International and Interagency Services

Published Dec. 16, 2011
In FY10 USACE executed about $2.0 billion of IIS services for over 70 Federal customers. FY11 workload is estimated to be of the same order of magnitude. In addition, USACE has a very robust international activities program. Tim Hess is the Acting Chief of the IIS Community. Jim Balocki will become Chief later this year. Program highlights follow.

IIS in the US
Veterans Affairs. USACE executed $350 million in projects (minor construction and non-recurring maintenance) to modernize VA facilities during FY10. Stacey Hirata is our EL.

EPA. USACE executed $308 million of Superfund work during FY10. We expect to receive about $220 million in FY11. The EL for EPA is under recruitment.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP). In FY10 USACE executed about $250 million of border security work for CBP much of it related to Ports of Entry along the borders with Canada and Mexico. Bob Slockbower is our Executive Liaison (EL) with CBP.

DOE. USACE has over 30 agreements to support various DOE offices and programs. In FY10 USACE executed $51 million of work. James Dalton is our EL with DOE.

IIS International
USACE international activities include water resource management collaborations, Civil-Military Emergency Preparedness workshops, R&D activities and partnerships, humanitarian assistance in support of Combatant Commands (COCOMs), foreign military sales, civil reconstruction and development assistance for foreign governments and technical assistance for international organizations. Primary customers are the COCOMs, State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development (AID), and the Millennium Challenge Corporation. Currently, we are engaged in some manner with over 100 countries.

COCOMs. USACE provides humanitarian assistance construction support for AFRICOM, EUCOM, SOUTHCOM and PACOM. Projects consist primarily of clinics, schools, and water wells. USACE supported water security objectives of all the COCOMs including water and security conferences hosted by PACOM and AFRICOM.

Agency for International Development (USAID). In FY10 USACE executed about $13 million in support to USAID. FY11 support to USAID has taken place in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Colombia, Jordan, Mali, Mongolia, Pakistan. In April 2011 POD signed an agreement to construct $40 million of multipurpose cyclone shelters in Bangladesh expanding a program already underway for PACOM. Tim Hess is our EL for AID.

Department of State. In FY10 USACE executed $630 million in support to the State Department Bureaus primarily in the Middle East. Supported Bureaus include Near Eastern Affairs, Diplomatic Security and International Narcotics and Law Enforcement. USACE works closely with the Bureau of Oceans and International Environment and Science on worldwide water resource matters. Tim Hess is our EL for State.

Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). USACE  continues to assist the MCC on its infrastructure grant program to nations in poverty. FY11 activities are in Cape Verde, Ghana, Jordan, Mozambique, Philippines, Vanuatu and Zambia. Tim Hess is our EL.

Foreign Military Sales (FMS). USACE  executes FMS projects around the world. The majority of the current work is in Iraq, Israel, Egypt, and Jordan amounting to an FY11 program value of about $1.6 billion.

Afghanistan. FY11 program for constructing facilities for the Afghanistan National Army (ANA) and the Afghanistan National Police (ANP) is estimated at about $2.7 billion.

Bahrain. In 2010 USACE signed a $4 million agreement to provide infrastructure planning support and is now working on agreements to provide infrastructure and water resources support valued at several billion dollars.

Brazil. USACE continued support to SOUTHCOM in fostering a strong working relationship with the Brazilian Army. In December 2010 LTG Van Antwerp signed a unique agreement with the Brazilian Army Engineers and the National Agency of Waterways Navigation. Plans are also underway to establish a USACE technical assistance office in Brazil funded by CODEVASF (Brazil equivalent to TVA). Focus of office is waterways navigation consultation (river bank stabilization, dikes, possibly dredging and similar projects).

China. In 2009 HQDA tasked USACE to develop an engagement program with the People’s Republic of China Engineers. In late 2009 engineers from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) visited Army engineers on the subject of disaster response. In April 2011 MG Dorko led a USACE, USARPAC and TRADOC engineer team which traveled throughout China and engaged with the PLA and the Ministry of Water Resources. The Minister of Water Resources visited USACE in June 2011 and an agreement of cooperation will likely be developed.

Korea (ROK). In June 2011 MG Dorko signed a Partnering Agreement with MG Park, ROK Defense Installations Chief.

Water Resources Collaboration. As host of the UNESCO International Centre for Integrated Water Resources Management (ICIWaRM) the Institute for Water Resources (IWR) is supporting UNESCO’s arid regions water network, best practices for integrated water management, USAID’s Middle East North Africa Network of Water Centers of Excellence and State Department’s proposed regional glacier monitoring network for the Andean Amazon. In November 2010 IWR/ICIWaRM entered into an agreement with the National University of Mexico  for water resources cooperation. In March 2011 the State Department signed an agreement for water resources cooperation with the World Bank. USACE will participate in three working groups under that agreement. Under the US Lower Mekong Initiative, and the Mississippi-Mekong Sister River partnership, USACE hosted a delegation from the Mekong River countries to MVD, ERDC, the Great Rivers Education and Research Center and HQUSACE in June 2011. USACE has significant efforts underway to improve water resources management in Afghanistan including watershed and dam assessments, feasibility studies, master plans and designs. USACE is working with the State Department and other agencies in preparation for the 6th World Water Forum to take place in Marseilles in March 2012.

Civil-Military Emergency Management (CMEP). CMEP focuses on achieving regional cooperation for enhanced consequence management for all hazards. To date CMEP has held over 115 major events involving 25 countries. FY11 activities will involve 24 countries in EUCOM, AFRICOM, PACOM and CENTCOM.

Capacity Development. In FY11 USACE completed two successful events to train and equip the Kenyan military for civil-military operations and civil affairs projects. Discussions are underway with the US Embassy to continue this effort. Discussions are taking place for similar capacity development for the Liberian Army.

[As of 18 July 2011]