achieve cost savings, and speed project delivery. From barracks, to hospitals, to training complexes, to family housing, partnering with industry is essential to effective project outcomes. To go from the operational Army to the U.S Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh was quite an eye openCrall during Operation Enduring ing experience. Yes, Freedom – Afghanistan 2004 I was still a regular army officer but instead of leading 1,000 paratroopers, I was leading 1,000 civilians overseeing the execution of the federal civil works mission in the Upper Ohio Valley; it was the best job in the Army I’ve ever had. Ultimately the job was about service to our region; livability; being a part of building a sustainable strong vibrant infrastructure that enhances public safety, stimulates economic development, and reduces risk to the environment but most importantly its about being part of shaping the future of our region. While at the Pittsburgh Corps of Engineers, I had the privilege of engaging intergovernmental/inter-agency teams at the federal, state, and local levels, the private sector, non-governmental entities, military units and academia to put together coalitions to positively impact the quality of life of the citizens of this region within the Corps Civil Works functions of navigation, flood control, environmental restoration, and emergency response. This assignment allowed me to understand the critical infrastructure needs of our region and work with the regional leadership in the Upper Ohio Valley to develop innovation solutions to these challenges that affected public safety given our fiscal constraints. But most importantly to this publication, this assignment highlighted the regional impact of the local military organizations as well as the partnerships at all levels of government to serve the community. The patriotism and support for our veterans is unlike any community that I have lived in. While walking down a Pittsburgh street in uniform during the business day, I drew shouts of “thank you for your service;” those expressions of gratitude are genuine and much appreciated by our currently serving military and our veterans. But the real measure of a community’s support is in the educational, medical, job placement, and vital support services to veterans, service members, and their families; our region boasts some of the best programs in the country. Veterans leveraging the Post 911 GI Bill can take advantage of our world class educational institutions which provide support services to help transition veterans from the battlefield to
the classroom training a new generation of leaders; some of whom enter into STEM related fields. Joint efforts between academic research institutions, healthcare providers and government are informing new ways to protect soldiers on the battlefield as well as improve the quality of life of veterans with disabilities. Job placement programs that match the skills and leadership abilities of our veterans provide employers with disciplined, mature men and woman that enhance the bottom line of the companies they work for. Your take away from this edition of ENGINEER magazine: ESWP member organizations are providing vital services to the warfighter, their families, and to our veterans by delivering innovative infrastructure solutions along with supporting educational, job placement, and outreach programs. Once again, our members making a difference in the community. About the Guest Editor... Mike Crall serves as the operations manager in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia for HDR, Inc; an employee owned, global architecture, engineering, consulting, and construction company. He is responsible for leading, management, profitability and direction of a multi-office, 300 person team that delivers innovative solutions within multiple transportation, water/waste water, federal, energy, environmental and resource management market sectors.
Bridging the gap between idea + achievement The greatest accomplishments start with the smallest details.
Engineering in the Military
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