pacific connection spring 06-spring 2006 · 2 the pacific connection spring 2006 ... nearly 200...

U.S. Army Corpsof EngineersHonolulu District

The PacificConnection

The PacificConnection

U.S. Army Corpsof EngineersHonolulu District

Vol. 40, Nr. 2Spring 2006Vol. 40, Nr. 2Spring 2006

Honolulu District Geotechnical Engineers AssistHawaii with State-wide Dam InspectionsHonolulu District Geotechnical Engineers AssistHawaii with State-wide Dam Inspections

OpinionCommander’s Comments2 The Pacific Connection Spring 2006

Lt. Col. David E. AndersonDistrict Commander

The following statement in an Armystrategy document recently caught my eye:

The “center of our formation,” is aterm used to describe the single mostimportant attribute of an Army unit.

It is not our weapon systems,technical superiority, or automatedcommand and control systems that makeour Army the greatest land force on earth.It is the Soldier.

All other aspects of generatingcombat power are enablers to the youngmen and women who populate the Army’sunits.

Recently I was talking about the“Center of the Formation” with somefellow district commanders. If the Soldieris the center of the U.S. Army’s formation,what, we wondered, might one considerthe “center of the U.S. Army Corps ofEngineers’ formation?” To me, the answeris simple.

The center of our formation in theU.S. Army Corps of Engineers is ourtechnical expertise!

It is because of our technical expertisethat our nation has turned to the Corps for230 years to solve its most vexing problems.From the establishment of the Corps in 1775until today, we have been the Nation’s “go-to” engineers. Let me cite some exampleshere in the Honolulu District:

• Because of our technical expertisethe U.S. Department of the Interior cameto us to design and construct the PalauCompact Road;

• Because of our technical expertise wewere called upon to design and constructthe Kaneohe-Kailua Dam, the largest floodcontrol project in the State of Hawaii;

• Because of our technical expertise wewere able to deploy a team of engineersand geologists to the Philippines after ahorrific mud slide on Leyte;

• Because of our technical expertisethe Nation called on us to regulate thenation’s waterways and to protect herwetlands. We have protected and createdsome of the most ecologically diversewetlands and marshes in the country righthere in Hawaii;

• Because of our technical expertise wehave responded to our Nation’s needs byrebuilding Afghanistan and Iraq, helpingstrengthen these fledgling democracies;

• Because of our technical expertise wewere able to demonstrate our relevance tothe needs of the state of Hawaii after theKaloko Dam breach on Kauai. Wedeployed geotechnical experts fromaround the country to make a quickassessment of all dams in the state;

• Because of our technical expertise wehave constructed many miles of floodcontrol features in Hawaii, Guam,American Samoa, and the NorthernMarianas, saving untold millions ofdollars in flood damage; and

• Because of our technical expertise wehave provided thousands of updatedbarracks rooms, state of the art trainingfacilities and modern command and controlfacilities for Soldiers and Airmen in Hawaii.

“In a time of profound change,the Soldier remains the center of

our formations.In this conflict of daunting complexity

and diversity,the Soldier is the ultimate platform.”

The Center of the Formation

The best place where the bestpeople serve...

...singularly focused onexecuting quality projects......reliable and responsible...

...and having fun!

“The center of ourformation in the

U.S. Army Corps of Engineersis our technical expertise!”

There is much ado about the Corps“sacrificing its technical expertise” in thename of a new military constructionstrategy known as “MILCONTransformation.” I can assure that thiscannot and will not happen.

Our reputation as the “world’spremier public engineering agency” wasearned on the back of our technicalexpertise.

I can tell you that in Pacific OceanDivision we are taking this issue head-on. It was the #1 subject ofdiscussion at our recent SeniorLeadership Conference.

The Honolulu District

Over the next 2 years, our RegionalManagement Board will be making anassessment of our technical businessprocesses and making recommendationsthat will insure that our technicalexpertise is not eroded across the region.

These recommendations, onceapproved, will be implemented.

Will our civil works, militaryconstruction and environmentaltechnical forces be organized, staffed,and perform exactly as we do today?Probably not.

Will every Corps of Engineer districtretain its own full in-house designcapability? Maybe not. But will wesacrifice our readiness, relevancy,reliability, and responsiveness bybecoming an engineering andconstruction brokerage house?

No way!We will remain relevant, ready,

reliable, and responsive, and ourtechnical expertise will remain the“center of our formation.”

This is a vital issue for the Corps. Iencourage those of you who areinterested to provide your input to ourRMB members. They will be theDistrict’s key voice in this matter. Weneed to hear from you.

Nearly 200 Honolulu-area boy and girl scouts and Earth Dayenthusiasts began their quest to be the new “stewards of theenvironment” at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Pacific RegionalVisitor’s Center (RVC) at Ft. DeRussy on Earth Day 2006.

“Providing free interactive exhibits, video presentations andhands-on environmental clean-up activities for Earth Dayshowcases how relevant the Corps of Engineers is today toenvironmental stewardship,” said U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’Park Ranger Garland Ireland.”

Earth Day events at the RVC began with inquisitive Boy and GirlScouts being encouraged by local environmental preservationorganizations to participate in year-round ecological activities.Scouts said their hope was to learn more about the environment andhelp preserve it for the future. Scout leaders said they wanted their“stewards” to be respectful of the environment they live in.

Amy Tsuneyoshi, a watershed specialist from the HonoluluBoard of Water Supply manning an exhibit at the RVC said, “EarthDay helps educate tomorrow’s leaders that we must protect ournatural resources today to preserve the watersheds in Hawaii forfuture generations to enjoy.”

