R48322 — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works: FAQs on Organization and Efficiency Reviews

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), within the Department of Defense (DOD), is a public engineering organization with both civil works and military functions. What Are USACE’s Civil Works Roles? USACE’s principal civil works responsibilities are studying and constructing water resource projects; managing an estimated $259 billion in water resource assets; leading emergency response activities for public works and engineering under a National Response Framework, which guides the national response to all types of disasters and emergencies by describing principal roles and responsibilities; administering certain water-related regulatory authorities; and operating a credit assistance program for selected nonfederal water resource infrastructure. USACE’s water resource activities, while multifaceted, focus on improving coastal and inland commercial navigation, reducing riverine flood and coastal storm damage, and restoring aquatic ecosystems. USACE contracts civilian companies for most of its design work and project construction. Who Leads USACE Civil Works? Chief of Engineers. The Chief of Engineers (who is also the Commanding General of USACE) leads both USACE’s civil works and its military program. The Chief is often a three-star Army general and is assigned to serve in this role for approximately four years. Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works (ASACW). The Secretary of the Army typically has delegated civil works responsibilities to the ASACW. The ASACW provides civil works policy direction and supervision; the ASACW position, established in law at 10 U.S.C. §7016, is presidentially appointed and Senate confirmed. The Chief of Engineers is responsible for executing civil works policies established by the ASACW, consistent with federal law and congressional direction. Division and District Commanders. USACE divisions and their subordinate districts execute the day-to-day civil works program. Military officers command these districts and divisions. Where Are USACE’s Divisions, Districts, and Employees? The figure below shows USACE’s civil works division and district locations and boundaries, which are shaped in part by watershed boundaries. USACE has an estimated 37,000 full-time-equivalent employees (FTEs, approximately 98% of which are civilians and an estimated 810 of which are military professionals). As of FY2024, 26,000 civilian FTEs work on civil works activities. Approximately 95% of the civil works FTEs report to district offices, USACE centers and their laboratories and field offices, or USACE field operating entities. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Division and District Locations and Boundaries / Source: CRS using U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), “Where We Are,” https://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/Locations/. Have There Been Proposals to Transfer USACE Civil Works? Proposals to transfer USACE’s civil works authorities to other federal agencies have been raised multiple times over many decades. Efforts to reorganize or transfer civil works responsibilities may require legislation, depending on the proposed actions. What Are Some Reviews of USACE’s Efficiency and Effectiveness? Congress has requested various reports from the Government Accountability Office, National Academy of Sciences, and National Academy of Public Administration related to USACE efficiency and effectiveness. Some of these reports are available; others are in development. Various committees also have held hearings related to the agency’s efficiency and effectiveness.

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• S 4367 — Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act of 2024 · 118th Cong