civil engineer

operator

project manager

equipment mechanic

red team operator

Army Corps of Engineers

When I started at USACE I expected the "Team" I always heard of, willing to build engineers and a team and thrive as one. Doing great things for customers and America....WELL that's a sales pitch the reality is totally different even from my interview. 

In my section from the second I walked in my boss and coworkers (minus the 1 good guy) offered no help into integrating into the Federal system at all. No one shared information on any system at all, even time keeping, I had to beg for that. There is a culture that information shared somehow degrades a persons worth or something and people guard project information like sacred idols of $$$$ and it's not OPSEC related. 

What I have found is that USACE promotes engineers who are good at technical engineering and terrible at soft skills and then kills good people with hundreds of processes that are never fully explained which angers customers. Then you mix in other districts working in your district and it gets even uglier and more complex for USACE staff AND customers. 

In my first week on the job with zero training, mentoring, or even access to basic operations or clarification to how USACE works I was dropped in the middle of 4 inter connected projects with a dollar value of +$12million and told "You'll figure it out"...TEXTBOOK bad management. 

This unfortunately type of "throw them in the deep end" thinking is normal it seems and we are seeing people leave in chunks for other agencies across the board. In the words of one 20+ year USACE employee "get training and get out before it kills you or you are stuck here" 

The work environment as a whole is by far the worst I have ever been around in my 30 years of professional employment. Walking into the office in the morning I feel like this must have been what East Germany in the 70's felt like, cold, drab, grey. No one speaks, no one looks up from cubicles, it's a slow painful death that I really want no part of at the end of the day. 

The computer systems are cumbersome and like to crash often, one day you get lectured about available funds and how its run like a business the next week you have to "forecast" what your time will be spent on 3-4 days in advance (Guessing essentially) then go back and amend your time card. Which I find funny how much time is spent trying to justify the timecard process. 

All in all sections of USACE might be ok, but it seems like Project Management as well as Construction Reps burn through people at an alarming rate. At the end of the day you shouldn't have to fight your management to do your job and you shouldn't have to come to work and hope you just get to leave the office for lunch or a bathroom break 



My review only speaks for the USACE Learning Center.

I assist senior specialist in assessing, managing and preparing training equipment for shipment to support program cost, schedule and performance to locations worldwide.    I receive material requirements to initiate, process review and analyze the need for actions to the related training schedule.  I plan, organize and manage warehouse inventory and training equipment, issue and receive supplies for training, manage real property and prepare items for shipment to include various items of supply, technical and training manuals, sensitive electronic equipment and materiel. I perform research and recommend strategies related to providing support to training requirements and delivery schedules.   Identify near-term and long-term supply and transportation requirements to support training objectives.  Participate with technical personnel in developing and implementing integrated logistics plans and assessments to support operational policies.  Organization is a key factor to maintaining a well-functioning warehouse so I pay a great amount of attention to inventory management.   Interface with vendors and suppliers to manage and maintain inventory.  Utilize automated information systems to manage warehouse inventory and property accountability systems, order training materials and supplies, and schedule shipments with commercial carriers. I receive inbound shipments, sort and account for items prior to returning them to their proper locations within the warehouse once training classes have been completed and shipment is returned to the ULC.  I also assist Course Managers and Training Technicians in setting up training course secessions as needed.

What I learned: When I become a manager I will treat people with respect "The way I would want to be treated."

Management: Refer to CONS

Hardest part of the job: Having to respect management

Most enjoyable part of the job: Setting up classrooms for training with some really funny technicians who will make you laugh and make your day.

