My 8 Months with My 8 Months with USACEUSACE

The Army through a Bailey The Army through a Bailey Scholars eyesScholars eyes

OverviewOverview

Background of USACE – Detroit DistrictBackground of USACE – Detroit District What did I do?What did I do?

The GoodThe Good The BadThe Bad DiscussionDiscussion Feel free to ask questions!!!Feel free to ask questions!!!

USACE backgroundUSACE background

USACE = U.S. Army Corps of EngineersUSACE = U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Original mission is to build and maintain Original mission is to build and maintain

military structures and projects around the military structures and projects around the world (ex. GWOT)world (ex. GWOT)

Presently, USACE mostly is designing civil Presently, USACE mostly is designing civil works for all navigable waterways (dams, works for all navigable waterways (dams, floodplain mapping, permitting on rivers, floodplain mapping, permitting on rivers, lakes, and ocean)lakes, and ocean)

USACE BackgroundUSACE Background

My 8 months were with the Detroit District, My 8 months were with the Detroit District, whose jurisdiction is most of the U.S. Great whose jurisdiction is most of the U.S. Great Lakes ShorelineLakes Shoreline

Detroit district is responsible for:Detroit district is responsible for:

* Permits (seawalls, etc but only on the * Permits (seawalls, etc but only on the Great Lakes, no inland lakes)Great Lakes, no inland lakes)

* Civil Engineering Design on the Great * Civil Engineering Design on the Great Lakes (harbor repair, dams, etc)Lakes (harbor repair, dams, etc)

* Great Lakes Hydraulics and Hydrology* Great Lakes Hydraulics and Hydrology

USACE BackgroundUSACE Background

My Co-op was in the Great Lakes My Co-op was in the Great Lakes Hydraulics and Hydrology Office – Hydraulics and Hydrology Office – Hydraulics BranchHydraulics Branch

Hydrology – Mostly water level Hydrology – Mostly water level forecasting…forecasting…

Hydraulics – Channel discharge Hydraulics – Channel discharge monitoring, floodplain delineation, and monitoring, floodplain delineation, and coastal engineering are main dutiescoastal engineering are main duties

Job DescriptionJob Description

My job was to provide support to the My job was to provide support to the coastal engineers in the officecoastal engineers in the office

Worked on creating near shore profiles of Worked on creating near shore profiles of Lake Michigan lake bed, and on creating a Lake Michigan lake bed, and on creating a field guide for Section 111 Harbor field guide for Section 111 Harbor Monitoring proceduresMonitoring procedures

Also did some floodplain delineation in Also did some floodplain delineation in Wayne County, and Channel Discharge Wayne County, and Channel Discharge “bookkeeping”“bookkeeping”

The GoodThe Good

Technical skillsTechnical skills Learned Arcview, finally!Learned Arcview, finally! Learned how technology changed how the Learned how technology changed how the

Corps does thingsCorps does things Response in my application for other jobsResponse in my application for other jobs

Immediate responses, now easier to apply for Immediate responses, now easier to apply for other engineering related positionsother engineering related positions

The GoodThe Good

Traveling!Traveling! During the summer I went on two trips to Lake During the summer I went on two trips to Lake

Michigan, one harbor monitoring trip and one Michigan, one harbor monitoring trip and one sand probing tripsand probing trip

The West side of the state is beautiful!The West side of the state is beautiful!

The Good: PicturesThe Good: Pictures

The Good: PicturesThe Good: Pictures

The Good: PicturesThe Good: Pictures

The Good: PicturesThe Good: Pictures

The BadThe Bad

No biology at all, and no way to ever do itNo biology at all, and no way to ever do it I picked my major because it combines biology with I picked my major because it combines biology with

engineering, didn’t realize USACE doesn’t use thisengineering, didn’t realize USACE doesn’t use this

No Ag?No Ag? Surprised how much I missed studying agricultureSurprised how much I missed studying agriculture

No contact with publicNo contact with public Wanted to work in outreach before I took this Wanted to work in outreach before I took this

internship, I didn’t get to do it/don’t get to do it with internship, I didn’t get to do it/don’t get to do it with USACEUSACE

Too TechnicalToo Technical

The BadThe Bad

How the Government really worksHow the Government really works Who gets funding and whyWho gets funding and why Jurisdiction (especially in Michigan) is so Jurisdiction (especially in Michigan) is so

confusing!! Too many organizations doing too confusing!! Too many organizations doing too many things and not communicatingmany things and not communicating

Outsourcing and it’s place in the governmentOutsourcing and it’s place in the government Understanding why USACE has such a bad Understanding why USACE has such a bad

raprap Appalled at lack of respect for the land (you Appalled at lack of respect for the land (you

can’t beat Mother Nature!!)can’t beat Mother Nature!!)

The Bad: PicturesThe Bad: Pictures

The Bad: PicturesThe Bad: Pictures

The BadThe Bad

Work EnvironmentWork Environment Constant chiding – because I went to MSU, Constant chiding – because I went to MSU,

because I was a “hippie”…It gets old after 8 because I was a “hippie”…It gets old after 8 months!!!!!months!!!!!

Lack of diversity in workplace was surprisingLack of diversity in workplace was surprising• More women than I thought, but no other minorities More women than I thought, but no other minorities

were present, and minorities were stereotyped were present, and minorities were stereotyped outwardlyoutwardly

• Although there were women, one had to act Although there were women, one had to act “manly” to be accepted (being crude, etc.)“manly” to be accepted (being crude, etc.)

Why is this Bad?Why is this Bad?

I didn’t realize that who I worked with would I didn’t realize that who I worked with would make such an impact as to whether or not I liked make such an impact as to whether or not I liked the job.the job.

BE is such a new field, will I get stuck in a civil BE is such a new field, will I get stuck in a civil engineering type position no matter where I go?engineering type position no matter where I go?

Is every work environment going to be like this? Is every work environment going to be like this? Will every job consist of being on the computer Will every job consist of being on the computer 40 hours a week? Will I ever get to love what I 40 hours a week? Will I ever get to love what I do?do?

DiscussionDiscussion

What was your first experience with the What was your first experience with the real world? Good or bad? Why? Was it real world? Good or bad? Why? Was it based on your race, gender, etc? How did based on your race, gender, etc? How did you deal with it? Are you satisfied with you deal with it? Are you satisfied with what you do now?what you do now?