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  • September

    Attendees pose for a photo on the front steps of the new school after the ceremony. Special design considerations include heated floors, triple-pane windows, extensive natural lighting, backup solar power and an elevated ground floor to prevent the thawing of permafrost below the building. (Courtesy photo)

    USACE completes handover of newly constructed kindergarten building in Mongolia

    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.

  • August

    The group observes the transition between the granite and basalt at the Pfaffensprung sediment bypass tunnel. Researchers at the Swiss research university used test sections to observe different materials in the same environment and compare their performance in a real-world setting. (Photo by Carly Lynch, USACE – Alaska District)

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

    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.

  • July

    From the crystalline glacial streams of the Kenai Peninsula to the remote lakes of the Interior, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District’s Regulatory Division is tasked with protecting aquatic resources while balancing reasonable development through the issuing of permits. Encapsulating docks, mines, house pads, and many other man-made structures, the district’s regulatory obligations are an important function in ensuring public compliance with federal law.

    USACE regulatory program celebrates rollout of new online permitting system to augment critical mission

    From the crystalline glacial streams of the Kenai Peninsula to the remote lakes of the Interior, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District’s Regulatory Division is tasked with protecting aquatic resources while balancing reasonable development through the issuing of permits. With an added emphasis on high-quality customer service, USACE recently unveiled the new Regulatory Request System as an important new development for the regulatory mission and for permittees to engage with the program.

  • May

    Glenn Sacro, construction control representative, fills a cylinder mold with concrete in the practical portion of the ACI Level One Concrete Certification Exam.

    Concrete is hard: Materials workshop keeps technical staff skills sharp

    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.

  • February

    Seen from the building’s exterior, the newly constructed child development center at Fort Wainwright can accommodate up to 338 children ranging from six weeks to five years old. (Photo by Katy Doetsch, USACE – Alaska District)

    USACE completes largest child development center in the Army at Fort Wainwright

    A new era of high-quality childcare has dawned in the Fort Wainwright and greater Fairbanks community in Alaska’s interior. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District is conducting its post-construction activities after completing the largest child development center at Fort Wainwright, which will accommodate up to 338 children.

  • December

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District transferred a National Guard armory to the community of Scammon Bay on Dec. 21, 2022. This real estate transaction marks the first divestiture of military property within the state under the Bob Stump Act during Fiscal Year 2023. Eight more facilities are scheduled for turnover in the coming years.

    Army engineers transfer ownership of remote armory to support Alaska community

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District transferred ownership of an Army National Guard armory to the community of Scammon Bay on Dec. 21, 2022. This real estate transaction marks the first divestiture of military property within the state under the Bob Stump Act. Eight more facilities are scheduled for turnover in the coming years.

  • August

    A recently hatched common goldeneye duck rests in a researcher’s hand in North Pole, Alaska. Nest boxes installed at the Chena River Lakes Flood Control Project are a key component of a scientific study of these birds conducted through a cooperative program between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska Region. For 25 years, field researchers have monitored the ducks’ use of the boxes, creating a long-term dataset for scientists. (Courtesy photo provided by Riley Porter)

    Army engineers partner for 25 years with federal biologists to study duck nesting ecology in Alaska

    The whistling sound of beating wings moves through the forest as a common goldeneye duck lands in a nest box mounted to the side of a tree near the Moose Creek Dam in North Pole, Alaska. Focused on laying its eggs within the cozy confines of this manmade wooden structure, the bird is unaware of its vital role in a unique scientific study.

  • March

    Mr. Pinkham with the Nome Eskimo Community

    Army’s deputy for civil works tours newly funded projects, emphasizes tribal partnerships in Alaska

    Members of the traveling party with Jaime Pinkham, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for civil works, witnessed this polar bear encounter near the community of Utqiagvik, formerly known as Barrow, while touring the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District’s Barrow Coastal Erosion Project. During the week of Feb. 21, the dignitary visited several civil works projects in the state that were recently funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act or Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act. In total, this congressionally authorized funding will provide nearly $1 billion for civil works construction in Alaska.
  • Nathan Epps, acting deputy chief for the Engineering, Construction and Operations Division, stresses the importance of triangles while testing the load capacity of a student’s bridge design with a toy car on Feb. 22 at Clark Middle School in Anchorage.

    Army engineers promote STEM education, careers during Engineers Week in Alaska

    Armed with toothpicks and marshmallows, members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District conducted outreach events at four Anchorage schools to mark National Engineers Week from Feb. 20 to 26. The annual observance is dedicated to ensuring a diverse and well-educated future engineering workforce by increasing understanding of and interest in science, technology, engineering and math careers.

  • November

    Danielle Perkins, Department of the Army apprentice at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District, became an engineer because she liked to ask why as a kid and now gets to do that every day in her job.

    Sitka woman finds STEM career with Army engineers

    Everyone pursues a career in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) for a different reason. Danielle Perkins, Department of the Army apprentice at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District, followed the footsteps of her dad and grandpas into that sector.