It is really hard to review this job.  I work in a field office so my experience is much different than working in a main office or even a Federal Building. My field office has no direct supervisor on-site. This sounds great, but getting guidance and questions answered by email sucks and unfortunately your customer is the general public and they all hate the government and they want their permits and questions answered right now!! Some jobs allow you to tele-work, but you need a good reason for it. If you're in a big city, you'll most likely get 2-3 days a week at least because of traffic. Majority of jobs require basic computer skills. Typically the internet is super slow, and the computers are very outdated. my personal day is spent being angry at my computer. I do have to do field work as a biologist and it is nice because I can choose when I go out, I dont have be stuck in the rain. Work is supposed to supply you with rain/safety gear, but good luck getting any of that even though its required they purchase it for you. Lets be real. All the stereotypes of government work are true. There are some people who sit around and get paid to do nothing. My job is beyond stressful and overworked. I get plenty of time off, but taking time off just makes your pile of work bigger and your timelines on projects worse off.

here a breakdown of my personal experience:
i make a good salary. Better than the private sector for a biologist. The benefits are standard Federal benefits you can find online. Health insurance is geared more towards older folks. Its pretty expensive for younger people, but as you get older and sicker its better.  You get seperate annual leave and sick leave. This is nice becuase you'll have more time off than you have money. There is no long term sick leave, so dont just use it all up. People have survived there cancer treatments because they had 8 months of sick leave accrued. My work is beyond stressful. There is too much work to be done and not enough people to do it. The budget for us has not changed in about 10 years and we are expected to always do more with less. The general public is very rude to you. Did you know this was a customer service job?  If you dont like where you are, you can move ANYWHERE in the US. Even Korea, Guam,Alaska,Hawaii. You can get deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan too! we are apart of the army...  If we could hire more people, this work would be much better.

My activities in this position Project engineer included:
1. Lead, organized, and managed project teams to ensure project success.
2. Responsible for initiating, organizing, and directing projects to achieve budget; ensure project progression within budget, and scope, as well as manage subcontractors and suppliers.
3. Developed agendas and coordinated subcontractor work, scope, and interfaces.
4. Prepared weekly and monthly project reports. Processed monthly material orders and schedule deliveries.
5. Procured and managed project machinery and equipment.
6. Prepared, submitted, and followed-up on project interim claims.
7. Verified and recommended payments for subcontractor claims.
8. Kept all parties up to date on new construction drawings, instructions, and plans.
9. Responsible for implementing project safety policies.
10. Responsible for ensuring contract specifications were met.
11. Distribute tasks and control work quality.
12. Design and implement project inspection forms and procedures.
13. Responsible for providing technical assistance such as interpreting drawings, inspecting, and supervising civil and structural works to include formwork, reinforcements, and concreting.
14. Issued detailed sketch when needed.
15. Controlled site level reference bench marks, and building or roads layout.
16. Coordinated all types of construction drawings such as architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, and shop drawings in addition to highlighting any discrepancies relate to consultants.
17. Estimated quantities, costs of material, labor, equipment, and overhead for change order and upcoming work activities.
18. Presented testing of construction materials. Monitored all subcontractor work and progress, quality control and specifications.
19. Attended meetings, reviewed site meeting minutes, monitor project work progress, and updated project master work programs against actual work completed.

Projects include:
1-) BDE Border Road ( Syria Border)Segment 1A (Al Qaim – Trifewi)-W917BK-10-C-0004-84-km
2-) BDE Border Road ( Syria Border)Segment 3B (Al Anbar-Al Qaim) W5K9ZM-10-C-0017-32-km
3-) BDE Border Road ( Syria Border)Segment 3A (Al Anbar-Al Qaim) -30-km
4-) BDE Border Road Segment 2B -50-km
5-) BDE Border Road Segment 2A -45-km
4-) 7th Division Qasr Amij.
5-)7th Division Akeshet.
6-)7th Nuwkhib

As soon as I get to my desk, I call all of the QA (Quality Assurance) representatives. I always inquire about the previous day's work, the current day's work, any testing or surveying that needs to be preformed. If so I call one of the private consulting firms to set either up, or remind them of the testing.  

I usually return all missed calls from the day before. Sometimes this can take several hours to complete. 

If I have Contractor's Pay Estimates' I make these my primary responsibility. If there are no Pay Estimates, I begin checking submittals from the Contractor. This can sometimes take up a large part of the day so I either set a time to stop or try to call and get the experts in the field of the submittals to send me something, in writing, stating that the submittal(s) are adequate for this job.

