4 Apr 2013

A brief history of the Antilles Office through the eyes of the people

If the responsibility for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers office in Puerto Rico was a dance, it would probably be closer to the currently popular “Harlem Shuffle” than a salsa. Though responsibility for the office was shuffled over the years from New York to Panama, then to Puerto Rico, and finally to Jacksonville District, the importance of having a Corps office located on the island has never shifted. Corps civilian and military activities in Puerto Rico include administration, coastal defense projects, facilities construction on military bases and flood risk reduction, as well as maintenance and improvement of inland waterways and harbors. Specific navigation projects have included Arecibo Harbor, San Juan Harbor, and Mayaguez Harbor in Puerto Rico.

8 Mar 2013

The relationship between the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands

The first of this series of four stories about the history of Jacksonville District’s Antilles Office described the location of the archipelago of islands that includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This installment will look at how Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are related to the United States.

21 Feb 2013

Where in the world are the Antilles and Puerto Rico?

Jacksonville District’s area of responsibility includes the Antilles and Puerto Rico, but some have only a vague idea of the location of the Antilles, its relationship with the United States, and what the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers does there. This first installment in a series provides a bird’s eye view of the Antilles.

7 Jan 2013

From state-of-the-art school to complex environmental projects, IIS sets the standard

Innovation and outside-of-the-box thinking were some of the keys to success for the Interagency and International Support (IIS) Branch in 2012. Jacksonville District has begun work on the Antilles Elementary School at Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico. The $51 million project is being constructed for the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) under a design-build contract awarded in June 2012 to Gilbane Building Company.

10 Dec 2012

Portugues Dam subject of international conference

From Argentina to Vietnam, 350 representatives from 39 countries gathered in Zaragoza, Spain in late October to discuss dams, and included in the discussion was Jacksonville District’s Portugues Dam. The meeting was billed as the Sixth International Symposium on Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) Dams. Three representatives of Jacksonville District spoke at the event: Portugues Dam Project Manager Alberto Gonzalez, Portugues Dam Resident Engineer Pablo Vázquez-Ruiz and Portugues Dam Project Geologist John Conway.

14 May 2012

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports steady progress in munitions response investigation and cleanup

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Jacksonville District is making steady progress in its investigation of what remains from past Department of Defense activities on the island of Culebra, Puerto Rico.