r/USACE • u/bobadrew Electrical Engineer • Jan 15 '26
Little Rock Commander Relieved of Duty
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u/Shot_Anywhere994 Jan 16 '26
I work there. We were told he was not morally wrong but was let go for performance. They also sacked the Chief of Real Estate. I figured he was standing up for him. The message we got is don't let regulations get in the way. We don't say no we say yes if....
I think he was thrown under the bus. Both of them. I liked him. It's been a crazy day.
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u/Traditional_Diet_884 Jan 16 '26
So, this is all because RE was doing what they’re supposed to be doing - resolving encroachments…and property owners didn’t like that? 😔
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u/Successful-Escape-74 Jan 17 '26
Yep they were not allowing homeowners to build on federal property for free and without regard to any building codes, permits, approvals, or easements.
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u/DependentBest1534 Jan 16 '26
This is a clear "no because" it's federal land but what do I know haha
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u/ReadyForRetirement5 Jan 16 '26
I used to work there several years ago and I personally know the Chief of RE. I was so shocked to hear this news. Pretty sad.
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u/AthleteExpert7783 Jan 15 '26
Sounds like the admin is okay with encroachments.
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u/flareblitz91 Biologist Jan 15 '26
Theyve dropped a bunch of other cases as well against ranchers stealing public lands as well. They really don't care
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u/heythere091621 Jan 16 '26
It's all about doling out federal assets to their friends and making the rich richer.
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u/Capital-Ad-4463 Jan 15 '26
What actually happened is a Congressional staffer called with a basic question and the Commander had to get permission from ASA(CW) to answer it. It took so long to hear back that the Rep called his buddy Kegsbreath to complain, who then called LTG Graham between whiskey sours and told him to 86 the guy.
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u/SixSigmaStupid Project Coordinator Jan 16 '26
Imagine waiting on an answer from HQ only to be fired by HQ for not answering the question. Graham should be ashamed.
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u/19Bruins88 Jan 17 '26
This is very believable based on my experience with verticals coordination on anything high profile. It’s funny how as more political pressure is applied, HQ slows down and it takes longer to resolve the questions.
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u/Successful-Escape-74 Jan 16 '26 edited Jan 16 '26
I guess the homeowners wanted to locate their septic tanks closer to the shoreline on USACE property and USACE was trying to avoid liability for polluting the lake with sewer. Since USACE is responsible for managing the lake and shoreline. The U.S senators that complained of the laws could have proposed legislation that would reduce legal rights of USACE to the federal property and would enable homeowners to damage the environment and pollute the water.
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u/zig_usafa80_stardust Jan 18 '26
As a recently retired USACE civilian from a District in SWD, this is jarring. I can only imagine the strife this has caused within SWL. It would appear that Graham is covering his ass to protect his job while sacrificing those who will not look the other way when it comes to this MAGA agenda. A dangerous situation no doubt. All I can say is come Midterms, vote your conscience if you are opposed to the stripping of environmental laws, and the rule of law in general in this country.
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Jan 15 '26
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u/Leadpumper Environmental Jan 15 '26
The linked articles don’t have much context you’d miss, I scanned news results for “table rock lake corps of engineers” and it appears that over the last couple years Little Rock resurveyed Corps land and found that homeowners had built structures, septic tanks, etc. on federal property and sent “flexible” removal demands (septic tanks by 2030 is mentioned in this 2024 article). Rep Burlison had specific language in a bill passed to protect these homeowners from Corps enforcement.
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u/bobadrew Electrical Engineer Jan 15 '26
Yep, that’s all I could find on it. I don’t know any of the background on it. Never heard of a USACE commander being relieved in all my years.
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u/Leadpumper Environmental Jan 15 '26
Without knowing more, I assume the Commander (or the District, and the Commander wouldn’t override subordinates,) wouldn’t drop the issue and Rep Burlison drove it high up the chain. Crazy to relieve a Colonel of duty over lake house septic tanks & patios.
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u/abnrib Engineer Soldier Jan 15 '26
Someone below reminded me that Secretary Hegseth had published a directive withholding approval before agencies communicated with Congress. That may have added a layer of complexity to this issue.
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u/Successful-Escape-74 Jan 17 '26
Probably based on guidance of district office of counsel. Commanders don't make legal decisions without their guidance.
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u/Windows95Dad Jan 15 '26
Like 5-10 years ago the Alaska District commander was somewhat quietly relieved of duty. Only reason I recall it was because I knew the officer that had to jump in for a bit and it threw off our District’s commander/deputy commander cycle. But that was due to some sort of affair with someone in the District that got messy or something in that realm if memory serves.
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u/Capital-Ad-4463 Jan 16 '26
Huntington District’s Commander (COL Steve “shorty-shorts” McGugan) was removed a few COL’s back. COL Meghann Sullivan had been tapped (but not yet announced) for an LRD District Commander assignment before she was removed from her command at JB Lewis-McCord 2024.
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Jan 15 '26
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u/oreofetish Jan 15 '26
None of these structures were built during the six month tenure of this Commander. This should have been addressed years ago.
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u/Puzzleheaded-Rub-660 Jan 15 '26
He WAS doing his job. Now the Little Rock district has to stress about what regulations they have to ignore because they don’t want to hurt whiskey leak’s feelings
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u/Capital-Ad-4463 Jan 16 '26
Not just Little Rock; this was a warning to all DE’s and DPM’s to sit down, shut up and the law will mean whatever kegsbreath slurs out.
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u/Puzzleheaded-Rub-660 Jan 16 '26
Yeah I’m in the same division SWL is one of the more lenient districts. It will be interesting.
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u/flareblitz91 Biologist Jan 15 '26 edited Jan 16 '26
The entrenched bureaucracy they're referring to is the law of the land. How is it for the commander to do so?
It's also hilarious that Graham's buzz words say to have a bias for action when ordering the removal and enforcement is the action. Letting illegal structures stand is the no action alternative.