The Corps of Engineers and Earth Day participants focused onwhat can be done with positive, hands-on volunteer efforts topreserve our island environment, stream/park cleanup, trailrestoration, removing trash from streets, mulching and using oilchange boxes.

Sustaining the Environment for a Secure FutureEnhancing Mother EarthSpring 2006 The Pacific Connection 3

The Pacific Connection, an unofficial publication authorized by AR360-1, is a periodical produced by the PublicAffairs Office, Honolulu District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Shafter, HI 96858-5440. Telephone (808)438-9862. This command information publication is for employees and others who request it in writing and isalso available online: http://www.poh.usace.army.mil/. Contents are not necessarily the official views of, orendorsed by, the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense or the Department of the Army.Circulation: approximately 1,100.

This newspaper is printedon recycled paper.

Honolulu District Commander.......... Lt. Col. David E. AndersonChief, Public Affairs .......................................... Joseph BonfiglioMedia Relations Specialist ........................... Dino W. BuchananEditor .......................................................................... Sarah H. Cox

Story and photos by Dino W. BuchananMedia Relations Specialist

“Earth Day is a hands-on event,” said Iwalani Sato, HonoluluDepartment of Environmental Services. “Whether it’s a stream orbeach clean-up or reintroducing fish to the wild, Earth Day meansawareness — and action. Earth Day had all ages in the city workingtogether to make an environmental difference.”

More than 500 volunteers and representatives from the Ala WaiAssociation, 20 local civic organizations and the co-sponsorsprovided manpower and exhibits for events around the Ala WaiWatershed area focusing on this year’s U.S. Army Earth Day themeof “Sustaining the Environment for a Secure Future” and Honolulu’sEarth Day 2006 theme of “Protecting Our Waters For Life.”

Earth Day in Honolulu is held each year to increase awarenessand broaden the base of support for ongoing education, efforts tobuild partnerships and grassroots involvement to cleanup the AlaWai watershed year round.

A group of University of Hawaii at Manoa students in theMarine Option Program bagged nearly 200 pounds of trash frombrush and foliage around Ft. DeRussy beach, the RVC and U.S.Army Museum.

“Earth Day is a chance for everyone to help restore theenvironment to a pristine state and also gives us (Marine biologystudents) the opportunity to gain valuable interaction withpeople who are concerned with the environment,” said YvetteMarquez.

Earth Day was established March 21, 1970 as an annual event todeepen reverence and care for life on our planet.

Honolulu area Boy Scouts listen intently to Honolulu DistrictPark Ranger Garland Ireland at the Corps’ Pacific RegionalVisitor’s Center at Ft. DeRussy as part of Earth Day 2006. Alsolistening (second from right) is RVC Park Ranger Mike Carroll.

RVC Park Ranger Mike Carroll passes a piece of trash toUniversity of Hawaii Marine Option Program student YvetteMarquez during the Ft. DeRussy Beach cleanup. The EarthDay 2006 Ft. DeRussy cleanup netted almost 200 pounds oftrash and debris.

Honolulu District deployed a Preliminary DamageAssessment team to the Hawaiian Island of Kauai March 15 afterthe privately-owned KaLoko reservoir dam was breached March14 and caused a rush of an estimated 400 million gallons of waterto speed down-slope, resulting in devastating flood damage tolocal homes, a major Kauai highway and the confirmed deaths offour people.

Honolulu District Emergency Operations Planner LincolnGayagas and Civil Engineers Ray Kong and Eric Li flew to Kauaiand provided immediate geological reconnaissance and technicalengineering expertise to Kauai County, State of Hawaii Departmentof Natural Resources (DLNR) and State of Hawaii Civil Defenseofficials for response efforts in the devastated area and otherlocations on Kauai.

Following a barrage of soaking rainstorms and a request forassistance by state officials, six stateside-based geotechnicalUSACE engineers arrived in Hawaii to assist the Hawaii DLNRwith “visual condition survey” inspections of all dams on theislands of Hawaii, Maui, Molokai and Oahu.

The DLNR-led teams conducted the dam inspectionssimultaneously with each team fielding a Corps geotechnicalengineer, a state engineer and county land guides. Daminspections seek to identify any potential imminent danger andpreclude any technical analysis such as core drillings, soilcomposition, hydrology, etc. The inspections of 54 dams werecompleted by April 30.

4 The Pacific Connection Spring 2006

By Honolulu District Public Affairs

Honolulu District Commander Lt. Col. David E. Anderson observes Honolulu District and State of Hawaii geotechnical engi-neers collecting soil samples during a dam inspection survey on Kauai. USACE is assisting Hawaii DLNR with inspecting damson the islands of Hawaii, Maui, Molokai and Oahu. Photo by Maj. Robert Kroning

Civil Engineer Ray Kong photographs a Kauai dam siteMarch 15. Honolulu District assisted Hawaii Dept. of Land andNatural Resources with emergency dam inspections after theKaloko Dam breached on March 14. Photo by Lincoln Gayagas

Engineers Provide Expertisefor Hawaii Dam Inspections

Corps Contractor’s Trailers Sustain Tornado Damage

Spring 2006 The Pacific Connection 5

A Traylor Brother Inc. employeesurveys a trailer damaged after severethunder storms spawned a tornado atabout 9:35 p.m. March 23 on Lanai.The tornado struck several contractortrailers near Kaumalpau Harborcausing an estimated $50,000 indamage. Traylor Brother’s, Inc.(Pacific) is using the trailers whilerepairing the breakwater at the harborunder a contract for the U.S. ArmyCorps of Engineers. The trailers wereunoccupied and no injuries werer e p o r t e d . Courtesy photo

