United States Army Corps of Engineers facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids United States Army Corps of Engineers
USACE Shoulder Sleeve Insignia
Active	1775–present
Country	United States
Branch	U.S. Army
Type	Direct Reporting Unit
Role	Military engineering
Size	Corps
Part of	U.S. Department of the Army
Headquarters	Washington, D.C., U.S.
Motto(s)	French: Essayons, lit. 'Let Us Try'
Colors	Scarlet and white
Anniversaries	16 June (Organization Day)
Wars	Revolutionary War War of 1812 Mexican War Civil War Indian Wars War with Spain China Relief Expedition Philippine Insurrection Mexican Expedition World War I World War II Korean War Vietnam Southwest Asia Kosovo War on Terrorism
Commanders
Commander and Chief of Engineers	Lieutenant General William H. Graham Jr.
Deputy Commander	Major General Kimberly Colloton
Insignia
Flag
Logo
Coat of arms
Engineer Regimental insignia
Abbreviation	USACE

The headquarters of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Norfolk District in Norfolk, Virginia

The Olmsted Locks and Dam on the Ohio River was a major project for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, opening in 2018.

A celebration in 2006 for a new women's center in Iraq, built by the Corps of Engineers.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers uses dredges like the Tauracavor to keep harbors clear, here in New York Harbor.

Improvements made to the Mississippi River by the Corps of Engineers in 1890.

Proctor Lake in Texas, built by the Corps of Engineers for flood control, drinking water, and fun activities.

The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is a special part of the United States Army. It focuses on engineering tasks. This group has three main jobs: supporting soldiers, building military bases, and working on public projects.

USACE has about 37,000 people, mostly civilians. This makes it one of the biggest engineering and construction groups in the world. Civilians work in many places, including the U.S. and some overseas offices. They are not usually in active combat areas. However, they can volunteer to help in places where the Army is working.

The leader of USACE is a lieutenant general. This person is called the Chief of Engineers. They oversee all the different projects. The Chief of Engineers also leads the Engineer Regiment. This group includes soldiers who build bridges, clear paths, and create defenses. These soldiers are very important to the Army.

What is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers?

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is a unique organization. It combines military skills with civilian engineering expertise. Their motto, "Essayons," means "Let Us Try" in French. This shows their commitment to tackling big challenges.

Three Main Jobs of the Corps

The Corps of Engineers has three main areas of work:

Engineer Regiment: This involves military engineers who help soldiers in the field. They build and remove obstacles. They also construct important structures like bridges and defensive positions.
Military Construction: This means building and maintaining facilities for the Army and Air Force. These projects happen on military bases around the world.
Civil Works: This includes public projects that help communities. These projects focus on things like navigation, protecting against floods, and restoring natural environments.

Who Leads the Corps?

The Chief of Engineers is the top leader of USACE. This person is a lieutenant general. They report to the Chief of Staff of the Army for military matters. For military construction, they work with the Assistant Secretary of the Army. For civil works, they work with the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works.

A Journey Through Time: The Corps' History

The history of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers goes back a long way. They have been helping the nation since its very beginning.

How It All Started

The Corps of Engineers began during the American Revolutionary War in 1775. The Continental Congress created the role of "Chief Engineer for the Army." Colonel Richard Gridley was the first to hold this job. He built important defenses near Boston.

In 1802, the Corps of Engineers was officially established. President Thomas Jefferson signed a law that also created the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. For many years, the head of West Point was always an Engineer Officer.

Building a Nation: 19th Century Projects

In the 1800s, the Corps helped the growing nation. They surveyed routes for roads and canals. In 1824, they started improving navigation on the Ohio River and Mississippi River. This involved removing sandbars and dangerous trees from the rivers.

During the American Civil War, engineers were crucial. They built bridges, forts, and roads for troops and supplies. Many famous generals, like Robert E. Lee and George B. McClellan, were once engineers. Both sides understood how important engineers were to winning battles.

Modern Challenges: 20th Century and Beyond

The 20th century brought even bigger projects for the Corps.

World War I and II: Engineers built facilities at home and overseas to support the military. During World War II, they managed huge projects. These included factories, camps for millions of soldiers, and even the Manhattan Project and the Pentagon.
Flood Control: After big floods, like the Mississippi Flood of 1927, Congress gave the Corps more responsibility for flood control. They became the main agency for protecting the country from floods.
Major Projects: The Corps helped build the Panama Canal in 1914. They also constructed important dams like Bonneville Dam. Later, they supported NASA with construction at places like the Kennedy Space Center.
Environmental Focus: Starting in the late 1960s, the Corps also became a leader in protecting and restoring the environment.
Disaster Response: The Corps plays a big role in responding to natural disasters. They helped after Hurricane Katrina and the recent Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore.

How the Corps is Organized

The Corps of Engineers is a large organization. It is set up to handle many different types of projects.

