OCTOBER 5, 2023 — U.S. Army Engineers are gearing up to showcase their support to the nation and the warfighter during the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting, Oct. 9 to 11, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.
Army Engineers will highlight their wide-ranging capabilities, roles and mission areas with a variety of presentations and exhibits. Events will feature Engineer leaders and experts from inside the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and across the broader Army Engineer Regiment – representing more than 80,000 uniformed personnel assigned to Engineer units across the active Army, National Guard and Army Reserve.
“We look forward to bringing together the Army Engineer family and telling the story of how we’re leveraging innovation and technology to engineer solutions for our nation’s toughest challenges,” said Lt. Gen. Scott A. Spellmon, 55th Chief of Engineers and USACE commanding general. “At home and abroad, Army Engineers are supporting the nation and strengthening the foundation of readiness for our Army and the joint force.”
AUSA’s Annual Meeting is the largest land power exposition and professional development forum in North America and includes various military exhibits and presentations involving Army leaders, Soldiers and Department of the Army Civilians, as well as representatives from industry. The event includes panel discussions and seminars on military and national security subjects.
Warrior’s Corner
The first Engineer presentation will be a Warrior’s Corner panel discussion, titled “Overcoming Challenges: Maintaining Operational Reach and Prolonging Endurance in Contested and Distributed Environments.” Led by Maj. Gen. Kimberly M. Colloton, USACE deputy commanding general for Military and International Operations, the 40-minute panel will discuss innovative approaches to supporting U.S. forces, allies and partners in forward operating environments. Panelists include leaders and researchers from the USACE Engineer Research and Development Center and Army Geospatial Center who will speak about innovative technologies that address dynamic changes in the environment and battlefield terrain.
“How are we helping the Army enable and sustain our Soldiers, joint and allied partners in all domains — especially in challenging environments like the Indo-Pacific? That’s what this panel is all about,” said Colloton. “We’re excited to share some of the amazing work our colleagues across the ERDC labs and the Army Geospatial Center are doing to help the Army and the joint force go farther and faster in contested and distributed environments.”
This event is scheduled for Oct. 9 at 3:20 p.m. EDT and will be livestreamed on DVIDS and USACE social media platforms.
Engineer Hours
Two special panels will bring together senior Army Engineer leaders and commanders to tell the story of how USACE and Engineer units are supporting the warfighter in Europe and the Indo-Pacific, and how the Army Engineer Regiment is transforming for the future. These events will be recorded and posted afterward on www.dvidshub.net and USACE social media platforms.
Engineer Hour 1, titled “Engineer Total Army Integration: Enabling the Army of 2030,” is scheduled for Oct. 10 at 2:30 p.m. EDT in Convention Center room 204B. Engineer commanders and leaders from the active Army, Guard and Reserve components will address the importance of active-reserve engineer integration and how to best meet the future engineer needs of the Army. This topic is uniquely important to the Engineer Regiment, since the Army maintains the majority of its engineer capability within the Reserve Component. This panel is organized by the Army’s Office of the Chief of Engineers and will feature opening remarks from U.S. Army Reserve Maj. Gen. James J. Kokaska Jr., USACE deputy commanding general for Reserve Affairs.
Engineer Hour 2, titled “Army Engineers Making a Difference in Europe and the Pacific,” is scheduled for Oct. 11 at 11 a.m. EDT in Convention Center room 204C. Army Engineers are trained professionals who play a vital role in the success of military operations. This session highlights current avenues of direct support to overseas military installations, integration of critical initiatives to support global readiness, and the importance of key partnerships and allies. The panel discussion, led by Spellmon, will bring together USACE division commanders and Army engineer brigade commanders operating in Europe and the Indo-Pacific, to discuss their engineer projects and mission areas making a positive impact in support of the joint force, allies and partners in these vital theaters.
Engineer Kiosks
The U.S. Army Exhibit on the convention floor will include an Army Engineer kiosk, titled “Sappers, Mappers, Builders, Divers and Firefighters,” with representation from Engineer units from the Active, Guard and Reserve components. This kiosk will showcase a cross-section of the Engineer Regiment’s 20 military occupational specialties and highlight their support to the nation, armed forces, allies and partners.
Leaders and researchers from the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) will host a kiosk in the Army Installations Enterprise Assembly Area. The kiosk will highlight ERDC’s role as the premier research and development center for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, showcasing innovation in the fields of additive construction, energy security, sustainable construction materials, installations of the future and much more happening across ERDC’s seven research laboratories.
By Maj. Spencer Garrison and Bill Costlow