Maj. Gen. Merdith W.B. (Bo) Temple addresses the audience at the 2011 SAME Small Business Conference in Washington, D.C.

Did you know that small businesses in the U.S. represent 99 percent of all employer firms, and employ about half of all private sector employees? Small businesses have generated 65 percent of the net new jobs over the past 17 years, and hire 43 percent of high tech workers, including scientists, engineers, computer programmers and others.

The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) understands the importance of small businesses. In Fiscal Year 2011, 42.5 percent of all USACE contract obligations were awarded to small businesses at a total value of $8.1 billion. I am very proud that our teams not only met but exceeded our assigned goals this year in every category, including awards to Small Disadvantaged, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned, Women-Owned and HUBZone businesses.

Recently, Corps leaders and our hard-working acquisition professionals, as well as their counterparts from other Department of Defense (DOD) agencies, participated in the Society of Military Engineers’ annual Small Business Conference for DOD Engineering, Construction and Environmental Programs. This event and others like it offer small businesses vital information and training to prepare them to work with the government, while allowing us to learn how their companies can help the Corps serve the military and the Nation.

If you take a look back at what the Corps has accomplished over the past year, you will see clearly the importance of our small business and industry partners. After five years of intense effort, we met our commitments to deliver $11 billion of Base Realignment and Closure projects to our military customers and provide 100-year risk reduction to the citizens of New Orleans with the massive $14 billion Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System. Our teams were on the ground this year helping communities recover from tornadoes and hurricanes and managing historic flooding throughout much of the country. Where the Corps has served our Nation, small businesses have played a vital role. The same is true overseas, where we are reaching out and working with local contractors in Europe, Asia and Afghanistan to build Host Nation Capacity.

It takes the whole team – USACE and our federal partners, state and local agencies, tribal nations, special interest groups, academia and industry – to deliver sustainable engineering solutions and the Small Business community is a very important part of our success.

mgtemple Afghanistan, Civil Works, Contingency Operations, Contracting, Emergency Response, Gulf Coast Recovery, Iraq, Military Programs, Partnership, Small Business

One of the most exciting things that I “get to do” is talk to young people across the country and try to encourage and energize them to pursue a career in an engineering field.   These opportunities have become more important in recent years as reports by organizations like the National Science Board show that American students are being outperformed by many of their international peers in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. This is particularly important for our future here at the Corps, because two-thirds of our 38,000 civilian employees are professional engineers, environmental science professionals and technical staff.

This week, I’m at the Great Minds in STEM conference in Orlando to help promote STEM to young adults and professionals from all backgrounds and encourage them to not only pursue a STEM career, but to “set the standard for their profession” by becoming leaders in their organizations. 

Furthering STEM awareness to under-represented youth is something the Corps has been doing for many years, (Click here to see more about our recent STEM efforts in San Antonio). And just a few weeks ago we took an even larger step forward when we awarded a contract to MYI Consulting, Inc., to help us host educational outreach events across the Nation as a way to stimulate interest and academic achievement in STEM. 

The students we talk to and young professionals we work with are our future, not just for us but for America.  We, the Corps, are a committed partner in strengthening America’s science, technology, engineering, math and science education.

BUILDING STRONG®

Van

ltg.van Employment, Partnership Citizen Corps, government contracting

I am proud to share the following letter we recently received from Gen. George W. Casey, the Army’s Chief of Staff.  

Gen. Casey thanks USACE.

ltg.van Gulf Coast Recovery, Military Programs, Miscellaneous "neat stuff", Partnership, Uncategorized

I talk a lot about the partnerships we have in this business, and there are many that make all the difference to our nation’s infrastructure. But I just got wind of a story that you have to hear – it’s about how our partnership with a company in Norfolk, VA is making all the difference for some future Olympians (perhaps?) near Kirkuk, Iraq.

Check out this story from WAVY-TV 10 in Norfolk:

ltg.van Iraq, Partnership APM, Soccer, WAVY-TV

In this business, we have many close partnerships with other federal, state and local agencies, and this weekend, we lost a good man. Sam Hamilton, the director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, died suddenly of a heart attack while skiing in Colorado.

We worked closely with Sam for many years, as he was a partner to the Corps in helping to restore the Everglades, which is the largest ecosystem restoration project in the country. He was also heavily involved in the recovery and restoration efforts of coastal wetlands, wildlife refuges and other wildlife habitat around the Gulf of Mexico after hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar said, “Sam was a friend, a visionary, and a professional whose years of service and passionate dedication to his work have left an indelible mark on the lands and wildlife we cherish. His forward-thinking approach to conservation – including his view that we must think beyond boundaries at the landscape-scale – will continue to shape our nation’s stewardship for years to come.”

Deputy Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Rowan Gould said, “He was inspired by the men and women of the Service who dedicate their lives to protecting fish and wildlife and habitats, always believing that working together, and with our partners, we could accomplish so much.”

The Corps has lost a friend, and the nation has lost a dedicated, selfless servant.

ltg.van Partnership Sam Hamilton, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service