Usually by this time i will have had several calls from Inspectors or contractors needing explanations. I usually have younger less experienced Project Engineers asking me questions. I always set aside my work and help the less experienced co-workers. I remember when I was In their shoes. I will never forget the help that the more experienced co-workers provided to me.

The hardest part of the job is being put under unattainable goals and deadlines, (This is when all projects are enormous Safety Hazards).  

The most rewarding and enjoyable aspects of the job are finishing the jobs before the deadlines. It is also a huge sense of satisfaction when the tenants of the adjacent houses are so pleased to see that we care about everyone and that we are their to aid and protect their family heirlooms, homes, vehicles and last but not least there lives. I love mothers and children providing us with cookies and sweets to show how much they really do appreciate our work. 

The main thing that I learned is the great difference in how the Federal Government procures and contracts with Federal funds vs. smaller municipalities and private industry contract with their funds.

•	Prepare all required electrical design documents, e.g. calculations (short circuit, voltage drop, power flow, coordination, lighting), drawings, specifications, estimates 
•	The most recent projects, I designed, were a) security of locks and dams and reservoirs, e.g. CCTV, sensors, physical security and b) 34.5kv-4.16kv 5 MVA outdoor open bus substation 
•	Other projects included electrical rehabilitation of locks, gated dams, campgrounds, office and maintenance buildings, etc 
•	Review (ITR) plans and specifications for wastewater treatment plants and pump stations 
•	Used the latest proven methods for control of power e.g. soft start and variable freq motor control, PLCs with devicenet, touch screens 
•	Electronic security of facilities 
•	Prepare scopes of work for A-E contracts and review the submitted design package (drawings, calculations (fault, voltage drop, load), specifications, estimates) 
•	Attended many continuing education courses, e.g. Power Quality Analysis and Grounding, Corrosion Protection, Lightning Protection, Exterior Elect. Distr. Design, HTR Waste Disposal, MicroStation, Diesel Generator Testing/Inspection 
•	Went to Kuwait (1991 and 1996) and Bosnia in 1999, and designed various electrical projects, e.g. sewage lift station, building services (panelboards, lighting, etc), grounding, helicopter refueling lighting, etc 
•	Received awards for: a) Suggestion that reduced the electric bill by over $10,000/year in the GSA Pittsburgh Federal Bldg, b) Power factor correction suggestion that reduced the electric bills for a total of over $50,000/year at US Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh District, facilities, c) Emergency design of a 12.47KV-240/120 overhead distribution system for family housing, etc

I truly enjoy working for the US Army Corps of Engineers. I meet each day I am scheduled to work with a morning meeting; communicating with a very supportive staff to discuss the agenda/assignments for the day, going over work orders for the entire project, execution of work orders for the day, who, what, where and when.

The most enjoyable part of my job was being an Interpretative Park Ranger. My ideal classroom is an outdoor classroom that is filled with an abundance of natural resources. Nature knows no age and no culture yet connects each of us on every level of our existence! Working as Park Ranger for the US Army Corps allowed me the opportunity to work with a diverse population that further developed my communication and ability to connect with others to meet daily objectives and goals set forth by our organization and other local, state and federal agencies.

The hardest part of my current position is that it is only part time and I have so much that I want to contribute and I am very limited since my position as a Park Ranger is no longer available.

My only complaint about management is that they are not actively involved enough with the happenings taking place within the project. They are always an email or phone call away but to lead is to be aware of your counterparts; recognizing their strengths and weaknesses and utilizing them accordingly-knowing your people is an important part of team building and overall success in communication and job performance.

Overall a great place to work! I truly enjoy nearly every aspect of my job. I only wish that it was full time.

I worked in the Regulatory Branch for six years in two different districts (Seattle and Portland).  

Pros: For the most part, the supervisors and team members that I worked with were great. There is ample opportunity for development, continued learning, professional growth, and both upward and lateral movement within the Corps. I received a TON of on-the-job training and support. The non-competitive "step" increases and cost of living increases are amazing. It's wonderful to not have to ask/fight for a raise every year. It felt like a very stable career path. 