Hawaii, Oahu Endures Six Weeks of RainHonolulu District engineers surveythe rising water of Kahauiki Streamon Fort Shafter. Six weeks of rainculminated with a torrential rainstorm on Oahu March 31 wherestreets and homes were flooded,streams overflowed, landslides androckslides blocked roads, quicklyrising waters trapped drivers intheir cars, falling trees knocked outelectric power and phone service,and forced evacuations of KahalaMall as flood waters rushed inside.Photo by Dino W. Buchanan

Kahauiki Stream spilled its banks March 31 flooding the Fort Shafter Elementary School’s playground. Photos by Eric Li

March 31, 2006 April 3, 2006

March 31, 2006


HED Volunteers Help Oahu’s Future Engineers

Reaching Out to Future EngineersEngineer Matthew Rowe shares an anecdote with Ha-waii Baptist Academy students April 7. EEO ManagerPhilip Mun coordinated the event and Chief, Construc-tion Branch Louis Muzzarini provided opening remarksto the 22 students. Several Honolulu District employeesshared their thoughts about the engineering world in-cluding Darren Walls, Project Management; ClaytonSorayama, Technical Support Branch; Jenelle Kim, De-sign Branch; Cindy Barger and Mark Arakaki, Environ-mental Branch. The students also toured various workareas including Design Branch and the CAD Section.Photo by Sarah H. Cox

Civil Engineer Ed Yoshimura (left) and Chief, Construction BranchLouis Muzzarini assist with Oahu Chapter MATHCOUNTScompetition at Kamehameha School Feb. 11. Thirteen HonoluluDistrict employees volunteered to serve as proctors, scorers andmonitors for the annual event which encourages young students topursue careers in science or technology. Volunteers included: AnneChang, James Date, Tom Goto, Maj. Robert Kroning, Eric Li, JohathanMamiya, Louis Muzzarini, Ron Nakagawa, Kevin Nishimura, MatthewRowe, Lynn Schaper, and Lorayne Shimabuku. Ten Honolulu Districtemployees also assisted with the State MATHCOUNTS competitionMarch 11: Paulette Choy, Tom Goto, Eric Li, Jonathan Mamiya, PaulMizue, Louis Muzzarini, Michael Onuma, Matthew Rowe, LynnSchaper and Darren Walls. Courtesy photo

Brig. Gen. Peabody:More than 200 employees gathered at Fort Shafter’s Richardson

Theater April 10 for a joint POD/POH Townhall Meeting hosted byPOD Commander Brig. Gen. John W. Peabody.

After opening remarks from Honolulu District Commander Lt.Col. David E. Anderson, the townhall began with a video showcas-ing Army Civilians’ contributions to the Nation and specificallyhighlighting disaster relief and the Global War on Terror (GWOT).The video narrator referred to Army Civilians as “unsung warriors.”

The GWOT has increased the need for Army Civilians to fulfillroles traditionally reserved for active-duty Soldiers. Brig. Gen.Peabody said he is proud so many POD employees have volun-teered to support the GWOT in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“Our volunteerism makes us relevant,” he said, referring to one ofPOD’s core values: Relevant, Ready, Reliable and Responsive.

Brig. Gen. Peabody shared his pride of working with such a di-versely talented group as POD encompasses 12 million square milesand completes projects which are often dramatically different thanits stateside counterparts.

“Since I arrived in July (2005), I have been continually amazed atyour professionalism,” he said.

Brig. Gen. Peabody stressed the importance of every employees’role in the team effort and feels all in POD should take pride in themost significant recent accomplishments:

He says he spends a lot of time with customers and that not allare satisfied. He views these dialogues as a vital part of the busi-ness process.

“It’s not always a pleasant experience but helps show us ourproblem areas,’’ said Peabody.

Although there is always room for improvement, he is impressedwith the people of the Division and the way the organization adaptsto the changing needs of the nation.

“There are two kinds of organizations—those that are changingand growing or those that are atrophying and dying, we are theformer,” he said.

He is confident that POD is leading the way in adapting tochange and developing its leaders and cited the recent success ofthe Regional Leadership Development Program (RLDP) which isscheduled for a Corps-wide launch in FY 08.

“We are a nation at war,” he said. POD’s impact and contribu-tions are crucial. The Army is transforming and USACE is transform-ing,” he said.

He expressed his appreciation to those who rapidly deployed re-cently to the Philippines after the devastating landslide in Februaryand to Kauai after the Kaloko dam breach in March.

The meeting ended by honoring all POD employees who de-ployed to support the GWOT or relief efforts in natural disasters.

“Relevant, Ready, Reliable and Responsive”

HED Health Watch

Harassing/abusive calls


Handling Emergencies in the WorkplaceIn all emergencies, remaining calm

is paramount.In the event of an emergency, the

Fire or Police Department will be incharge of life/safety issues – ifrequested; Corps employees will serveas support personnel.

Workplace Violence

Building a Safe, Strong and Healthy Workforce

a.Hang up at once!! Wait atleast 20 seconds before placing acall. This will allow thetelephone company’s equipmentto disconnect the caller even ifthe caller does not hang up.

b.Never give any information,such as your name and address, tounknown callers.

c.If calls continue, talk to yoursupervisor about the problem andmake a report with the militarypolice.

d.Supervisor and employee mustdecide together if the employeeneeds to be removed from thework area.

