VICKSBURG, Miss.— Three U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) joined together with community leaders, stakeholders, and local, state and federal partners to commemorate 250 years of engineering excellence with a ceremony, June 18, in downtown Vicksburg.
Employing more than 2,450 people locally in the “Engineer City”, the Mississippi Valley Division (MVD), U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), and the Vicksburg District (MVK) marked a legacy of shaping the nation through vital public engineering, environmental stewardship, and disaster response.
Founded on June 16, 1775, when the Continental Congress authorized Gen. George Washington to appoint Colonel Richard Gridley the first Chief Engineer, what started as a small group of engineers tasked with fortifying the colonies during the Revolutionary War has grown through the centuries to become the world’s largest public engineering agency.
The celebratory event featured speakers from USACE leadership across all three Vicksburg sites who reflected on the organization’s past, present and future.
Patricia Hemphill, deputy district engineer for Programs and Project Management for the Vicksburg District, spoke about the organization’s legacy and how USACE has made a difference since the founding of America.
“Today is about more than just looking back at a long history — it’s about recognizing the powerful, often quiet ways that the Corps has shaped our region, our communities and the lives of the people who call this area home,” Hemphill said. “I’ve had the privilege of serving with the Corps for over 30 years. In that time, I’ve seen firsthand the difference this work makes — a farmer able to plant without fear of flooding; a family fishing in a lake we created and manage; a town rebuilding after a storm with Corps crews right there beside them.”
Maj. Gen. Kimberly Peeples, Commanding General of the Mississippi Valley Division, spoke about transformations over the years.
“For the past 250 years, the Corps of Engineers has been at the forefront of solving the Nation’s toughest engineering challenges,” said MG Kimberly Peeples, Mississippi Valley Division Commanding General. “Through the many mission changes and continuous transformation what has remained is a dedicated team of experts, and steadfast relationships with our partners and stakeholders.”
Dr. Beth Fleming, director of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center and chief scientist and director of research and development for USACE, offered remarks about a vision for the future.
“Being on the cutting edge of R&D not only means finding innovative ways to solve today’s toughest challenges,” Fleming said. “It also means advancing our basic knowledge and understanding the problems we are likely to face in the future, so we can solve them before they become mission critical.”
All three components are instrumental in supporting the USACE civil and military operations worldwide.
Partners and stakeholders were instrumental in commemorating the event. As part of the ceremony, Brig. Gen. Chris Thomas, commander of the 184th Expeditionary Sustainment Commander, Mississippi National Guard, spoke to the value of partnerships, and Austin Golding, president and CEO of Golding Barge Line, spoke about the confluence of the past, present and future.
Concluding the ceremony, Sam Andrews, senior advisor in the office of Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, presented a proclamation on behalf of the state.
“For 250 years, the Corps has built, protected and advanced this nation — with Mississippi playing a key role in that legacy,” Andrews said. “With three major USACE organizations headquartered here in Vicksburg, their work strengthens not only our state, but the entire nation. We’re proud to call Mississippi a home for innovation, engineering excellence and public service.”
The event would not have been complete without the participation of the Mississippi National Guard’s 41st Army Band, who played patriotic music, and the 412th Theater Engineer Command, whose Color Guard posted and retired the colors.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers established its first permanent engineer office in Vicksburg in 1873; the Mississippi River Commission (MRC) established its district offices in 1882, with an office in Vicksburg; and the MRC moved its headquarters to Vicksburg in 1929, establishing the Waterways Experiment Station, known today as the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center. Under the leadership of the MRC President, the Mississippi Valley Division established its Headquarters in Vicksburg that same year. The Mississippi Valley Division manages six districts spanning the entire Mississippi River valley, from Canada to the Gulf of America, including water from 41 percent of the United States and all the commerce and natural riches of America’s vast interior, which pass along America’s Center Coast, the Great Mississippi River, on their way to global markets.
The Mississippi Valley Division oversees six USACE districts along the Mississippi River, leading flood control, navigation and ecosystem restoration efforts from Canada to the Gulf of America.
The USACE Vicksburg District manages civil works and regulatory programs across Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas with missions spanning levee safety, waterway navigation, and emergency response.
The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center is the Corps’ premier research and development center, which is made up of seven laboratories across the country and headquartered in Vicksburg.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ history is America’s history. USACE has played a crucial role in the expansion of the nation’s waterborne and land-based transportation systems; USACE oversaw the building of dams and levees as well as maintaining navigation channels to reduce risk, safeguard communities and keep commerce flowing throughout our Nation - all missions that continue to this day.