‘It’s the teamwork that defines us’: USACE celebrates 250 years

Published 1:29 pm Wednesday, June 18, 2025

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) held a celebration of its 250th anniversary Wednesday at Washington Street Park in downtown Vicksburg.

Army officials and community leaders spoke at the event.

Lt. Col. Garrett Dean served as the master of ceremonies. He spoke about the founding of USACE.

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“On June 14, 1775, the Continental Army was established, thus becoming the U.S. Army. And on June 16, 1775, Gen. George Washington appointed Col. Richard Gridley as the first chief engineer, marking the beginning of the Corps of Engineers’ rich history,” Dean said. “This set the stage for the establishment of the first permanent engineer office in Vicksburg in 1873.”

Maj. Gen. Kimberly Peeples, the commanding general of the Mississippi Valley Division, also spoke at the event.

“Gen. George Washington knew that to be a successful fighting force, he needed a successful engineer regiment by his side, a branch of the army to solve the nation’s toughest engineering problems,” she said. “Today, we celebrate his vision and those who paved the way.”

She also spoke about the responsibility of USACE and its mission.

“It’s the teamwork that defines us. Together, we have prevented trillions in flood damage, kept 500 million tons of trade moving each year, and built trust across generations,” Peeples said. “Let me say this again: Nothing in this basin gets done alone. Never has, and it never will. We stand on the shoulders of giants… and this is an awesome reality.”

USACE has a large presence in Vicksburg. It is home to the Mississippi Valley Division, the Vicksburg District, and the Engineer Research and Development Center.

Sam Andrews, a representative of Gov. Tate Reeves’s office, also spoke and presented USACE leaders with a proclamation declaring the month of June 2025 as U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Month.

Partners from the private sector were also in attendance. Golding Barge Line President and CEO Austin Golding spoke about the economic importance of maintaining waterways, a key function of USACE’s presence in Vicksburg.

“This is a river town. I can see why the Corps has made a home here for so long. Many people may not know this, and I always like to try to point this out, because I’m really, really proud of it,” Golding said. “The four Mississippi-owned towboat companies that are here in Mississippi are all in Vicksburg. They’re not in Greenville; they’re not in Clarksdale; they’re not in Natchez. (For) Golden Barge Line, Yazoo River Towing, Magnolia Marine, Terrell River Service, along with all the federal mariners that are here in town, this is home base. This is the mariner capital of the Southeast.”