"Doing It Right For Those Who Follow" Dan Mroz works through a reconciliation issue to ensure others don't have to later.  LA-RFO Photo by Spec. Larry Gleeson. Back to Features

Keen Sense of Necessity!
For Indiana native, response is about "Doing A Hard Job Right"
By Tom Clarkson, Public Affairs, Louisiana Recovery Field Office  15 Sep 2007

NEW ORLEANS, LA … “I feel a keen sense of necessity to see that this effort is completed as correctly as possible,” says Dan Mroz, presently a key member of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Louisiana Recovery Field Office. 

This team has labored now for two years to assist the thousands who lost their virtually every possession.  But a few of its achievements include the removal of 28,500,000 cubic yards of debris – enough to fill ten Empire State Buildings; demolition of nearly 6,700 storm destroyed homes, removal of over 58,000 storm and salt water killed trees, and the building of 216 temporary school classrooms and 94 critical facilities such as police and fire stations 

This organization, focused on an “unprecedented disaster met with an unparalleled response,” is comprised of full-time U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employees on temporary assignment, active duty and Reserve personnel, rehired annuitants – former government professionals brought back to provide seasoned, experienced help - and a multitude of contractors. 

Originally – barely days after Hurricane Katrina made its horrendous landfall - Mroz deployed to Baton Rouge, was assigned to the Housing Strike Team and worked in western Louisiana locating property suitable for development into FEMA trailer parks until Hurricane Rita hit that part of the state.   

Upon evacuating back to Baton Rouge, he jumped at the opportunity to become a part of the “Operation Blue Roof” team working in both New Orleans and the “west bank.”  These roofers ultimately installed and repaired 81,242 roofs, the equivalent of nine square miles! 

Back at his regular workplace in the Kansas City District, where he has been for fourteen years, he is an environmental engineer.  A significant portion of that work entails the clean-up of former military/defense sites. 

On his second deployment, now in New Orleans, he is now working as an office engineer serving as the “recon team lead” where he leads a team of fourteen Corps and contract personnel.  The work ensures that all critical contract-related data is reviewed for accuracy and completeness.  

 “‘Transparency’ is the key aspect of our labors,” he says, “as we want anyone looking at these records – be it tomorrow or ten years from now - to fully understand what was done, why, by whom, and for how much.” 

Growing up in Hammond, Ind., he attended Purdue University, graduating with a degree in civil engineering with an environmental emphasis.  With that base of “clean and right”, one can well understand how his care and concern for attention to detail comes naturally. 

Looking up from his work-laden desk he says, “Having been here at the first, I now feel a sense of commitment and obligation to see the mission through to its end to ensure that the superlative efforts by so many are properly supported by verifiable, documented and correct contract closeouts.”  

No simple task that for when one considers that – in just one aspect of this work - if all the trucks full of debris that were hauled to landfills by this team were lined up, bumper to bumper, it would form a line stretching from New York City to Los Angles. 

So noting, he turns back to his work saying, “With that in mind, perhaps one can see why it is so important that we document how this hard job was and that is was done right!” 

When he returns home next month – after eight months as a part of this hurricane recovery team – he can know, with pride, he’s done more than his part.