Threats at Worka.Remain calm and assess the

situation.b.Take all threats seriously. Try

not to provoke the person makingthe threat.

c.Listen intently and maintaindirect eye contact.

d.Depending on the seriousnessand severity of the threat, potentialaction could be:

• Verbally calming the situation• Leaving the area

• Calling for help• Physically defending oneself

e.When the situation permits,report the incident to yoursupervisor, and the MPs.

f. If you have warning, try toavoid the person and notify yoursupervisor, security manager andMPs of the potential situation.

• Notify personnel in immediate vicinity• Calmly evacuate• Pull the fire alarm on your way out• Call 911 once clear of the buildingand provide the following:

· Your name and installation· Building name/number· Office and floor number· Location and extent of fire· Your telephone number· After vacating, notify Safety

Manager, 438-1316; Fire Marshall,438-1278 and Security Manager,438-7069.

Remain calm and evacuate even ifyour floor is not involved in the fire.Supervisors are responsible foraccurately accounting for their staffand reporting to the DeputyCommander in person or by phoneand informing the Fire Department ifsomeone needs assistance.

Fire

a. Remain calm.b. If threat claim is imminent, evacuate

immediately, pull the fire alarm on theway out and call 911 from outside c. Use a prearranged “danger signal”that notifies a co-worker to listen to thecall as well.

d. Keep the caller on the line as longas possible to gather information onvoice characteristics, familiarity with thefacility, people mentioned, etc.

e. Write down every word of thethreat (use threat call checklist).

f. Try to get someone to call 911 or theMPs from another line.

g. Ask for the location of the bomband what time it is set to go off.

h. Be alert to the caller’s voice and allbackground noises you hear from thecaller’s end of the line.

i. Follow 911 or MP’s instructions

Bomb Threats

911 for Police, Fire, Ambulance

POH Security Manager: (808) 438-7069

POH Safety Manager: (808) 438-1316 or (808) 438-0401

POD Security Manager: (808) 438-1038

Military Police: Fort Shafter: 438-7114 Schofield Barracks: 655-7114

HED Emergency Numbers

Evacuations

Assembly Areas• Bldg. 230:

Parking area on ewa side of Bldg. 230• Bldg. 214:

Parking area on ewa side of Bldg 230• Bldg. 252:

Diamond Head-side of parking area• Bldg. 223T:

Grassy area, northwest of Bldg. 223T• Bldg. 525:

Parking area, mauka side of Bldg. 525,Diamond Head-Side of residential area

• Bldg. 2026:Parking lot on Aleshire Avenue

• Bldg. 127:Adjacent parking area

• Bldg. 1507:Adjacent parking areas

In the event an emergency re-quires you to evacuate the building, re-main calm and briskly assemble inthe following areas and await furtherinstructions from emergency personnelor District management:

Clip and save!

8 The Pacific Conne

USACE FEST Assists U.S. Marines’

Panoramic view of the landslidrainfall caused a massive landmated 1,800 people. Photo by D

U.S. Marines on their way to the

Story by Sarah H. CoxCommand Information Specialist

The U.S. Corps of Engineers recently deployed aForward Engineer Support Team (FEST) to the village ofGuinsaugon, Leyte, Philippines after a massive landslideswept away homes and killed an estimated 1,800 people.

Within 24 hours the FEST deployed to assist U.S.Marines’ search and rescue efforts and help localofficials assess hazard of the surrounding hillsidewhile ensuring the safety of rescue workers andnearby residents.

The FEST, comprised of USACE’s senior geoscienceexperts: ground failure expert Dr. Rick Olsen, EngineeringResearch and Development Center (ERDC); Doug Bliss,(Chief EC-D), Far East District; Geotechnical EngineerRay Kong and Geologist Eric Bjorken from HonoluluDistrict, assessed the safety of the surroundingcommunities and determined the factors contributing tothe deadly landslide.

The team immediately began conducting on-siteinspections and detailed eyewitness interviews andgathering soil samples. They also performed helicopter-based reconnaissance to assess the stability of thesurrounding mountainside.

The data gathered helped lessen the danger tonearby residents and rescue worker. At one point duringa rainstorm, the FEST advised the Marines to evacuate thesearch area.

According to Dr. Olsen, rainwater accumulationduring a rainstorm can percolate through the excavatedhillside allowing water pressure to build near the bottomof slope creating a potentially dangerous condition.

With the help of interpreters, FEST membersinterviewed at least eight eye-witnesses to the landslide.

The interviews provided scientists with crucialinformation to determine the sequence of eventsleading to the failure of the mountainside. Accordingto Eric Bjorken, interviewing the witnesses was anecessary, but difficult experience he will never forget.

“Even though we asked questions specificallypertaining to the actual landslide, it was still tragic....tosee the pain in their faces and the tears in their eyes asthey remembered seeing the slide engulf their homesand loved ones,” Bjorken said.

Both Bjorken and Kong have worked at HonoluluDistrict for 29 years and had to call on their scientificobjectivity on several natural disaster deployments.Both men deployed to Indonesia after the Dec. 2004tsunami and compared their experience then to thedevastation in Leyte.

Although the Leyte landslide caused fewercasualties, both events obliterated whole communitiesand seared an unforgettable image in their memories.

“It’s a humbling experience to witness the force ofnature….Sometimes things happen too quickly to doanything about,”said Bjorken.

The team determined the debris flow on thePhilippine mountainside was traveling at 50 to 60 milesper hour when it moved over the rice field.