Neutral: The work-life balance/work culture is somewhat flexible, but not the best. In both districts I had a hybrid schedule with regular telework days and office days. But they were kind of "strict" in other aspects of scheduling - especially compared to some of the ultra flexible schedules I've seen coming about in private sectors these days. Next, I found the government benefits to be okay - better than what is offered at many jobs, but not all that they're hyped-up to be. 

Cons: The workload can sometimes be really high, technically intensive, and stressful. The turnover was very high at one of my districts because of this. My job was very public-facing and thus, sometimes contentious. Although my job title was technically "ecologist," my duties were almost entirely deskwork - continually typing up different types of word documents and  reports. As is the nature of project management, I always had a million little things happening at once and it was very difficult for my ADHD brain to keep up with. The work became very soul sucking for me, to be honest. Many of my coworkers were fine with it - it was a stable job - but I quickly burnt out. 

Windows 7 migration and deployment
Provide on site and remote-assistance for user on NAD (North Atlantic Division)
Utilize network drive mapping, Remote Desktop Connection, Configuration Manager and other tools to resolve issues remotely. Strong troubleshooting and Documentation skills of the roll out process.
Image Workstations and Laptops using Symantec Norton Ghost
Set up video conferences using Polycom and Tandberg conferencing equipment and Crestron ambiance controls
Used USMT to capture personal settings, customizations and user profile
Manage project for decommissioning aged systems. Insure that all hard drives were properly
Windows AD administration in Windows 2003 & 2008 Server Environment Adding users, password resets, and unlocking accounts using Active Directory and adding computers to the proper domain.
Ensure that all CAC cards and CAC card reader were installed and working properly on the workstations and laptops
Configured and troubleshoot MS Outlook 2010 issues that include but not limited to delegates, Calendar, cached mode, notes and PST archives.
Ensure that all users were connected to the correctly military Citrix servers, in order to ensure that users were able to work remotely.
Post migration support for user’s tickets assigned through BMC Remedy
Acted as one of the day-to-day contacts members for migration problems/requests/scheduling and execution
Ensure that all troubleshooting steps and documentations where performed following the
ACE-IT Army Corps of Engineers protocols
Assisted users with RSA VPN tokens and installed the software for them to access the VPN

Over all the Corps is a professional proud organization, but there are really rotten assignments. Know about where your being sent.

The remote assignments are the worst with the GS-13 and above jobs usually reserved for district and regional headquarters. When the Corps say remote, they mean remote. I am 30 miles from the nearest "real" town and 100 miles from a city. Include travel concerns with your interview.

The pay disparity in the Walla Walla district is especially hard on electrical engineers and contract specialists. I would tend to warn off those two professions especially. Instead, try the Portland or Seattle district if you looking to apply.

Remember that as in all hydro jobs, which I am a part of, there is a culture of "we've always done it this way" but it is, slowly disappearing as the work force dies off.

The biggest problem now is the "entitlement" attitude where people think they deserve thier job and do not have to work hard. Since I've been here I've been hit with creating a hostel work environment because I told her that that her attitude towards other people was so bad that she should have been fired before I got here.

Remember, the work force is EEO savvy so watch your back.

I've compared this to the US Bureau of Reclamation and I have to say, it's head and shoulders above the USACE, try looking there instead if you’re new to engineering.

Overall, in my opinion, the USACE should have all its dams given to the TVA and the USBR. They just don't have the work force talent to handle it any more.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Civil engineer 13 salaries reported	$100,763 per year
Operator 24 salaries reported	$30.32 per hour
Project manager 1 salary reported	$94,569 per year
Equipment mechanic 21 salaries reported	$37.95 per hour
Red team operator 18 salaries reported	$29.13 per hour

Working at Army Corps of Engineers: Company Overview and Reviews

Army Corps of Engineers

Army Corps of Engineers Ratings

Popular jobs at Army Corps of Engineers

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected