in winter – conditions he is acquainted with when working at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District’s Northern Area Office in Fairbanks.

  • December

    Maj. Mark DeRocchi, deputy commander of the Alaska District, and a few other Corps employees visited with students of Mount Spurr, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor Elementary schools during the week of Nov.18-22 to encourage their studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, also known as STEM. Students learned about the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the roles of its different divisions and the Corps’ contribution to their community. Using toothpicks and marshmallows, the children got to build their own bridge and test its strength using toy cars with a time limit of 10 minutes.

    Corps promotes engineering skills at local schools

    “It’s the future,” said Steve Grabowski, an Anchorage School District teacher, about the importance of exposing science, technology, engineering and mathematics education to elementary students.
  • Maj. Mark DeRocchi, deputy commander of the Alaska District, talks to new interns of the Arctic Trailblazer Internship Program from the 2nd Engineer Brigade about the different divisions within the district and their missions. The program’s goal is to update Soldiers on the best engineering practices, increase safety awareness to the standards of the civilian industry and support the training goals of the brigade.

    Corps partners with local brigade to expand training opportunities for Soldiers

    With every nugget of engineering expertise his mentors share with him, Sgt. 1st Class Ron Albert’s confidence grows as he performs his temporary duties with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District.

  • October

    Col. Christopher Lestochi (center), commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District, poses with Capt. Robert Weakland (left) and Maj. Eric Marcellus (right) in front of a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter on Joint Base Elmendorf – Richardson in June 2013. Weakland and Marcellus are both civil engineers for the Alaska District and serve as aviators in the Alaska Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 207th Aviation Regiment.

    Corps reaches new heights with pilot engineers

    Slicing through the air, the rotor blades spin faster than the eye can see while attached to the body of the aircraft. The smell of exhaust permeates the air above the tarmac and a loud rhythm of dual engines penetrates the ear. Systems – check; avionics – check; crew, passengers and mission equipment – check.
  • Col. Christopher Lestochi (second from left), district commander of the Alaska District, Terry Parks (middle), president of the Fisher House of Alaska board of directors, and 1st Lt. Dan Frederick (third from right), engineer with the 2nd Engineer Brigade, cut the ribbon Oct. 2 to a new storage shed at the Alaska Fisher House located on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson during a dedication ceremony.

    Corps, local Soldiers build shed for good cause

    With the sound of hammers and the smell of sawdust in the crisp fall air, 23 Soldiers, civilians and family members volunteered three Saturdays in September for a cause reminiscent of a modern day barn rising.

  • August

    Performing the dance “Timonya,” Linda Speerstra, project manager in the Regulatory Division at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District, executes a move that requires agility and a strong core. The Russian-folk dance group was started in 1969 to preserve the culture already present in the former capital of the Alaska territory.

    Corps employee shaped by small town in Alaska, Russian-folk dancing

    While serving as a steward of the environment, it has been Sitka, Alaska, that has shaped the Linda Speerstra of today through its fisheries, wetlands and Russian-folk dances.
  • A contractor helps install a mooring point in rural Alaska. To date, the Corps has completed nine of 26 mooring point installations in places such as Chevak, Kwigillingak and Tuntutuliak. The average cost per mooring point is $21,097.

    Mooring points, small projects yield big rewards in rural Alaska

    Pipes and chains sticking out of the ground are hardly a flashy engineering feat, but the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District is frugally designing and quickly delivering mooring points to some of Alaska’s most rural communities located on the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers. Since its inception, the project offers strong potential for major transportation, environmental and economic benefits.