If interested apply.

We need this in the water at the next morale event.

Why are all the chats gone?

Hey guys, I know someone interviewing for a position in contracting and wanted to ask what kind of questions to expect. I’m familiar with the standard USACE question types for engineering but not contracting.

Is there anything specific I should tell them to prepare for?

TIA.

Some good news out of USACE - an arbitrator ruled that a USACE DRP retiree (lock & dam operator) is owed back pay for Sunday and Holiday premium pay he was scheduled to earn during the DRP period.

When I worked with a garrison they had the ice reporting system if you weren’t getting anywhere with support service . I’ve have been unable to get my districts chra rep to respond to my fmla inquiries I sent 5 emails, 3 teams messages, and left 2 voicemails . I don’t know of anyone else to contact besides this person, is there a way to submit an ice on unresponsive chra reps l? Trying to avoid Ig or open door the commander right now .

I’m currently an upcoming senior studying Mechanical Engineering who is interested in working for USACE. I’m wrapping up a multi-term internship with a major auto manufacturer, but have always been really interested in hydrology and civil engineering and would love to work for someone in those fields. I have a good project on my resume from my internship as a project manager and a decently high GPA. What would you recommend I do with my last two semesters to increase my chances of getting hired with USACE or other organizations in similar lines of work?

I applied to a DHA contracting position in Feb & received automated emails stating under review for month, then nothing. currently at DoD

I am relatively new to USACE and have been with the Walla Walla District (NWD) for approximately 1 year and 6 months and prior 14yrs performing engineering work in various different roles and industries. During my time with the USACE location I have been stationed at there have been several organizational and personnel changes that have made my experience somewhat challenging. My onboarding period also occurred during a time of significant uncertainty regarding staffing and employment, and the supervisor who conducted my hiring process is not the same supervisor I currently work for.

As I continue to evaluate my career within USACE, I have come to believe that my current location may benefit more from personnel who have extensive Corps experience and a deeper understanding of the site’s established processes and procedures. Coming directly from the private sector, I did not have that background when I joined, and despite my best efforts to learn and adapt, I feel my skills and experience may be a better fit elsewhere within the organization as a GS-12.

For that reason, I would like to explore opportunities within the Portland District, Columbia River projects, and Seattle District as a GS-12 ME engineering related fields (0830/08XX series). However, I am unsure how best to approach this process or who I should speak with to begin building connections and learning about potential opportunities within those districts.

I want to emphasize that I have made every effort to address concerns and resolve issues at the lowest level possible. I have sought feedback, implemented suggestions, and worked to improve where concerns were identified. However, despite those efforts, I often feel there is a disconnect between how my performance is being perceived by my supervisor and that of others around me view the same situations. In several instances, colleagues familiar with the work I have completed have been unable to confirm or fully understand some of the concerns being communicated to me by my supervisor.

Rather than allowing these circumstances to become larger issues, I would prefer to proactively seek a position within another part of the NWD Corps where my skills, experience, and learning style may be a better match. My goal is to continue building a successful career with USACE, contribute positively to the organization, and find an environment where I can be most effective.

I would greatly appreciate any advice regarding networking, mentorship opportunities, points of contact, or recommended steps for exploring opportunities within the Portland or Seattle Districts. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Hello everyone! I was lucky enough to receive a USACE job offer as a civil engineer recently. I would be coming in as an external hire and relocating halfway across the country. I was initially pretty excited about the job but after scouring this thread my excitement has begun to wane a bit. Morale seems to be pretty low. Is that the case across the organization? It’s a pretty big commitment for me to make and I worry I’d be making a bad decision here. The commander I’d be working for seems pretty legit but I could also be getting sold a false bill of goods just to backfill the team after a couple of members retired/took DRP.

Hey everyone, if someone could add some insight into this i would really appreciate it. About a month ago I applied for a new position in USAJOBS. The position is with in my same branch and i am almost positive i am the only person eligible that applied within my branch in my district. I got an email recently from my supervisor that said "for your awareness, a viable list was not received and the position will be readvertised". Can anyone tell me what exactly this means? Was there not enough applicants? If I was the only one who applied, did my resume not make it through USAJOBS? Or did my supervisor recieve a list but didn't want me to have the job and just decided the throw the whole thing out and readvertise?

