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  • May

    IN THE PHOTOS, Project Manager Jairus Stroupe and St. Francis Basin and White River Backwater Section Chief Billy Grantham attended the Arkansas Water Trails dedication ceremony along with Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, the St. Francis Lake Association, the Arkansas Water Trails, the City of Trumann, and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. On behalf of the St. Francis Lake Association, Dr. Neal Vickers recognized U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Project Manager Jairus Stroupe and late USACE Retiree Regina Kuykendoll Cash for their efforts in maintaining the St. Francis Basin. Those efforts are now responsible for allowing the river to be appropriately regulated within the sunken lands.

    Memphis District assists Arkansas with St. Francis water trail dedication

    In partnership with the St. Francis Lake Association, the Arkansas Water Trails, and the City of Trumann, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) celebrated the dedication of the St. Francis Sunken Lands Water Trails on May 5, 2021.  Governor Asa Hutchinson offered some inspiring words about the value of outdoor recreation to the lives of Arkansans, saying, “The tourism industry is on the rise in Arkansas! The new St. Francis Sunken Lands Water Trails will be a major attraction in Poinsett county, bringing people in to take in this unique view of Arkansas’s natural history.”
  • IN THE PHOTO, Memphis District Commander Col. Zachary Miller (left) coins Procurement Analyst TiJuana' TJ' Harris in January of 2020 for going above and beyond in her work. Harris was recently provided the chance to apply for a 120-day developmental assignment at the division level, where she said she would learn even more about the "Whys" of USACE contracting.

    Developmental position to offer growth, new skills for USACE employee

    Many U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employees are eager to learn new skills and grow in their position. Fortunately, the Memphis District oftentimes offers opportunities for its employees to do just that through what's called developmental assignments and/or positions. A developmental position is a temporary job that differs from their permanent position and is designed to train and develop employees in preparation for further career advancement. These temporary positions normally last about 120 days, but can be shorter or longer depending on the position. Additionally, the job location can either be at the employee’s home station or in a completely different state. While the differences vary from position to position, one thing remains the same, the benefits of working a developmental assignment are endless. Recently, Memphis District Procurement Analyst TiJuana' TJ' Harris was provided the chance to apply for a 120-day developmental assignment at the division level, where she said she would learn even more about the "whys" of USACE contracting.

  • April

    IN THE PHOTOS, photos of the Memphis District’s Ensley Engineer Yard after getting hit hard with frigid temperatures in mid-February this year. From frozen pipes to no electricity, many people and structures were impacted by the icy weather, including the district’s Dredge Hurley. It took approximately one month and multiple Ensley Engineer Yard crews to thaw out and repair the dredge. Now that the Dredge Hurley is thawed and repaired, it’s ready to dredge the Mississippi River, which is scheduled to start within the next two weeks.

    Memphis District Hurley: Thawed out and ready to dredge

    During most off seasons, maintaining the Hurley takes a few months and a couple of crews to get everything done. This off-season was a bit different, as unexpected weather posed more obstacles than usual. Much of the south, including Memphis, Tennessee, was hit hard with frigid temperatures in mid-February this year. The last time Memphians experienced weather like this was in 1994.  From frozen pipes to no electricity, many people and structures were impacted by the icy weather, including the district’s Dredge Hurley.

  • March

    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Division Deputies were recently in Memphis, Tennessee, for a Deputies Summit and tour of the area. As part of their tour, the group traveled to the Memphis District’s Ensley Engineer Yard to learn about the Mississippi River and Tributaries Regional Channel Improvement Program. Following their briefing, the deputies toured the Motor Vessel Mississippi, spoke with Dredge Hurley Master Adrian Pirani about the previous dredging season, visited with emergency operations staff, and then ended the tour by observing day-to-day operations at the Metals Shop, which is where much of the maintenance and repairing of our Revetment fleet and machinery take place. (USACE photos by Jessica Haas)

    USACE Division Deputies visit Memphis for Summit, Engineer Yard tour

    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Division Deputies recently met in Memphis, Tennessee, for a Deputies Summit and tour of the Memphis District area. "The USACE HQ Deputy Summit enables the MSC/Centers/Labs and 249th Engineer Battalion (Prime Power) Deputies to share lessons learned, best practices and engage key HQs staff on Enterprise challenges, policies, and processes in order to Take Care of our People, Support National Readiness, Modernize, Strengthen Partnerships, and Revolutionize Delivery," Mississippi Valley Division Deputy Division Engineer Col. Jeremy Chapman said.
  • IN THE PHOTOS, a team of mechanics, electricians, carpenters, pipefitters, HVAC technicians, and revetment workers all got together to completely renovate the Tractor Shop’s breakroom, literally from the ground up. These are the before photos of the breakroom.

