9 Jun 2020

Following in dad's footsteps: A tour of MVM

Cpt. Alex Burruss was supposed to move to Ft. Hood, Texas, but due to the Coronavirus situation, Army priorities quickly shifted and the captain found himself moving to Tennessee instead. “I was excited, but also a little frustrated,” he explained. “However, I saw Lt. Gen. Semonite discussing the Alternate Care Site mission on the news and knew that we were -are- living in a unique time in history and that it would take a national-level effort to beat COVID-19.”

28 May 2020

Future leaders during COVID-19

The Memphis District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is known for executing many different tasks, projects and missions all at the same time. Even when COVID-19 presented itself, this district didn’t stop doing everything it’s normally charged to do. Like many other organizations around the world, the Coronavirus altered how some projects were carried out within the district; this included how the Leadership Development Program (LDP) continued on as well.

10 May 2020

Memphis Builders: Behind the Mask III

This next builder of the care facility really stood out to me – and it wasn’t the side by side braids either. It was her presence. Have you ever just met someone who gives off a certain type of aura or energy that makes you feel a little more calm or at ease? This person had it. Here from St. Joseph, Missouri, her name is Jonna Henry, and she works for a subcontractor in Safety. I guess her occupation explains that aura I felt earlier.

1 May 2020

Memphis Builders: Behind the Mask II

Building this FEMA-assigned Alternate Care Facility requires a great variety of skill sets; that’s quite obvious to most people. What isn’t so obvious is just how many of one skill set a person can find in a matter of two days and two floors worth of construction workers. After meeting Anthony Bell on Tuesday this week, the Low Voltage Technician from Memphis, I thought that was a pretty unique job title to be honest. I’d actually never heard of it before. Let me introduce you to two more low voltage technicians, Hunter Dunkin, who I found working on the second floor, and Nick Marcy, who I saw on a ladder gathering cable on the fourth floor.

29 Apr 2020

Memphis Builders: Behind the mask

Walking around the Alternate Care Facility construction site, people are usually focused on what workers are doing, not so much the people themselves. And if you’re like me, you’re also very focused on the ground as you don’t want to trip and fall over something as simple as a little cord. But, it’s important to get to know the people doing the work. They are the ones making this facility a reality after all. They are also the people sacrificing time with their families, working 12 hours a day and seven days a week.