Jun 16 2025

2nd Lt. (now Lt. Col.) Donald Lew on patrol during a deployment to Afghanistan.

Joe Macri

2nd Lt. (now Lt. Col.) Donald Lew on patrol during a deployment to Afghanistan.

Jun 16 2025

LTC Lew at STARBASE in Winchester, Va.

Shannon Moeck

Lt. Col. Donald Lew, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Middle East District Deputy Commander, talks to 5th graders about engineering while serving as a guest speaker at Winchester STARBASE. STARBASE is a Department of Defense sponsored program aimed at promoting STEM careers to students at a young age.

Jun 16 2025

Lt. Col Lew at Downing Mile obstacle course at Ft. Benning.

Joe Macri

Maj. (now Lt. Col.) Donald Lew running the Downing Mile obstacle course at Fort Benning while assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment.

Jun 03 2025

Dale Hartman receives a 2025 Distinguished in Government Award

Joe Macri

Dale Hartmann, who heads the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Middle East District’s Contingency Standard Design Branch and USACE’s Center of Standardization for Nonpermanent Facilities (COS) receives a 2025 Distinguished Service in Government award given by the U.S. Advocacy for Value committee from the Middle East District’s chief of engineering Ted Upson.

Jun 03 2025

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Building Model

Joe Macri

A building model from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Center of Standardization for Nonpermanent Facilities (COS). The COS maintains a library of building designs that can be used for almost any purpose. Because the designs already exist and, in many cases, can be built using locally procured materials it is often significantly cheaper than standard construction. COS designs also incorporate value methodology into them which can result in significant cost savings either during the construction process or during the building’s lifespan.

May 27 2025

Lt. Col. Andes Supports Wildfire Recovery on the Ground

Joe Macri

Lt. Col. Jerry Andes, Acting Chief of the Construction Contracting Branch with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Middle East District, providing on-site support for debris removal services contracts as a Contracting Officer with the USACE, Los Angeles District. He played a crucial role in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer’s wildfire recovery mission to enable Los Angeles County residents to proceed with private and public rebuilding efforts. Andes said that seeing contracts executed up close and in person isn’t something he normally gets to do as a contracting officer.

May 27 2025

Megan Hoover Reflects on First Deployment with USACE

Joe Macri

Megan Hoover, a design quality manager with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Middle East District, takes a break from her work as a quality assurance manager during her deployment to support wildfire recovery efforts in the Los Angeles Area. Hoover, who was on her first deployment with USACE said that volunteering to help gave her a greater understanding of the Corps of Engineers as a whole and the lasting impact it makes on people’s lives.

Apr 23 2025

Ken Kajihiro Graduates from Frederick County and Winchester City Basic Fire Academy

Christina Broom

Ken Kajihiro accepts his certificate from the joint Frederick County and Winchester City Basic Fire Academy.

Apr 23 2025

Ken Kajihiro gives thumbs up on fire ladder.

Ken Kajihiro

Ken Kajihiro gives thumbs up on fire ladder.

Apr 23 2025

Ken Kajihiro stand in front of fire truck.

Ken Kajihiro

Ken Kajihiro stand in front of fire truck.

Apr 16 2025

New Offboarding Work Flow

Mark Morris

Diagram illustrating Mark Morris’s integration of Information Management’s ticketing system with the Middle East District’s new automated offboarding workflow.

Apr 16 2025

Whiteboard Flow Chart

Shannon Moeck

Marcie Piper uses a whiteboard to visualize the Middle East District’s new offboarding workflow, emphasizing user experience, intuitive decision paths, and collaborative input that shaped a process tailored to employee and supervisor needs.