He says witnessing devastation caused by naturaldisasters put priorities in proper perspective andmakes him appreciate his own life and family.

“Only a fool would say it can’t happen here, itcan’t happen to me,” Bjorken said.

Leyte, southeast of Manila, has been plagued by aseries of natural disasters. In 1991, 6,000 Leyteresidents died in floods and landslides caused by atropical storm; another 133 died in Dec. 2003 afterheavy rains deluged the small island.

Aerial view of the debris field on Guinsaugon Village. The lengthof the entire slide from the summit to the debris toe is more thanthree miles. Photo by Dr. Rick Olsen, ERDC

ection Spring 2006 9

’ Leyte Search and Rescue Mission

Left to right (back row): U.S. Marine Lt. Col. Biadog; Doug Bliss, FarEast District; Ray Kong, Honolulu District; Dr. Rick Olsen, ERDC, ;Eric Bjorken, Honolulu District; front row: three eye witnesses whoprovided the USACE team with valuable information about the tragiclandslide. Courtesy photo

de on the Philippine island of Leyte after two weeks of heavydslide sweeping away an entire village and killing an esti-Dr. Rick Olsen, ERDC

e debris site in search of survivors. Photo by Eric Bjorken

10 The Pacific Connection Spring 2006Guinsaugon Landslide Relief Mission

HED Geologist Describes Disaster Relief AssistanceStory and photosby Eric Bjorken

Geologist, Honolulu Engineer District

“It started with a call on Saturday Feb.18 from my supervisor alerting me that Imay be deploying to Saint Bernard inSouth Leyte Island Province, Republic ofthe Philippines.

I had heard news of the landslidedisaster where 1,800 people perished in amatter of minutes. Early Sunday morning,Tom Brady, Military Contingency Plannercalled to ask if I was willing to deploy to theRepublic of the Philippines immediately. Myanswer: an emphatic “yes!”

By mid-day Sunday, four USACEemployees were committed to serving aslandslide consultants to the U.S. MarineCorps as representatives of U.S. PacificCommand.

Our landslide team consisted of RayKong, Geotechnical Engineer, HonoluluEngineer District Technical Support Branch;Doug Bliss, Geotechnical Engineer andChief of the Far East District’s Geotechnicaland Environmental Engineering Branch; Dr.Rick Olsen, Geotechnical Engineer of theGeotechnical Laboratory, Engineering andResearch Development Center (ERDC); andme, a geologist from Honolulu EngineerDistrict’s Environmental Technical Branch.Dr. Olsen, a subject matter expert onlandslides and debris flows at ERDC, wasdesignated the team leader.

Our initial mission was to assess thepotential for residual landslides in theaffected zones that endangered search andrescue workers and equipment.At the beginning of the search and rescueoperations, the U.S. Military involvementwas to be limited to one week of logisticsand search and rescue support. Since ourUSACE team was serving as landslideconsultants to the Marines, our involvementwas also limited to the same week.

ENROUTETraveling to the remote disaster area

was a logistical nightmare, as the 35-hourtrip took us to Manila, Cebu, Clark Airfield,Tacloban and finally to the USS Essex(LHA-4) where we boarded a CH-46helicopter bound for St. Bernard. Reliefworkers and our team converged at the U.S.

Contingency Disaster Headquarters tenton the grounds of the St. BernardElementary School.

When we arrived on-site the reliefworker tent city wasn’t set up yet and thereare no hotels in the remote area. We quicklyrealized we were nearly ‘sleepless in St.Bernard’ as we didn’t have so much as asleeping bag or a bath towel. Rick and Dougmanaged to find a spare room from our U.S.Marine hosts in a house donated for themission by two sisters who lived in the U.S.

Ray and I shared a bedroom in the homeof Mr. and Mrs. Romeo Goda, owner of alocal store and pharmacy; who took us inout of the goodness of their hearts. TheGodas were already housing members of thePhilippine Health Department and a fewother relief workers, but they took us in. Weslept on wooden plank beds on pandanasmats or thin cushions on the floor and wereever so grateful for this when the rain beganto pour on our first night.

SEARCH, RECOVERYThe loose, swampy conditions made the

search mission extremely dangerous. Duringour first few days there, the priority was tofind survivors, the safety of the rescueworkers wasn’t quite as important. Thesearch and recovery operations center was agroup of tents pitched on high ground(relatively speaking) on the opposing side ofthe river from the landslide and surroundedby rice paddies. It was about three miles outfrom St. Bernard on the floodplain of ameandering river. Silty water from the debrisflow made the river water turbid andpotentially contaminated from the contentsof the deadly sediment.

The surface of the debris flow wasbarely visible from the operations center.But the scarp of the landslide was clearlyvisible from the rice-paddy floodplain tothe clouded mountain summit. Its overallrelief is more than 3,000 feet. The length ofthe entire slide from the summit to thedebris toe is over three miles.

But as the grim futile reality of findingsurvivors set in the mission prioritieschanged. The search and rescueoperations mission shifted from ageneralized search of the debris plain forsurvivors to a site-specific search of theGuinsaugon School where hopes of findingtrapped victims diminished hourly over thecourse of the week. The energy of thelandslide was too great to be resisted byany of the man-made structures in thevillage. No survivors were found after theinitial 24 hours of the search.

As the rescue operations transformedinto recovery operations, work crewsbegan excavating deeper into the sediment.This jeopardized the lives of the rescueworkers who were attempting to recovervictims. On two occasions our teamrecommended suspension of recoveryoperations as a result of inclement weatherand unstable soil conditions.

