WASHINGTON (Army News Service Aug. 1, 2004) -- The Army Corps of Engineers is recruiting
Soldiers who are leaving the Army, retired military, family members and Department of Defense
civilians to work in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Corps now has 328 civilian positions to fill in Iraq and Afghanistan. The goal is to have all of the
positions filled by December, if not sooner, officials said.
“We’re pulling out the stops to try to recruit people,” said Shelia Dent, chief of the Corps’ employment
and compensation management division. “The Corps is using every hiring tool at its disposal, including
recruitment bonuses, hardship pay, direct hiring authority, and dual compensation waivers to entice
Soldiers leaving the Army, and retired federal employees back to work.
Since the war on terrorism began, the Corps has deployed about 2,000 personnel.
Pat Burgess, National Emergency Program Manager for the Corps’ South Atlantic Division, said she
volunteered to deploy to Iraq because she wanted to do something different and add to the mission.
Burgess has spent eight months in Kuwait and Iraq during two separate tours.
“I’m an adrenaline junkie, and I’m in the twilight of my career,” said Burgess, who has 35 years of
federal service and is eligible for retirement. “I felt I needed to do one more good thing in my career
before I retired. I wanted to utilize my operational background - to see how the work I do in rear support serves at the other end.”
Before joining the corps, Pat Burgess worked as a reserve mobilization specialist for the U.S. Army
Reserve Command. She had ample opportunity to see the relationship between stateside planning and overseas execution, but never had the opportunity to deploy personally.
“We believe there are Soldiers who may be leaving the military, retired military, and even family
members who have critical skills and experiences that make them a perfect fit for some of the positions
we’re filling,” Dent said.
“Most people don’t realize, out of the 300 personnel in theater, there are only about four-dozen U.S.
military noncommissioned officers and officers working for the Corps in Iraq,” said Maj. Gen. Ronald
Johnson, the first commander of the Corps’ Gulf Region Division.
During a recent interview with the Fox television network, Johnson credited the Corps’ success to its
civilian volunteers, which is the much larger population.
“The civilians are making a great sacrifice, and they are making a difference,” Johnson said.
Employees of the GRD in Iraq are improving the oil infrastructure, power supply, water resources
infrastructure, hospitals, education, roads, and bridges - all the things needed to build a strong society. The Corps also supports the military by constructing buildings and facilities.
In Afghanistan, the Afghanistan Engineer District is building new structures including power, water,
sewage, barracks, and other facilities for the Afghan National Army, and repairing runways and base
camp improvements for the coalition military. They are also providing technical and quality assurance
support to the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Engineers, engineer technicians, program and project managers, resource managers, accountants,
contracting officers, auditors, administrative support staff, and safety and health officials. Other
openings include logistics, and information technology.
To find out more information or apply for the Army Corps of Engineers, a link is available on the
Army’s Civilian Personnel Online Web site at www.CPOL.army.mil, which provides employment
opportunities.
For more information, contact the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Human Resources Office by e-mail at
CEHEC-CP@hq02.usace.army.mil or call (202) 761-1885.
Release no. 04-15