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  • December

    In April 2025, the Fort Worth District joined Fort Bliss, Texas personnel and contractors for a groundbreaking for a much-needed railyard expansion. The expansion is essential for future deployment and redeployment operations at the installation. It will allow units to mobilize more swiftly in response to global conflicts and emergencies. The project includes a substantial expansion of the existing railhead. Key upgrades include an extension and connection of existing dead-end tracks to the yard line, the addition of north rail access to Union Pacific track, and the construction of new loading spurs with concrete aprons.

    Building the Future: Military Construction Program in Texas

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has long been a cornerstone of military readiness, and nowhere is this more evident than in Texas. With its vast landscapes and strategic importance, the region hosts some of the nation’s largest military installations, each fortified by the Corps of Engineers’ expertise in infrastructure and innovation. From historic World War II expansions to cutting-edge sustainable projects, the Corps of Engineers’ work in Texas, led by the Fort Worth District, is a testament to engineering excellence, economic development, and community partnership.
  • Senior driller, Chris Bean (left) and lead driller, Dallas Spencer ready their equipment for the next round of drilling.

    Under the Surface, Above the Standard: The Fort Worth District Drill Crew

    Before a single foundation is poured or a building takes shape, the ground beneath must be understood. That is where the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Fort Worth District drill crew comes in. Their soil sampling is the invisible safeguard that prevents costly failures, dangerous collapses, and public mistrust - the kind of instability seen in the famously tilted Leaning Tower of Pisa.

  • November

    Col. Kroeger signs the beam used for the topping off ceremony

    Topping Off and Giving Back

    The air over the construction site was crisp, carrying the familiar scents of wet concrete, diesel, and fresh steel. For months after the groundbreaking for the Veterans Administration’s El Paso Health Care Center, the symphony of progress had been one of deep percussion—pile drivers hammering into the earth—and the grating whine of saws. But today, a crescendo of voices rose together to celebrate the next major accomplishment, the topping off ceremony.

  • September

    Air boats heading out to plant bait for the 2025 B.A. Steinhagen Veterans Alligator Hunt, sponsored by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Fort Worth District, the Piney Woods Service Association, and Texas Parks and Wildlife, held at BA Steinhagen Lake, 12-14 Sept. 2025.

    Veterans Find Camaraderie and Gators on Fort Worth District’s Lake

    As the sun rose over the swampy brown waters of B.A. Steinhagen Lake on Sept. 13, four veterans and their support crews loaded boats in anticipation of a weekend filled with adrenaline, camaraderie and conservation. The 12th annual Veterans Alligator Hunt held Sept. 12–14, took place on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land in partnership with the Piney Woods Service Association and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

  • August

    Jennifer Plair, a civil engineering technician at Fort Worth District’s Somerville Lake, holds her two dogs. In May of 2025 she was inducted into the Somerville High School Hall of Honor.

    Teamwork and Mentorship in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

    In the high-stakes world of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, where infrastructure projects and disaster response demand precision and innovation, Jennifer Plair, a civil engineering technician at Fort Worth District’s Somerville Lake, learned that individual expertise alone cannot guarantee success. A decorated long-distance runner, Plair discovered that true leadership lies in fostering teamwork and mentorship.

  • July

    Webb Family

    The Family That Powers On: Generations and Decades of Hydropower Dedication

    For over six decades, two generations of Webb men have harnessed the power of water—first with calloused hands and steel resolve, then with hydropower and a quiet, unyielding desire to serve their fellow man.

  • June

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Fort Worth District's acting commander, Lt. Col Joshua Haynes, welcomes the three-member team from the USACE Inspector General’s office during opening remarks. The IG team is visiting the district to inspect the district’s use of the Program and Project Management Information System, or P2. (US Army photo by Richard Bumgardner, SWF Public Affairs)

    Fort Worth District Earns a Best Practice During Inspector General P2 Inspection

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Fort Worth District recently welcomed a three-member team from the USACE Inspector General’s office for an inspection of the district’s use of the Program and Project Management Information System, or P2.
  • San Marcos ribbon cutting

    A Healthier and More Resilient San Marcos River

    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Fort Worth District and city of San Marcos officials led a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Bicentennial Park on May 21, celebrating the completion of the San Marcos River Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Project.

  • May

    “Lucky,” the horse sits atop a roof in Fort Worth during the historic flooding of the Clear Fork of the Trinity River in 1949. In the background is the former Montgomery Ward department store. The photo was taken by Hillis Miessner, a Fort Worth resident. Flooding like this in the 40s was the reason the Fort Worth District was created, and flood-risk mitigation remains a key role of the district today. With 25 dams and reservoirs, along with 373 miles of levees and bank protection, the district civil works projects have prevented an estimated $170 billion in damages since its inception.

    75 Years of Service to Fort Worth and Beyond

    From its humble beginnings in the wake of the devastating 1949 floods that inundated Fort Worth to the support of the recovery efforts after the Hawaii and Los Angeles wildfires, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District has successfully met every mission head-on.

  • April

    Unaccompanied enlisted personnel housing facility groundbreaking ceremony.

    USACE and Partners Break Ground on New Barracks at Fort Johnson

    Brig. Gen. Jason Curl, Commanding General of the Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Johnson, and Arnold “Rob” Newman, the Army Corps of Engineers’ Fort Worth District Deputy District Engineer, leaned onto their shovels March 13th to break ground with their teammates on the new unaccompanied enlisted personnel housing facility.

