US Army Corps of Engineers

Description

The Continental Congress established the Army on June 16, 1775. Col. Richard Gridley was selected as the Chief Engineer. His primary duty was directing fortifications during the Battle of Bunker Hill.

On March 11, 1779, Congress added companies of engineer troops, or sappers and miners to the Army and formed the Corps of Engineers. The Engineers fought in the Battle of Yorktown in 1781 which forced the British to surrender.

When the Revolutionary War ended in 1783, a debate followed on whether there should be a peacetime establishment of the Army. Congress didn't approve a peacetime Army, therefore the Corps and its companies of sappers and miners were no longer needed.

In 1794, Britain threatened war again and Congress appointed temporary engineers to secure key harbors. The Corps of Engineers was made permanent in 1802 and took charge of the military academy at West Point, New York.
Over the years the Corps' involvement in civil works expanded. The Corps was given the responsibility of navigation and flood control. After World War II, multipurpose projects involving navigation, water storage, irrigation, and recreation in addition to flood control predominated. In the process, the Corps of Engineers became a leading producer of hydroelectric power. The Corps' role in protecting the natural environment also expanded.

The Corps of Engineers today is a complex organization with multiple responsibilities requiring extensive design, engineering and construction expertise. The Corps also has a large military construction program involving other military services and federal agencies at home and overseas. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers leads the world in engineering technology while researching new techniques for building tomorrow.