The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues to play a key role in defense operations as well as responding to natural disasters, both at home and abroad. Civilian employees have deployed in support of military operations throughout history. USACE civilians have been used in the past to support military operations, humanitarian relief, peace support operations, conflicts and war. USACE civilians will continue to be needed to support these types of operations in the future and must be prepared to provide support for these endeavors.
The Corps has an ongoing mission, one unprecedented in scope, to assist in rebuilding both Afghanistan's infrastructure in support of the Overseas Contingency Operation (OCO). Civilian employees are vital to the success of this missions. The Corps' objective is to ensure that qualified civilian employees are available in adequate numbers, with the skills to meet worldwide missions requirements during periods of national emergency, mobilization, war, military crisis, or other contingencies.