Inside the Castle

Latest Episodes:

Inside the Castle Emergency Operations Showcase – Historic 2019 Missouri River Flooding and Recovery Nov 02, 2022

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Recovering from the Historic 2019 Missouri River Flood: Three Years Later In this episode, Dr. Nadia Mohandessi sits down with Matt Krajewski, USACE Emergency Support Function #3 (ESF #3) Permanent Cadre member and former Omaha District Emergency Management Chief, to discuss the historic 2019 flooding along the Missouri River and tributaries, and how the Corps has worked over the past three years to help the local communities recover by repairing and rehabilitating hundreds of miles of damaged levee systems under Public Law 84-99. Public Law 84-99, Emergency Response to Natural Disasters, is the Corps of Engineers’ basic authority to provide for emergency activities in support of State and Local governments prior to, during, and after a flood event. The Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies (FCCE) appropriation provides funding for PL 84-99 authorized activities. Under PL 84-99, the Corps can provide both emergency technical and direct assistance in response to flood and coastal storms, such as hurricanes and nor’easters.

Inside the Castle Talks USACE Budget Process.mp3 Oct 28, 2022

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In this episode, Inside the Castle sits down with Vincent Navarre, USACE Headquarters, to learn how the Corps budgets for civil works projects. Listen in and learn more about the Corps' Civil Works Budget.

Inside the Castle Talks Public Law 84-99 and the Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies Appropriation Oct 14, 2022

Show notes

In this episode we sit down with Willem Helms, the Public Law 84-99 Program Manager at Corps Headquarters, to learn more about the Public Law 84-99 and the Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies Appropriation. Public Law 84-99 is the Corps of Engineers’ basic authority to provide technical and direct assistance for emergencies like floods, coastal storm, and hurricanes. Funding for the Public Law 84-99 comes from the Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies (FCCE) appropriation. Listen in and learn more about how the Corps of Engineers assists state and local governments prior to, during and after emergencies.

Inside the Castle Farewell Interview with the Director of Civil Works Oct 03, 2022

Show notes

After 37 years of serving our Nation, Mr. Alvin Lee, Director of Civil Works, has decided to retire. Mr. Lee started his career with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at the Fairbanks Resident Office in Fairbanks, Alaska followed by a stint at one of the research labs within the Engineering Research and Development Center (ERDC). From there he served in various capacities at every level of the organization. In this episode we say farewell to the Director of Civil Works, Mr. Alvin Lee. Listen to hear Mr. Lee's lessons learned, accomplishments and future direction. Show notes: 0:25 Episode Introduction 1:33 Alvin Lee Career Background 3:31 Reflections from the past three years 10:15 USACE's current Budget 13:30 Revolutionize Performance Monitoring 18:34 Lessons Learned 26:03 Mr. Lee's proudest moment of his career 34:05 Final Thoughts

Inside the Castle Celebrates Milestone Episode with the Chief of Engineers Aug 29, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, Inside the Castle celebrates producing over 100 episodes with the Chief of Engineers, Lieutenant General Scott Spellmon. Listen in as we reflect on our favorite episodes, hear about key actions the Corps is taking to become a "Winning" organization, and learn how the Corps is enhancing partnerships with the Chief's Command Partnering Philosophy and Construction Project Partnering Playbook.

Inside the Castle Remembers the 35W Bridge Collapse Aug 19, 2022

Show notes

Fifteen years ago the 35W Bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota collapsed just south of Lock and Dam 1 which is owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District. Listen in to hear about the collapse and how USACE staff assisted with the response and recovery mission.

Inside the Castle Mission Showcase - Puerto Rico Flood Risk Management Aug 04, 2022

Show notes

After Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico had significant infrastructure damage and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been working with locals to reduce flooding and ensure public health and safety for the citizens of Puerto Rico. Funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and emergency supplemental acts have provided a unique opportunity to construct new projects and promote resilience in Puerto Rico. Listen in to learn more about the Corps mission in Puerto Rico. For more information, visit the Jacksonville District website at: https://www.saj.usace.army.mil/

Inside the Castle Emergency Operations Mission Spotlight - Temporary Housing and Critical Public Facilities Missions Jul 27, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, Dr. Nadia Mohandessi sits down with Chris Klein, USACE Temporary Housing and Critical Public Facilities Program Manager and Tony Hill, Emergency Support Function #3 (ESF #3) Permanent Cadre Member, to learn more about the Temporary Housing mission and the Critical Public Facility mission, and how the Corps has worked over the past several years to deliver these vital missions to disaster survivors. The temporary housing mission, one of the many missions USACE can perform in support of FEMA under ESF #3 and the National Response Framework, involves overseeing the placement of temporary housing units at individual home sites, existing mobile home parks, or newly designed and constructed mobile home parks when an event has rendered existing homes uninhabitable. The Critical Public Facilities mission involves providing and/or constructing temporary critical public facilities such as government office space, police stations, fire stations, medical clinics, and school classrooms, when those permanent facilities have been rendered unusable after a disaster.

Inside the Castle Regulatory Series Part 3 Jul 15, 2022

Show notes

In this episode we close out our three part regulatory series talking with Tunis McElwain, Deputy Chief of Regulatory at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Headquarters. Listen in and learn what Regulatory is doing to improve their processes and enhance capabilities to ensure USACE delivers the mission on time and within budget. Need more information about the USACE Regulatory Program? Visit us on the web at https://www.usace.army.mil/missions/civil-works/regulatory-program-and-permits/

Inside the Castle Talks Revolutionizing Performance Monitoring Jul 07, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, Inside the Castle takes a closer look at project performance monitoring and learns about the innovative ways the Corps is working to ensure quality projects are delivered on time and within budget. Listen as Rich Feibelman and Michele Rebmann talk about how they are working with teammates from across the Corps to revolutionize performance monitoring.

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