The U.S. Marine Aviation Detachmentfrom Okinawa, Japan continually flew inworkers and equipment to the twoexcavation sites near the former village. Asthe conditions of the debris flow surfacestabilized, travel paths for workers andequipment were established and rescuerswere ferried across the river from theoperations center to the debris flow inheavy equipment (loaders).

Transporting the search and rescue teams to the debris field of the Guinsaugon land-slide was hindered by swampy conditions and required extraordinary measures.

Lt. Col. (Chaplain) Biadog, U. S. Marine Corps (left)and eye witness Tony Cabbang discuss the landslidewhich swept away the entire village of GuinsaugonFeb. 17, 2006.

“...a large wall of earthmoving towards me”

Eye Witness Account:TURNOVEROn Saturday Feb. 25, the tents started coming down and rescue

workers and equipment began demobilizing from the field operationscenter. Life in St. Bernard was about to return to normal except forthe villagers evacuated to shelters.

It was difficult to leave with so much work left undone. Icouldn’t help but be reminded of the fall of Saigon, as if everyonewas bailing out. But our part of the work was done and our USACELandslide Team relinquished our mission to the proper agency - theGRP Mines and Geosciences Bureau.

Our team initiated several training sessions to provide the MGBgeologists landslide evaluation criteria. Using this criteria, the MGBwas prepared to recommend rescinding the evacuation order on allbut three village areas evacuated by the time the USACE LandslideTeam departed St. Bernard.

The Goda family, our gracious hosts who opened their home tous, would not accept any payment for the use of their house. Toshow our appreciation before our departure, we left money wherethey would find it.

Our departure was much less hectic than our arrival. We renteda private SUV through gracious host Romeo Goda. Somehow ourdriver, Christopher (he must be a saint) got us safely to Taclobanwhile demonstrating ‘white knuckle’ driving.

I know our team accomplished our mission. It’s so humbling tobe at the site of a natural disaster and I think I can speak for theUSACE Landslide Team - the memories of this mission and people ofLeyte won’t be leaving us anytime soon.”


Honolulu District Geotechnical Engineer Ray Kong flies onboard a U. S. Marine Corps CH-46 helicopter bound for St.Bernard as part of the USACE team serving as landslide con-sultants for the Guinsaugon Landslide Relief Mission.

“It was mid-morning, about 10:25 a.m. when Iheard rumbling noise coming from the moun-tain. I was weeding the rice paddies where therescue operations tents are now. I could feelthe ground trembling and I looked up. That’swhen I heard a sound like an explosion or aloud ‘bang’ and watched as the top of themountain came sliding down. There was agreat cloud of smoke (dust) and a large wallof earth moving towards me. I turned and ranas fast as I could and looked back only onceto see if the wall was near. I didn’t stop until Ireached here (the church in Camaga village). Iwaited until the noise stopped then returned torice paddies I was working. I knew the villagewas destroyed and began looking for survi-vors.” – Tony Cabbang, eyewitness interviewas interpreted by Lt. Col. Biadog, U. S. MarineCorps


Corps of Engineers Workshop Conveys“....A Year for Transformation”

Spotlight on the Customer

Story and photo byDino W. Buchanan

Media Relations Specialist

More than 170 local architects, engineers,construction contractors and others inrelated fields attended the 11th Annual Corpsof Engineers Workshop April 11, 2006 at theHale Koa Hotel.

The workshop provided local designand construction representatives thelatest information on the HonoluluDistrict’s project workload, technicalinformation and administrative proceduresthat affect how the industry does businesswith the Corps.

This year’s workshop theme was, “2006- A Year for Transformation.” As theArmy is in the midst of a historic forcereconstruction while continuing to supportthe Department of Defense’s number onegoal of winning the Global War onTerrorism, the Corps continues to maketransitions with the Army.

Information presented during the 2006workshop allowed participants to betterunderstand contracting methods andprocedures, to be aware of new standardsand codes affecting military projects and tolearn about design, construction and legalimplications of working with the HonoluluEngineer District (HED).

After welcoming remarks by Mr. MichaelLeineweber, President, American Institute ofArchitects (Honolulu Chapter) and Lt. Col.David Anderson, Honolulu DistrictCommander, James Bersson PE, ActingDeputy District Engineer for Programs &Project Management told the audienceabout projected future construction workand how work comes to the Corps.

The luncheon speaker was Brig. Gen.John Peabody, Commander and DivisionEngineer, U. S. Army Corps of Engineers,Pacific Ocean Division. His presentationwas, “An Army in Transformation.”

In his presentation, Peabody highlightedhow Corps and industry partners have a keyrole in the Global War on Terror, detailed

how the Army is transforming from adivision-centric to a brigade-centricorganization and emphasized what affecttransformation is having on installationmilitary construction.

“We are a nation at war and everyonewith whom we do business has an equallyimportant role to play in winning that war,“Peabody said. “Our construction industrypartners know it’s important we work together,now more than ever,” Peabody said.

The workshop and breakout session alsoprovided opportunity for industry partnersfrom the American Institute of Architects(Honolulu Chapter), American Council ofEngineering Companies of Hawaii, GeneralContractors Association of Hawaii, BuildingIndustry Association of Hawaii and theAssociated Builders & Contractors ofHawaii to discuss issues one-on-one withCorps’ employees in the spirit ofpartnership.

Corps functional area specialists madepresentations during a wide variety ofbreakout sessions, covering everythingfrom Honolulu District’s ConstructionQuality Management to MilitaryConstruction Transformation.

