Middle East District Contracting Officers recognized at joint retirement

Published Sept. 7, 2012

WINCHESTER, Va. – Three U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contracting officers retired from the Middle East District in August, taking with them more than 100 years of contracting experience.

Some 200 people attended a ceremony paying tribute to Marsha Rudolph, Jo-Ann Bray and Nancy Aronhalt Aug. 30. The audience included their family members and friends; members of the Middle East District and its higher headquarters, the Transatlantic Division; and several contractors.

"These individuals awarded billions of dollars of contracts throughout their federal careers, many of which supported the United States' warfighting efforts," said Roger Thomas, chief, Construction Operations Division, who presided over the ceremony. "They awarded contracts that supported the first Gulf War and Kuwait recovery operations in the early 1990s, up through Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) in the last decade. They worked hard over the years to protect the government's interests while making sure contractors were treated fairly."

Several contractors either spoke during the ceremony or had letters read to Rudolph, Bray and Aronhalt. Each expressed their appreciation for the partnership forged between the government and the construction industry to meet the nation's needs overseas.

"I would love to have them on my 'covered wagon train' when going West. They could be counted on for the fullest measure," said Jerry Hester, Interdyne Corporation. In addition to receiving retirement certificates, each was presented a Superior Civilian Service Award. They were recognized for their immeasurable contributions to the USACE mission "and its direct support to overseas contingency operations throughout the Middle East and Central Asian countries." They were praised for their impact on their contracting peers, as well.

Col. Jon Christensen, Middle East District commander, thanked Rudolph, Bray and Aronhalt for their service to the nation and to the Corps of Engineers. "This is one of the largest farewell gatherings at our district, with many contractor representatives who travelled to be here," he said. "This is a testament of the love people feel toward those we're honoring today." 


Release no. 13-010