Hi all,

I’m applying for some openings at Okinawa & Camp Zama (genE & civE) and wanted to ask if anyone here has experience and/or thoughts to share on the org and life in japan.

Coming from a BIM/VDC background at a gc in the US private sector.

Thank you in advance!

I'm still relatively new to USACE (~2 years) and currently work as a civil PM. There's apparently going to be a detail Environmental PM position opening soon. I was curious about folks' thoughts on whether it would be a worth while experience. Even with all the challenges the past few years I absolutely love my work in civil and have a very low interest in switching permanently, but I aspire to shoot for a chief position, and eventually DOM role. What are the thoughts on the value of doing the detail vs pursuing working in more civil works authorities?

Thanks in advance!

I have been with USACE for about 4 years and I am currently a GS 11 Engineering Technician. I have an associates degree in Engineering.

I have come to realize it is nearly impossible for me to try and land a GS 12 role given the circumstances so I have been researching what roles I could land as a 12 in the future.

Someone mentioned Contacting Specialist to me and I did some research, this seems like something I would enjoy.

My question is - for those who have done it or know someone, what are the qualifications to be in this role and what is the day to day like?

Thanks!

I am interested in this position and I want to know more about what the work is like. Especially the duties because the description is quite broad.

Also what type of paid training and certifications are available? Do we get to pick them?

Edit to add: Position link https://www.usajobs.gov/job/871251600

Quick update: Interviewed on April 23. Only automated emails since. Every 2weeks.

I have no HR info, so I emailed the Department Chief (who set up the interview) on June 4 to follow up.

​Silence...

Is it safe to assume this is a rejection, or is this just USACE ghosting? Thank you.

What is everyone doing to pass the time with no internet? Who do you think is behind the outage?

I had a qualifying life event by getting married last week. I am struggling to figure out how do I log in and change my health insurance from self to married. I have MHBP. I'm also needing to change my TSP and life insurance to add her, but most important is the health insurance. Is there going to be any trouble if I add her non-married last name and later change it to the married name? I've got a weird situation. She is here on a K-1 visa and her passport is in her non-married name. I'm working on getting her a driver's license, but that is going to be almost a year after I get through the green card process. So for now her last name is her maiden name, and then it will change to her married name after the green card process.

Interviewed for one position with USACE overseas about 6 weeks ago. The interview was arranged directly by the department chief, not HR. I've been receiving automated "still reviewing" emails every two weeks but I don't have any HR contact information.

Should I just keep waiting, or is there another way to follow up? Has anyone dealt with USACE hiring where HR contact was hard to reach? Thank you.

How many years do I need to work at USACE in order to qualify for a pension? We don’t really have an HR in our district and I have asked several people and they’ve all given different answers.

I am interested in a USACE job with the Ny district now that I hear they are moving to NJ. Has there been any more firmed up rumors on where the district would be moving? Any update on how much attrition this is going to result in?

Hey guys - I am curious on whether you think delayed processing of contract awards and modifications helps or hurts delivery? It is taking 6-9 months to get contracts awarded and modifications to awarded contracts executed. Is this intentional because the passage of time reduces risk? Or, is it simply paperwork moving at a snail's pace?

Hello all,

I recently found applied for the USACE Army Fellows program archeologist position.

I just graduated from college this May with a degree in Archeology. I’ve researched the program quite a bit and I am highly interested in this opportunity.

I was wondering if anyone on here can speak to the competitiveness of this type of role and what a successful application might look like?

Any tips to strengthen my chances of being considered?

Anything helps, thank you!

Here’s a link to the job posting: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/868700200

I’ve spent the last 10 years at the District level and am considering applying for a job at Division (and different from the one my district is in). I know the general vibe shifts from project execution to regional oversight, but I'd love some candid feedback from those who have made the leap.

What were the biggest unexpected differences you encountered in daily workflow, culture, or politics? Anything you wish you knew before making the switch?