Breakout sessions presented byHonolulu District staff included:

• Military Construction (MILCON)Transformation - Andrew Kohashi

• Life-Safety Deficiencies - MichaelYatsushiro

• Spatial Data Standards for Facilities,Infrastructure and Environment - JustinPummel

• Historic Preservation - Loren Zulick andMaydean Martin

• Construction Contractor and AEPerformance Evaluation Systems - TimothyPhillips & Duane Arakawa

• Cost Escalation Issues - Gary Yamauchi• AE Liability - Curtis Yokoyama• Construction Quality Management

Updates - Paul Regan and Russell LeongThe first annual HED Workshop was in

1996 at the Pagoda Hotel with the ConsultingEngineers Council of Hawaii. Since then,they have changed their name to theAmerican Council of Engineering Companiesof Hawaii. In 1998 the workshop expanded toinclude the American Institute of Architects.

In 2000, it again expanded to include theGeneral Contractors Association, theBuilding Industry Association and theAssociated Builders and ContractorsAssociation.

In 1999, due to the increasing number ofparticipants, the site was changed to the HaleKoa Hotel, where it has been held ever since.

This year’s workshop was co-sponsoredby the American Institute of Architects(Honolulu Chapter).

Pacific Ocean Division Commander Brig. Gen. John Peabody (left, standing) answers anarchitect’s question at the Corps of Engineers Workshop April 11 at the Hale Koa Hotel.

Lt. Col. Anderson’s assignment in Korea taught Mrs.Anderson how to lean on the support of the community.Learning to adapt to a new community and how to ask for helpfrom virtual strangers was a new concept for her.

“I had no experience in building a community for myself,when I was growing up, I lived in one place, one house and Iknew everyone,” Anderson said.

She says learning to be flexible and becoming involved inthe community helped her adapt to military life.

Women’s National History Month began in 1987 as aproject to address the absence of information in schoolcurriculums concerning the important historical contributionsof women and to honor the vital role women have played inimproving our communities and helping to achieve equality andjustice for all Americans.


“Honoring Our Heritage”Honolulu District Architect Darren Walls

opened the Black History Month event in Bldg.230’s Conference Room. The event includeddisplays, poetry readings and “lunch on thelawn.”

The Special Emphasis Program Committee(SEPC) sponsors the annual event in honor ofBlack History Month. As an SEPC member,Walls works to break down barriers andobstacles for minorities entering theengineering profession. He recentlyrepresented Honolulu District at the BlackEngineer Conference in Maryland. Feb. 15-17.Photo by Sarah H. Cox

Kara Anderson helped honor generations of women who havebrought communities together as she addressed the District in honorof National Women’s History Month.

Women’s History Month

Story and photo by Sarah H. CoxCommand Information Specialist

District employees gathered March 22 to hear Mrs. KaraAnderson share her experiences of being a military wife andbecoming involved in a new community every few years.

About 50 employees attended the Special EmphasisProgram Committee- sponsored event which also includededucational displays, literature and a video presentationhonoring women of Honolulu District.

This year’s theme, “Women: Builders of Communities andDreams”, honors generations of women who have broughtcommunities together and restored hope in difficult times.

Mrs. Anderson, a mother of three, President of Hui O NaWahine (All Ranks Wives Club) and wife of Honolulu DistrictCommander Lt. Col. David Anderson, made her presentation aspart of National Women’s History Month.

The Anderson family has moved 13 times in 18 years andeach new community brings fresh challenges and a chance toevolve.

“It hasn’t been easy. With each new assignment, Davewould step right into a ready-made community surrounding hisjob,” Anderson said.

Yet for the military spouse, Anderson says, it’s usually notso easy.

“We have to do whatever it takes to step out of our comfortzone,” Anderson said. “Giving to the community where you live,not only helps the community, it helps you too.”

At Schofield Barracks, Mrs. Anderson conducts re-integration training for military members returning fromdeployment and their families. She feels strongly about theimportance of supporting the community where you live.

“All of our roles are important, without all the small parts thewhole doesn’t work. You never know when touching someoneelse’s life will cycle back to you.”

Black History Month

Anderson Cites Importance of “Military Community Support”


Assistant G-1 for Civilian Personnel Honors“Extraordinary” Honolulu District Employees

Returning Employees Share GWOT Experiences

Honolulu District employees werehonored at the Pacific RegionCivilian Human ResourcesCommander’s and LeadershipTraining Conference March 13for their contributions to theGlobal War on Terror anddisaster relief. MelindaMcMillon Darby, SES AssistantG-1 for Civilian Personnelpresented coins and certificatesto employees who recentlydeployed including: Ed Alonzo,Rudy Atoigue, Cindy Barger,Wayne Birgado, Eric Bjorken,Ignacio Borja, Paul Bowen,Rolando Castillo, Benton Ching,Derek Chow, Didier Fusero,Lincoln Gayagas, Win Hargis,Pam Hayes, Joel Hendrix, JonHosaka, Timothy Inouye,Roxanne Iseri, Randy Itamoto, Pauline Kahalioumi, Julius Kaneshiro, John Kawaakoa, Ray Kong, Erick Kozuma, RandallKurashige, Hunjin Kye, Val Lee, Rodney Leong, Eric Li, Tammy Luke, Franklin Lum, Michael Mercado, Cliff Olivera, FrankOno, Steve Paahana, Ron Pang, Tom Piazze, Al Ponciano, Justin Pummell, Romeo Querubin, Connie Ramsey, Paul Regan,Richard Rodier, Kennji Santiago, Paul Shimata, Gary Shirakata, Eric Sugiyama, Steven Takeguchi, Glen Takishita, KatieTamashiro, Laureen Vizcarra, David Wong, Jyun Yamamoto and Ed Yoshimura. Photo by Sarah H. Cox

