Who We Are: An Overview

Who We Are

Our diverse workforce of biologists, engineers, geologists, hydrologists, natural resource managers and other professionals meets the demands of changing times and requirements as a vital part of America's Army.

Our mission is to provide quality, responsive engineering services to the nation, including:

  • Planning, designing, building, and operating water resources and other civil works projects (navigation, flood control, environmental protection, disaster response, etc.)
  • Designing and managing the construction of military facilities for the Army and Air Force (military construction)   
  • Providing design and construction management support for other defense and Federal agencies (interagency and international services).

Today, as always, we stand ready... engineers, scientists, real estate specialists and administrators alike to meet national security, emergency and other national requirements.

The Chief of Engineers and Commander, USACE

The Chief of Engineers has separate and distinct command and staff responsibilities. As a staff officer at the Pentagon, the Chief advises the Army on engineering matters and serves as the Army's topographer and the proponent for real estate and other related engineering programs.

As commander of the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Chief of Engineers leads a major Army command that is the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency. His office defines policy and guidance and plans direction for the organizations within the Corps.
USACE Headquarters

The US Army Corps of Engineers headquarters is made up of an executive office and 17 staff principals. The Headquarters, located in Washington, DC, creates policy and plans future direction of all the other Corps organizations.
Divisions and Districts

The Corps is organized geographically into 8 divisions in the United States and 41 subordinate districts throughout the United States, Asia, and Europe. The districts oversee project offices throughout the world. Divisions and districts are defined by watershed boundaries, not by states. In addition, a 9th provisional division with four districts was activated January 25, 2004, to oversee operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Corps Laboratories

The Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) is the US Army Corps of Engineers research and development command. ERDC consists of eight unique laboratories.

Research support includes:

Mapping and terrain analysis
Infrastructure design, construction, operations and maintenance
Structural engineering
Cold regions and ice engineering
Coastal and hydraulic engineering
Environmental quality
Geotechnical engineering
High performance computing and information technology.

Other Corps Organizations

There are several other major organizations within the Corps of Engineers:

Huntsville, US Army Engineering and Support Center (CEHNC) - provides engineering and technical services, program and project management, construction management, and innovative contracting initiatives for programs that are national or broad in scope or not normally provided by other Corps elements.

Finance Center, USACE (CEFC) - supports the operating finance and accounting functions throughout the US Army Corps of Engineers

Humphreys Engineer Center Support Activity (CEHEC) - provides administrative and operational support for HQUSACE and Corps field offices

Marine Design Center (CEMDC) - provides total project management, including planning, engineering, and shipbuilding contract management in support of Corps, Army, and national water resource projects in peacetime, and augments the military construction capacity in time of national emergency or mobilization.

Institute for Water Resources (IWR) - supports the Civil Works Directorate and other USACE offices by developing and applying new planning evaluation methods, polices and data in anticipation of changing water resources management conditions.

249th Engineer Battalion - generates and distributes prime electrical power in support of warfighting, disaster relief, stability and support operations as well as provides advice and technical assistance in all aspects of electrical power and distribution systems. It also maintains Army power generation and distribution war reserves.