Headquarters and Leadership

The main office of the Corps is in Washington, D.C.. This headquarters staff creates policies and plans for all USACE groups. The Chief of Engineers leads this team. They have several deputy commanders who help manage different mission areas.

Divisions Across the Country and World

USACE is divided into eight main geographical areas called divisions. There are also special provisional divisions and districts. Each division has several districts. These districts manage projects based on river basins for public works and political borders for military projects.

Map of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civil Engineer divisions and districts across the United States.

For example, the Mississippi Valley Division covers the entire Mississippi River from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. The North Atlantic Division works along the East Coast and also supports U.S. military commands in Europe and Africa. The Pacific Ocean Division manages projects across a huge area of the Pacific Ocean, including Japan and South Korea.

Special Engineer Teams

Beyond the main divisions, there are other important USACE groups:

Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC): This is where scientists and engineers conduct research. They study things like dam safety, mapping, and environmental quality.
Army Geospatial Center (AGC): This group provides maps and location information for the Army.
249th Engineer Battalion (Prime Power): This is the only active-duty military unit in USACE. They provide and distribute electricity, especially during emergencies or military operations. They helped restore power after the 9/11 attacks and Hurricane Katrina.

What the Corps Does: Key Missions

The Corps of Engineers has many important missions that help both the military and civilian communities.

Supporting Our Military

USACE helps the military by building and maintaining bases. They create the places where soldiers train, live, and prepare for missions. They also build and maintain navigation systems and ports. These are used to move important equipment and supplies. Corps experts also go to areas where the military is active. They help commanders solve engineering problems.

Protecting Our Homeland

The Corps works with the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). They help plan for security and prepare for disasters. When emergencies happen, like floods or storms, USACE is often one of the first to respond. They work with other agencies to help states and local communities.

Building and Maintaining Infrastructure

The Corps manages a huge amount of the nation's infrastructure.

They maintain over 12,000 miles of waterways for boats and ships.
They control 609 dams and operate 257 navigation locks.
They run 75 hydroelectric facilities. These produce 24% of the nation's hydropower.
They inspect over 2,000 levees every two years to ensure safety.
Their reservoirs supply drinking water to nearly 10 million people.

Managing Our Water Resources

Through its Civil Works program, USACE does many projects related to water.

Navigation: They keep rivers and harbors clear for commercial and recreational boats. This helps move goods across the country.
Flood Risk Management: They build and maintain systems to protect communities from floods and storms.
Recreation: USACE is the biggest provider of outdoor recreation in the U.S. They manage over 2,500 recreation areas at lakes and other sites. Millions of people visit these places each year for fun activities.
Hydroelectric Power: They operate power plants that use water to create electricity.
Water Supply: Their reservoirs provide water for drinking and agriculture.
Water Safety: They promote water safety, like encouraging the use of life jackets.

Caring for Our Environment

The Corps has a big mission to protect and restore the environment.

Ecosystem Restoration: They work to bring back natural habitats, like wetlands. This helps endangered species.
Cleanup: They clean up areas on old military sites that have dangerous materials or old military items.
Regulations: They also regulate construction activities in wetlands and other U.S. waters. This ensures that projects do not harm these important natural areas. They review permits for building in or near water. Their goal is to avoid, minimize, or make up for any environmental damage.

Building for a Sustainable Future

The Army wants its bases and operations to be more environmentally friendly. USACE helps with this by:

Designing new buildings to meet high environmental standards, like the LEED silver standard.
Finding ways to reduce energy and water use.
Using recycled or eco-friendly materials in projects.
Working to reduce the impact of climate change on water infrastructure.

Quick Facts About the Corps

Here are some interesting facts about the Corps of Engineers:

They work in over 90 countries.
They support 159 Army and 91 Air Force bases.
They dredge (clear out) huge amounts of material from waterways every year.
They are the nation's number one provider of outdoor recreation.
They prevent billions of dollars in flood damages each year.
They have completed thousands of projects in places like Iraq, building schools, water systems, and roads.

The Corps Castle: A Symbol of Engineering

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers gold castle branch insignia, worn by engineer officers.

The symbol for the Corps of Engineers is called the Corps Castle. It's a gold castle design. This symbol started informally in 1841 with cadets at West Point. In 1902, it became the official symbol. The castle design is actually based on the Pershing Barracks at the United States Military Academy.

A special tradition involves the "Gold Castles." General Douglas MacArthur, a famous Army leader, wore these pins. He gave his personal pins to his chief engineer, General Leif J. Sverdrup. In 1975, General Sverdrup passed them on to the Chief of Engineers, Lieutenant General William C. Gribble, Jr. Since then, these special Gold Castles have been passed down to each new Chief of Engineers.

Images for kids

A team member tests excavated soil during an environmental cleanup project.