Hydraulic Engineer Derek Chow, Civiland Public Works Branch (standing),joined four other Honolulu District em-ployees in conducting a series of presen-tations on their personal experienceswhile deployed in support of the GlobalWar on Terrorism (GWOT). Chow; BradScully, SBCT Resident Office; RichardRodier, Real Estate Office; Paul Regan,SBCT Resident Office and DennisChung, Air Force Resident Office, whohave all deployed to Iraq or Afghani-stan, shared their personal stories andthey provided valuable informationabout pay entitlements, length of toursand working conditions in the war zones.All presenters agreed that supporting theGWOT has been one of the most reward-ing and memorable experiences of theircareers and that the personal gains faroutweighed the inconveniences and timespent away from family. Photo by JosephBonfiglio


HED Employees of the Month

Mr. Miyata’s customers often expresstheir satisfaction of his diligence, timelyexecution, attention to details and hisprofessionalism in making the tworenovation projects a success.

Lilah Orrantia, Engineering Technician

Feb.

Ms. Orrantia provides outstandingservice and in recent months hascovered three positions. She alwayswears a smile and proactively goes theextra mile to ensure the job is done right.

Clayton Sorayama, Electrical Engineer

Feb.

In addition to supporting ProjectDelivery Teams in Honolulu, Alaska,Japan and Korea, Mr. Sorayama goesabove and beyond to support the highlysuccessful POH Outreach Program.

March

Ms. Wakumoto voluntarily assumedduties of the Systems Administrator forContracting. Her efforts allowed POH tosuccessfully convert to FedTeDS priorto the USACE deadline.

Joseph Hohaia, Systems Administrator

March

Mr. Hohaia is the on-site task lead forCSC staff and a senior POH networkadministrator and voluntarily assumedadditional duties due to the loss of keypersonnel in Information Management.

Every month two employees arechosen as Honolulu District Employeesof the Month. In addition to beingimmortalized on the “Plaque of Fame”,they receive a special reserved parkingspace and a choice of Lokahi gifts.

The Employee of the Monthprogram is managed by the EmployeeRecognition Committee which isempowered to act on behalf of theDistrict Commander. The Committee,manages a number of award programsincluding: Lokahi, Top 60, On-the-spot, HED annual awards and specialcommendations.

Carrie Wakumoto, Contract Specialist

Mike Miyata, Construction Rep Vecy Pascual, Staff AccountantMs. Pascual’s involvement with issuessuch as the effective rate analysisexhibits her expertise and experience. Shealso serves as primary fund certifier for allappropriations allotted to HED.

Jan. Jan.

Ray Kong, Civil Engineer

April April

Mr. Kong displayed outstanding teamspirit during two recent emergency reliefefforts--a landslide in the Philippines andassisting the State of Hawaii and KauaiCounty after the Kaloko Dam breach.

Loren Zulick, ArchaeologistMr. Zulick assisted with hurricane reliefefforts while diligently protecting ourAmerican Heritage in the State ofLouisiana while continually keeping apositive outlook.

Employee Awards Program

Honolulu District’s The PacificConnection and Pacific OceanDivision’s Pacific Engineer newsmagazines recently received firstplace awards in the coveted U.S.Army Corps of Engineers’ 2005 Herbert A. Kassner JournalismAward competition.

Honolulu District’s “100 Years of Exemplary Service,” a one-timespecial edition of The Pacific Connection, won first place in the“Special Achievement” category. The special edition waspublished to honor the District’s first 100 years of service.Significant contributors were Pacific Connection Editor Sarah Coxand public affairs staff members Joe Bonfiglio and Dino Buchanan.

Pacific Ocean Division’s flagship regional news magazine,Pacific Engineer, was judged as the Corps’ best in the Magazinecategory.

For his story on rockfall mitigation entitled “Corps, stateofficials working to prevent potential Moanalua Valley rockslides,”Honolulu District’s Media Relations Specialist Dino Buchanan alsotook first place honors in the “News Article” category.

Judging of 138 selected entries in 15 categories from CorpsDivisions and District’s worldwide was held Feb. 10, 2006 at theU.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ headquarters in Washington, D.C.by a panel of eight Washington D.C.-area professionals in thepublic affairs and journalism fields.


U.

U.S. Army Engineer District, HonoluluATTN: Public Affairs OfficeBuilding 230, CEPOH-PAFort Shafter, HI 96858-5440

Aloha Means:Hello:

Good-Bye:

Pacific Connection,Pacific EngineerWin Corps’ KassnerJournalism Awards

A warm welcome to Regional Visitor Center Park RangerMichael Carroll and GIS Specialist Josette Pullen

Lisa Clark, Darryl Hasegawa, Charles Hardee,Ronald Hirano, Robert Inouye, Ray Jyo, Steven Kim,Hunjin Kye, Carl Larson, Patience Nwanna, EricSugiyama, Roy Tamashiro, Katie Tamashiro, JamesTamura, Linda Tomlinson and Craig Ueda

Ron Pang

On the coverDam inspectors from

the State of Hawaii andHonolulu Engineer Dis-trict conduct a “visualcondition survey” of aKauai dam to indentifypotential dangers afterthe KaLoko Dambreached on March 14.For the complete story seepage 4. Cover photo byLincoln Gayagas

Welcome Back:Welcome Back:Welcome Back:

Welcome Back:

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