News Stories

  • June

    USACE Marks 250 Years with Pivotal Support to the Army’s Birthday

    As the U.S. Army celebrated its 250th anniversary June 14 with a birthday festival and parade in the nation's capital, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was hard at work behind the scenes and on the logistical front lines. In a powerful intersection of history and engineering excellence, USACE’s contributions helped ensure parade success while also symbolizing its own 250th anniversary of building and defending the nation.
  • May

    USACE Navigation mission critical to Armed Forces’ strategic readiness

    When the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) needs to move over 1,000 trucks, trailers, and tons of equipment for a large training exercise, they rely on the cost-effectiveness and convenience of the nation’s waterways.
  • The Corps Environment – Spring 2025 edition now available

    The Spring 2025 edition of The Corps Environment is now available! This publication highlights how the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is turning environmental challenges into mission-ready solutions. Content in this issue includes ongoing projects and initiatives from across the Army environmental community that are leveraging environmental stewardship as a force multiplier — enhancing military readiness, strengthening strategic partnerships and supporting community well-being.
  • USACE Completes Two-Week Regional Power Mission Exercise, Prepares for Upcoming Hurricane Season

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) successfully concluded a two-week Regional Power Mission Exercise on May 16, enhancing its readiness to provide critical temporary emergency power in the wake of a major disaster.
  • U.S. Engineering Team Assesses Colón, Panama’s Infrastructure Challenges, Strengthening Bilateral Partnership

    A team from the U.S. Army’s 553rd Forward Engineer Support Team-Advance (FEST-A) drove around important parts of the city of Colón, Panama, surveying the stormwater and wastewater systems on May 13, 2025. The survey was designed to find ways to bolster the ongoing partnership between the United States and Panama while addressing one of Panama’s largest city’s long-standing infrastructure issues.
  • OPTIC: Transforming Mission Planning with Safety, Efficiency, and Innovation

    The proliferation of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in civil works, emergency response, and military applications is the primary driver for development of the Operator’s Tool for Information Collection (OPTIC). Designed to meet operational needs, OPTIC leverages decades of experience to improve mission planning, operational tracking, and data-driven decisions for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).
  • April

    What is a Sapper? 250 Years of “Badass” Engineers

    In the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the term sapper carries weight. For 250 years, sappers have served as elite combat engineers, supporting frontline infantry in every war throughout American history.
  • March

    Double Duty: Chris Stewarts’ Service in and out of Uniform

    Chris "CJ" Stewart seamlessly balances his dual roles as a federal civilian logistics management specialist and an Army Reservist. Serving within the Resource Integration Division (RID) of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Logistics Activity (ULA), Stewart's civilian duties involve assessing logistics through the Command Logistics Review Program (CLRP). Simultaneously, as a Motor Transport Operator (88M) in the Army Reserves, his military focus is also squarely on logistics. Stewart recently completed a year-long activation based in Poland, where his mission involved deterring, defending against, and potentially defeating adversarial aggression. His logistical support stretched across multiple countries, including Poland, Croatia, Slovenia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Germany. During his deployment, Stewart held multiple critical command roles in addition to his regular duties, including SHARP Ambassador Program representative, Suicide Prevention Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge (NCOIC), Liaison Officer NCOIC, and Unit Movement Officer NCOIC.
  • USACE Aviation Program Office: Enhancing Efficiency and Compliance in UAS Operations

    The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Aviation Program Office (APO) plays a pivotal role in advancing crewed and uncrewed aviation missions across the organization. Established to meet the growing demands of Civil Works, Emergency Response, and Combatant Command operations, the APO serves as the central aviation authority for USACE, ensuring the safe, legal, and efficient operation of Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS).
  • February

    The Corps Environment – Winter 2025 edition now available

    The Winter 2025 edition of The Corps Environment is now available! This edition features ongoing projects and initiatives that are proactively considering the environment and influencing partnerships in support of military readiness and community well-being.

News Releases

Baltimore District employee honored as USACE Program Manager of the Year

Baltimore District
Published Nov. 12, 2020

David Chai, the deputy chief of the Baltimore District’s Real Property Services Field Office, was honored as the 2019 USACE Program Manager of the Year during the Virtual National Awards Ceremony, Nov. 12, 2020.  

“David was under my command in the Far East District of the Pacific Ocean Division; however, now we’ve both moved to the North Atlantic Division,” said North Atlantic Division Commander, Brig. Gen. Thomas Tickner, who presented the award to Chai. “It is my honor to present this award virtually to one of my own.”   

Chai earned the award for his work as the chief of Security Operations Branch in the Programs & Projects Management Division (PPMD) for the Far East District. He was recognized for his exceptional leadership and outstanding accomplishments as the program manager for Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) and secure facility projects for stakeholders in Korea, including the $10.7 billion Korea Transformation Program. He was also instrumental in developing complex acquisition tools to meet the unique construction and accreditation requirements of secure facilities.  

The Program and Project Management Community of Practice annually recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to USACE and distinguished themselves through professional excellence, achievement, and superior performance in program management.   

Learn a bit more about the 2019 Program Manager of the Year below: 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Where are you from? 

I normally claim Washington state, but in truth, I travelled around a lot in my youth because of my father's job (DA Civilian) and as an adult while serving in the military. 

Where did you go to school? 

University of Washington - Undergrad in Political Science 
University of Maryland, University College - Master of Business Administration (MBA) 

How did you end up with USACE? 

I received a call from a colleague that my last District was looking to hire project managers with experience in projects involving specialized designs and construction. They had so many great things to say about USACE and the work culture; I was hooked. 

Where has a career in USACE taken you? 

I've been a project manager, a program manager (branch chief), and now the deputy chief of a division at the District level. My first USACE assignment was out in Korea, and now I'm out here in Maryland. For work, I've had the opportunity to travel to Japan, Honolulu, Virginia, Huntsville, Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, and the District of Columbia. 

What’s been the best so far? 

Being a supervisor at any level has been fantastic. Any opportunity to take care of people is extremely rewarding. This was true being a branch chief, and I'm already seeing it as the deputy here at RSFO. 

What skill has served you best throughout your career? 

I think the ability to effectively communicate both vertically and laterally, is often misconstrued.  It's an area that I constantly try to work on, while knowing that I need to truly understand the problem in order to get the right message across. This means that an individual needs to be able to listen and properly break down the information coming at them. So for me, the skill that has served me the best has been my ability to listen, which has helped me to effectively communicate. 

How have you evolved and continued to develop throughout your career? 

I feel that USACE has just helped to cultivate my leadership style and provided some unique training opportunities. I've had the fortune to work for and with some incredible people, which has shaped the way I approach different situations. Since starting with USACE, I believe I've evolved to better serve our workforce and really grown my technical expertise in this field. 

What are your plans for the future? 

In the near term, I want to focus on my time here and look at adding as much value as I can to RSFO and the District. I truly believe, for those who seek it, there are a ton of career opportunities with USACE,  and when the timing is right for me, I'll go where I'm needed. 

What do you do in your free time? 

I enjoy spending time with the family. Right now, we're exploring our community and Maryland as much as we can from a distance! This involves a lot of outdoor activities, like biking and fishing, while following social distance guidelines. 

Anything else you'd like to add? 

I'm just really happy to be here and to be a part of Baltimore District. My family and I have received a very warm welcome from RSFO, the District, and NAD, and I'm very grateful for that!  


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