  • March

    Viet Nguyen deployed as the chief of information technology for USACE’s Task Force Restoring Iraqi Oil in 2003.

    Viet Nguyen Comes Full Circle

    Viet Nguyen, a program manager at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Fort Worth District, has managed critical programs and projects around the world, including during three deployments, as a Department of Army civilian, supporting Afghanistan District South, Task Force Restoring Iraqi Oil, and the Transatlantic Expeditionary District in Kuwait.

  • February

    Stanly “Easy” Frerich, in red, is recognized as the 2024 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Volunteer of the Year. Easy, who volunteers at Lake Georgetown, is the first volunteer from Fort Worth District in more than 10 years to be named the USACE volunteer of the year. In 2024 USACE had more than 37,900 volunteers across the command supporting natural resource management. In total, the volunteers served 1,751,141 hours, equivalent to 842 full-time employes. The total estimated value of volunteer hours is $58.6 million. Pictured from left to right are Scott Blank, lake manager at Lake Georgetown, Easy, Josh Houghtaling, a park ranger at Lake Georgetown, Madeline Karickhoff, a park ranger at Lake Georgetown, Col. Calvin Kroeger, Commander of the Fort Worth District.

    2024 USACE Volunteer of the Year

    Can you keep a secret? The lake staff at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District’s Lake Georgetown can, at least for two weeks. That’s how long they knew Stanley “Easy” Frerich had been selected as the 2024 USACE Volunteer of the Year. The trick was keeping it a secret until an appropriate ceremony could be planned.
  • An aerial view of San Angelo during the floods of September 1936. This flood, and others like it over the previous decade, led to the authorization of O.C. Fisher Dam and Lake by the Flood Control Act of 1941. Since its completion, through fiscal year 2023, the cumulative amount of damages prevented by the dam during rain events is $21.3 million.

    O.C. Fisher – A Lake That Needs to Be

    As the clouds begin to darken and the thunder starts to rumble in the distance, the bison and longhorn herds at San Angelo State Park become restless. The first drops of rain begin to hit the parched landscape surrounding the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District’s O.C. Fisher Dam and Lake as the storm rolls in.
  • Elyssa Mendez, a park ranger with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District’s Proctor Lake, checks on an automatic deer feeder in one of the many wildlife management areas that surround the lake. Mendez serves as the hunting coordinator for the lake and calls the outdoors her second office.

    An Office in the Great Outdoors

    As the sun rises over the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District’s Proctor Lake, nature comes alive. A flight of cormorant lands on the lake, blue heron and a pelican search the shallows for their next meal, and two white-tailed deer scurry across the dam road.
  • Ronald Morris is a park ranger with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District. Morris has been a park ranger at Hords Creek Lake since April 2022. He started his career with the Corps of Engineer at 62 years of age after serving in the Army and Navy for more than 40 years.

    A Late Start - Continuing to Serve

    At 62 years of age, most people are thinking about what to do in retirement. Some are even enjoying the fruits of their labor that comes with it. But at 62, Ronald Morris decided to start a career with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District.

  • January

    The Contracting Division takes their group photo on September 4, 2024, to archive current employees within the division for future references.

    The Fort Worth District's Cornerstone of Contracting Success

    As the fiscal year drew to a close, agencies reflected on past achievements while implementing the year’s lessons learned into the next fiscal year. This period can be likened to changing seasons; just as nature transitions from the vibrancy of summer to the introspection of winter, agencies assess their performance and strategize for the upcoming year.

  • December

    1st Lt. Leandra Ramos, project manager, Fort Worth District's Programs and Project Management Division, rings the bell to signify all her Fiscal Year 2024 contracting tasks have been completed successfully.

    Navigating Army Resources: From Military Service to Civilian Careers

    Picture the sun rising over a bustling café, two military members settled into a corner table, engaged in a conversation that reflects a pressing concern for many service members: life after military service. While one service member expresses concern over whether his 15 years of uniformed experience will translate into civilian job opportunities, the other service member is concerned with finding resources to expand her knowledge and technical skills desired before heading to the Captain’s Career Course.
  • - A view of the emergency spillway, 1950’s and today, from Overlook Park at Lake O’ the Pines. The lake’s mission is to provide water to the Northeast Texas Municipal Water District and flood risk mitigation to communities along the Red River. (Illustration by Pat Adelmann)

    Lake O’ the Pines Celebrates 70 Years

    Lake O’ the Pines and Ferrells Bridge Dam, in eastern Texas, will soon mark its 70th anniversary since ground was broken and construction began in January of 1955. Authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1946, the dam and reservoir were originally known as the Ferrells Bridge Dam and Reservoir, with construction managed by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ New Orleans District.
  • Col. Calvin Kroeger, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Fort Worth District commander, presents Bob Morris with the Civil Service Commendation Medal during his retirement ceremony.

    Retiring from the Corps of Engineers: A Fond Farewell

    For many long-serving U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employees, retirement is a bittersweet moment. On one hand, there is a sense of pride and accomplishment in having served the nation and contributed to important infrastructure projects. On the other hand, there is a sense of loss in leaving behind the camaraderie and a sense of purpose that comes with being part of a military organization.
  • Timber Management for Habitat Management, forestry support photo

    Timber Management for Habitat Management

    In a small town nestled in an East Texas forest, there lives a skilled group of Army Corps of Engineers foresters and forestry technicians. These individuals are responsible for overseeing the sustainable harvesting of trees on USACE property, ensuring that the delicate balance of the ecosystem and the habitat for the native wildlife species is maintained.