COMMANDER’S MESSAGE
District teammates: It came as great news when we heard that the Department of Defense civilian furloughs were to be curtailed for this fiscal year. Since July, I’ve been exceptionally moved by the dedication and professionalism of the Los Angeles District workforce and, particularly, by the commitment of those employees affected by furlough who endured considerable stress and personal financial hardship. Although future fiscal impacts on the Army and greater government are uncertain, I know the employees in this district, and likely across the Corps, will meet challenges head on and muster the strength and perseverance necessary to continue doing the important work we do in support of the Nation. I want to sincerely thank you for your sacrifice. Speaking of the future, I’d like to focus this column on two topics associated with one of the Corps’ Campaign Plan goals — “Prepare for Tomorrow.” The two topics are sustainability and STEM. I’ve noticed that sustainability means different things to different people, but for the Corps it is an umbrella concept that encompasses energy, climate change and the environment to help ensure that what we do today doesn’t negatively impact tomorrow. The Corps is working to incorporate sustainability in all that we do (civil works, operations and maintenance, military missions and research and development), and we are making smart investments for the future, saving taxpayer dollars and working in collaboration with other federal agencies and our partners. A few examples of how we are making sustainable improvements here in the Los Angeles District include completing additional solar security lighting at our Encino facility and installing new energy-efficient heating and air conditioning systems at the El Monte baseyard, as well as energy efficient windows and LED lighting in all baseyard buildings. Sustainability is vitally important! As a matter of fact, USACE kicked off a national outreach campaign in April that focused on sustainability to showcase the environmentally, economically and socially sustainable projects and activities that are helping the Army and the Nation. You may have seen some of the video news releases, articles, and social media updates that were meant to increase public understanding of USACE activities, especially those that help protect and improve the natural and man-made environment and provide solutions to the environmental and sustainability challenges the Nation faces. They really showcased USACE sustainability in action. If you want to see more, click here: http://ow.ly/oqGGs. Interestingly, when thinking about sustainability we can’t forget the human component, because the Corps will need employees with strong backgrounds in science, technology, engineering and math if we want to shape the future. Something interesting in the STEM arena is eCYBERMISSION, which is a contest that was launched 11 years ago by the Army Educational Outreach Program. We have an eCYBERMISSION ambassador, Ms. Sonya Trammell-Jones, right here in the District. Ambassadors like Sonya conduct outreach about the contest in underserved communities and to non-traditional education students. For example, she has started to form a relationship with the teachers and students in the science department at Compton High School. The eCYBERMISSION contest challenges teams of students to choose a project from one of the following mission challenges: alternative sources of energy; environment; forces and motion; national security and safety; robotics; technology; and food, health and fitness. It encourages students to build on their ideas that have potential to positively affect their community, which really reinforces the importance of STEM and stimulates the critical thinking that is required of employees employed by the Corps. To learn more, go to: https://www.ecybermission. com. We are now entering one of the busiest times of the year…end of year closeout. 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