Photo By Ana Allen | JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- Lauren Oliver, Alaska District hydraulic...... read more read more
BLOG: By Lauren Oliver, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Alaska District
I remember feeling excited but nervous while getting off a plane during the middle of winter in Anchorage, Alaska. I had just graduated with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from California State University, Sacramento. I knew nothing but California sunshine and wondered how I would handle the supposed “six months of darkness.”
On a whim, I applied for a two-year internship in the Department of the Army’s Pathways Program – thinking anyone can do anything for two years. Fast forward four years later and I recently purchased my first home in Alaska and can’t imagine living anywhere else.
It didn’t take long for me to realize the unique nature of working for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District. As part of my internship, I rotated through several developmental assignments within the organization.
During my three-month rotation in the Construction Branch, I traveled to Valdez to witness the building of a small boat harbor from the ground up. I learned that all of the new boat slips were reserved before the project was completed – a testament to the harbor’s importance in that community. The quality assurance representative that I shadowed even taught me how to catch my first salmon during our off-duty hours.
Highlights of other rotational assignments included drilling and classifying samples with geotechnical engineers, surveying storm-water tunnels in Okinawa, Japan, and chartering eight-seater planes to inspect projects in the most remote corners of the state. One of my favorite site visits involved skirting around a lone musk ox in order to complete a river revetment inspection in Deering.
A benefit of working for the Corps is the opportunity for growth. I have attended training on topics such as hydraulic modeling, coastal processes and ice engineering to increase my technical competence. I recently obtained my license as a professional engineer – a lifelong achievement that is in large part due to the Corps providing me with the necessary resources and experience.
Not long ago, I was accepted into the Corps’ Emerging Enterprise Leaders Development Program, a yearlong developmental experience that includes courses, mentorship, a team-based problem-solving project, and one-week stint at the Corps’ headquarters in Washington, D.C. It’s no wonder everyone in my office seems to stay with the Corps for 30-plus years.
The sense of community within Alaska and the Corps is palpable. I think it has to do with the fact that more than half of Alaskans are transplants from the “Lower 48.” Soon after arriving at the district, coworkers I just met were having me over to their houses for dinner and inviting me on overnight kayaking trips. My sponsor even let me stay in his house until I found a place of my own.
I try to pay back their kindness when I can, such as helping new interns find homes (or turning them into my roommates – shout out to Emily Turner!). And in November, three fellow employees and I will be trekking to the Everest Base Camp in Nepal’s Himalayan mountain range.
After completing my two-year internship, I accepted a permanent position as a hydraulic engineer in the Hydraulics and Hydrology Section. The opportunities for fieldwork and design drew me in, as well as my fascination with the unpredictability of water.
I typically work on designing or inspecting flood control, erosion control and navigation projects. I’m also training to become the office’s expert on the Chena Flood Control Project, which involves monitoring the basin for rain and snowmelt operations, running flow prediction models and determining dam gate changes during operations to prevent flood damage in Fairbanks.
Four years ago, if someone told me where I would be today, I never would have believed them. So my advice to recent college graduates is to apply for an Army Pathways Internship. Anyone can do anything for two years. And who knows, you could find yourself tiptoeing around a musk ox someday.
About Alaska District:
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Alaska District headquarters is located at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on a bluff overlooking Anchorage. Part of the Pacific Ocean Division, the district is composed of several resident offices located across the state in major cities and on development and construction sites. Employees of these offices primarily support the military missions of the armed forces throughout Alaska and partner with the many civil agencies in the planning, construction and operation of their projects.
Interested prospective employees are asked to send resumes to podrecruitment@usace.army.mil or to call (808) 202-0523.
| Date Taken: | 07.01.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 07.01.2019 15:29 |
| Story ID: | 329753 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON , ALASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 527 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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