    Project Makeover: Tractor Shop Breakroom

    The Memphis District's skilled tradesmen are at it again, demoing and remodeling one building at a time until they've covered every structure in need of a makeover at Ensley Engineer Yard. Recently, a team of mechanics, electricians, carpenters, pipefitters, HVAC technicians, and revetment workers all got together to completely renovate the Tractor Shop’s breakroom, literally from the ground up.
  • IN THE PHOTOS, this month, we are highlighting Carla Wells. She is a government purchase card business manager for the Contracting/Oversight Branch. Here are a few photos of her during her time as a government purchase card business manager.

    Employee Spotlight: Carla Wells

    In any business, it’s the people that make it work. Without them, organizations ultimately fail. That’s why the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Memphis District values each and every one of its employees so much. To show how much we do, we highlight one employee every month by asking a few questions about the position they’re in and how they got to where they are today. This month, we are highlighting Carla Wells. She is a government purchase card business manager for the Contracting/Oversight Branch.
  • IN THE PHOTOS, the Mississippi Valley, the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), the Mississippi Valley Division, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) all met for an event known as the Mississippi Valley Construction Roundtable, which was held in downtown Memphis, Tennessee this year on Feb. 18 and 19. This annual meeting afforded the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Associated General Contractors of America an opportunity to recognize contractors and engineering staff that have exhibited outstanding safety practices in delivering USACE projects. One of these awards are pictured above. (USACE photos by Vance Harris)

    Associated General Contractors of America Event a success

    The Mississippi Valley Associated General Contractors of America (MVAGC) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mississippi Valley Division (MVD) met for an event known as the Mississippi Valley Construction Roundtable, which was held in downtown Memphis, Tennessee, this year on Feb. 18 and 19. “The meeting between the Mississippi Valley Branch of the AGC and Mississippi Valley Division of the Corps of Engineers offers an opportunity for staff from the division headquarters and six districts to interact with our contracting partners who help us deliver our program,” Construction Branch Chief Jim Wolff said. “Through two key meetings (the Dredging Issues Roundtable and the Construction Specifications Session Roundtable), open communication, and frank discussion, we identify issues or problems related to dredging, construction, and contracting. These meetings offer member contractors an open forum to develop potential solutions to solve issues or problems.”

  • December

    IN THE PHOTO, the Dredge Hurley is docked at Ensley Engineer Yard for some much-needed repairs and the crew is now home for some rest and recuperation after another long but successful season of dredging the Mississippi River. Adrian Pirani, Dredge Hurley master, said the crew successfully removed a little more than 8 million cubic yards of sediment this season. The season was shorter than last year due to the Hurley needing maintenance done, which required the Hurley be placed on a larger dry dock down south for a few months earlier this year. (USACE photos by Jessica Haas)

    Hurley docked after another successful dredging season

    After almost eight months of dredging the Mississippi River, the Dredge Hurley and crew are now home where the Hurley is docked at Ensley Engineer Yard for some much-needed repairs and maintenance.
  • Engines at Memphis District’s Huxtable and Graham Burke Pumping Plants needed extensive repairs to return the plants to full operation. Two service contracts were awarded and the Project Delivery Team, along with its local partners, has successfully reached project completion on both. Contrgatualtions Team.

    Projects Completed: Pumping plant engine repairs

    Engines at Memphis District’s Huxtable and Graham Burke Pumping Plants needed extensive repairs to return the plants to full operation. Two service contracts were awarded and the Project Delivery Team, along with its local partners, has successfully reached project completion on both. Congratulations Team.

  • November

    IN THE PHOTO, picture of the Zoom presentation Outreach Coordinator Brian Schneider held with University of Memphis students. This is one of several presentations Schneider has conducted as he has as true passion for giving back to the community and helping others when they need it most. (Courtesy photo)

    Giving back where it matters most

    According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the percentage of Americans without work skyrocketed from a little over 4 percent to a full-blown 14 percent between March and April this year. While that number has dwindled down in percentage points from month to month, it's still nowhere near where we were before our country was hit with COVID-19 and consequently suffered a significant collapse in the job market. This is part of what motivated U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Memphis District's Brian Schneider. Schneider is the district's Outreach Coordinator and has been with the Memphis District for just over a year. As his title suggests, he's passionate about reaching out, and that's just what he did when this opportunity presented itself.

  • September

    Drone operators from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Engineering Research and Development Center, or ERDC, in Vicksburg, Miss., deploy forward to southwest Louisiana mid-Sept. 2020 in support of Operation Blue Roof for Hurricane Laura response. Charles McKenzie, left, and Michael Baker operate a drone in Sulfur, La., Sept. 20. On the front end of the Blue Roof mission, drones can be used to help our staff assess homes to determine eligibility for the program. On the back end, they help our quality assurance specialists verify the fiber reinforced sheeting was installed per contract specifications.

    Blue Roof recipients witness USACE innovation

    Innovating and improving processes are what the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers do, especially when it comes to hurricane recovery operations. So when it came time to respond to a Hurricane like Laura, the Corps came ready to deliver temporary roofing with an upgraded Blue Roof Program.

  • July

    (USACE Photo/Jessica Haas)

    Bank Grading Unit paves way for commerce, safety

    Memphis District Commander Col. Zachary Miller recently visited Island 68, a project site in Arkansas, where he met with the district’s hardworking Bank Grading Unit and reviewed progress made at the site thus far. According to Project Manager and River/Civil Engineer Cole Stonebrook, we have done work here before as this area is particularly erosive and scours easily in moving water. “The soils in the area are very unstable and highly erosive,” he said. “We are addressing a large bank failure by grading irregularities in the bank alignment to a smooth straight alignment. The Grading Unit is grading the banks to a one on four slope,  which requires moving 220,000 cubic yards of material.”

  • June

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    Slide repairs contracted in four states

    The Memphis District's Caruthersville Area Office team successfully held a virtual preconstruction conference to discuss contracts awarded for future levee slide repairs in Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, and Tennessee.  “The contracts furnish all plant, labor, equipment, and any incidental-related work according to the plans and specifications for repairing 18 slides under Work Area Three and 14 slides under Work Area Four for a total of 32 slides,” Lead Civil Engineer Jack Ratliff said.
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    Memphis District Commander tours several project sites

    Memphis District Commander Col. Zachary Miller had a busy day June 17 kicking off a summer full of visiting several of the district's project sites in our area of responsibility. Encompassing almost 25,000 square miles, the Memphis District is responsible for federal civil works projects in portions of six states - Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee.
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    Memphis Revetment Season in full swing

    The Memphis District Revetment season officially began this year on June 11, with District Commander Col. Zachary Miller hosting a kickoff meeting at the Ensley Engineer Yard to get things started. “Protecting the Mississippi River banks keeps the channel in place, which maintains the necessary depth and alignment that allows the thousands of tows to travel up and down the river year round,” the commander said. “Without this work, the river would shift resulting in new, shallow cutoffs that could not be safely traveled.”
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    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.”

  • May

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    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.
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    A look back: Marshall’s 40 years of service

    “First and foremost, what inspired me was the veterans,” Marshall said. “While serving as a purchasing agent in the Prosthetics Department of the VA, I enjoyed helping the veterans get the products, medicines, home alterations, and equipment they needed. Providing equipment for the blind and handicapped, and seeing their appreciation for the small things filled my heart with joy.  I enjoyed having input in the selection of the equipment provided, and enjoyed informing them of products or services they were unaware that they may have qualified for.”  Contract Specialist Valerie Marshall recently celebrated 40 years of federal service, so we decided to step back and take a look at how she spent those years, as we are very grateful for her service to the Memphis District as well as to this nation.
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    Fisk Scour Repair Project is Ready-to-Advertise

    Reaching a project milestone is the result of successive interim achievements along the way. Successive interim achievements have propelled the Fisk Scour Repair Project Delivery Team (PDT) to successfully reach its important Ready-to-Advertise milestone on May 15.
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    New Supplemental Program Manager, Programs Management Branch

    Simmerman began his career as a Civil Engineer in the Survey Section, where he completed a year and a half “intern” rotational assignment rotating through various Memphis District Offices. Andy has also worked on the Mississippi River Channel Improvement Project and has served over four years as a Project Manager working on projects in Eastern Arkansas, mainly the Grand Prairie Project and White River Comprehensive Study, as well as the St. Johns New Madrid Project.