Today’s episode launches our “People First” series with guest host Marie Kopka. During this series, Inside the Castle will be celebrating unity, empowerment and the Corps great asset, our people! In this first episode of the series, Inside the Castle learns about the Corps’ LGBTQ Community Group with Lee Trueheart, one of the founding members of the group.

Ever wondered how the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers gets the go-ahead and green light to fund all those vital infrastructure projects across the nation? On this episode of Inside the Castle, we dive into the sometimes-murky world of authorizations and appropriations. We'll break down the key differences between the two terms and explain what it takes for a USACE project to go from the drawing board to reality. So, whether you are a civil engineer, an advocate for your local waterway, or simply curious about how it all works, tune in!

In this episode, we are wrapping up our Construction Innovation Management series with Jason Gobin, Darrick Godfrey and Alexandra Henderson Connors. This final part of the series showcases the research and development aspects of Construction Management Innovation. Listen in as the Corps team talks about how they are using research and USACE lab resources to meet the everyday needs of the construction management workforce.

Listen in as Inside the Castle continues their 5-part series on Construction Management Innovation. In this episode, Inside the Castle hosts are joined by USACE Construction Managers Jacky Henderson, John Travis and Alexandra Henderson Connors to talk about the Construction Management Administration Application and how this new tool will help USACE construction personnel more efficiently manage policy, documentation, training, and share lessons learned across the enterprise.

In this episode, we are continuing our Construction Innovation Management series with Niki Porter, Darrick Godfrey and Alexandra Henderson Connors. Part 3 of this 5 part series showcases the new Construction Management Platform (CMP). Listen in as the Corps team talks about why they are working to modernize the construction management tools and why it is critical to have a new construction management platform to help construction managers better manage their projects.

In this episode, we continue our series on Construction Management Innovation with Darrick Godfrey, Alexandra Henderson Connors, and Renee Mullinax. Listen in to learn more about the tools the Corps' Construction Managers currently use to track construction projects and what the Construction Management Innovation team is doing to improve the tools in the future.

In this episode we sit down with Darrick Godfrey and Alexandra Henderson Connors to learn more about Construction Management Innovation and the four lines of efforts that will be discussed in more detail in future episodes. Listen in to hear the current state of Construction Management within the Corps and what Darrick, Alexandra and the rest of the Construction Management Innovation team is doing to improve the way we do business. Any questions about the Construction Management Innovation can be sent to the team at CM_TMO@usace.army.mil If you are a Corps staff member, you can learn more about Construction Management Innovation by visiting the Construction Management Team site at https://usace.dps.mil/sites/TDL-CECW-EC-TestTeam1/SitePages/CMP.aspx

In this episode, we showcase another 2022 USACE Innovation Award Winner! Listen to learn how the Huntsville Engineering and Support Center deployed the Welcome2lt digital in-processing tool and dashboard to reduce the time an employee spends on-boarding by more than 60%.

In this episode, we sit down with Terry Williams, the Program Manager for the Fargo-Moorhead Metro Program, and Kevin Denn, the project manager for the Fargo-Moorhead Metro Program, to talk about the National Academy of Construction recognition, what it took to receive this recognition and what is currently going on with the Fargo-Moorhead Metro Program.

In this episode, we continue to highlight our Business Process Improvement Award winners with Ozzy Orwick, USACE Headquarters Human Resources Data Director. Mr. Orwick expanded on the success of the Mississippi Valley Division's improvements to the DoD Performance Management and Appraisal Program (DPMAP) dashboard. His efforts resulted in an enterprise-wide solution that is 100% automated and provides supervisors as well as senior leaders with a more expedited way to view status of required DPMAP tasks. Congratulations Ozzy! We appreciate your commitment to improving the way USACE does business!

In this episode, we celebrate the 2020-2021 Process Improvement Team Excellence Award Winner for their efforts to improve how the agency works through the DoD Performance Management and Appraisal Program commonly known by DoD workforce as DPMAP. Sabine Faltenbacher, New Orleans District Quality Management Representative, joins us to talk about the innovative improvements the way the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers executes the DPMAP and the lessons they learned along the way.

Did you know Congress has a team of researchers for daily legislative support? In this episode, we are joined by Anna Normand and Nicole Carter who are Specialists in Natural Resources Policy at the Congressional Research Service. Tune in and learn the mission of the Congressional Research Service and how they serve Congress with the highest quality of research, analysis, and information. Whether you are a policy wonk, an infrastructure enthusiast, or simply curious about the inner workings of the U.S. government, this episode is for you!

Join us as we take a closer look at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Remote Lock Operations. In this episode, we are joined by Tiffany Burroughs and Michael Tarpey from USACE Headquarters who will provide us with a deeper understanding of remote lock operations and its transformative role in the navigation industry. For more information about the Remote Lock Operations visit: https://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Navigation/Lock-Dam-Remote-Operation/

In this episode of Inside the Castle, we delve into a day in the life of a local government liaison. This vital aspect of disaster recovery operations often goes unnoticed; however, it is a critical link between local government, local citizens, and the federal recovery efforts. After a natural disaster or a significant event, local citizens find themselves facing a myriad of questions and uncertainties about the recovery process. They are often left wondering who to turn to for assistance and guidance. That is where the local governmental liaisons come into play. Join us for an enlightening conversation that highlights the unsung heroes who work diligently to ensure that local communities receive the support they need when it matters most.

In this episode we learn more about the USACE Lean Six Sigma Excellence Award Program winners with Kevin Fuqua, Deputy Business Process Improvement (BPI) Capability Manager at USACE Headquarters. The intent of the Lean Six Sigma Excellence Award Program (LEAP) is to recognize Army organizations and practitioners who demonstrate excellence in development, sustainment, and employment of Business Process Improvement (BPI) capabilities in support of the enterprise approach to institutional adoption.

In this episode we talk with Dr. Will Veatch and Brantley Thames about the suite of publicly available web tools that allow users to analyze historical and climate-projected data for climate preparedness and resilience planning. Listen in and learn how these tools support risk-informed decisions and help make the nation more resilient to climate-related changes through adaptation.

As the nation’s environmental engineer, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manages one of the largest federal environmental missions: restoring degraded ecosystems; constructing sustainable facilities; regulating waterways; managing natural resources; and, cleaning up contaminated sites from past military activities. Our environmental programs support the warfighter and military installations worldwide as well as USACE public recreation facilities throughout the country. In this episode, we sit down with Ms. Lara Beasley, USACE Environmental Division Chief; Chris Evans, DOD Environmental Programs Branch Chief; and Mr. Busse, Environmental Support Branch Chief, to talk about the Environmental mission and what the USACE workforce is doing to foster sustainability in all programs and projects. Listen in and learn more about this mission!

The U.S. Army Corps Engineers is an innovative, transformative organization providing engineering solutions to customers worldwide. Our 36,0000 civilian employees are delivering positive impacts for today and tomorrow. In this episode, we are exploring a day in the life of a USACE Archeologist with Nancy Brighton, Susan Malin-Boyce, and Mark Smith. Listen in and learn more about this exciting career field.

In this episode, we sit down with MAJ Jared Demello, Frank Cook and Matthew Karlinchak to talk about the Arlington National Cemetery Expansion Project which is a project under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) Interagency and International Services Program. The Corps is one of many partners who work with the Arlington National Cemetery. The main role is to provide construction support for larger construction projects, like the cemetery expansion project. Listen in to learn more about this project, the Corps’ history with the cemetery and the exciting work Corps’ construction team is accomplishing!

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has established a goal to advance the practice of beneficial use of dredged material to 70% by the year 2030. Dredged material is a valued resource that is not to be wasted, but instead used for benefits to the ecosystem, economy, and to deliver the USACE mission more effectively and efficiently across the Navigation, Flood Risk Management and Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration projects. Listen in as we learn more about this program and the benefits it provides to the environment and the nation.