the pacific connection...december 2001 the pacific connection 3 perspective: a child on a farm sees...

Pacific ConnectionThe

Vol. 35, Nr. 9 US Army Corps of Engineers, Honolulu Engineer District December 2001

ElectronicLibrary

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Commander’sComments

Page 11

Employees ofthe Month

Pages 4-5

HED recognizestop performers

Page 3InsideInsideInside

2 The Pacific Connection December 2001

The Pacific Connection, an unofficial publication authorized byAR360-1, is a monthly newspaper produced by the Public AffairsOffice, Pacific Ocean Division and Honolulu Engineer District, USArmy Corps of Engineers, Fort Shafter, HI 96858-5440. Telephone(808) 438-9862. This command information newspaper is for em-ployees and others who request it in writing. Contents are notnecessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S.Government, the Department of Defense or the Department of theArmy. Circulation: approximately 1,300.

This newspaper is printedon recycled paper.

Honolulu Engineer District Commander.........................Lt. Col. Ronald N. Light

Chief, Public Affairs ...............................................................Douglas S. MaKitten

Public Affairs Specialist.................................................................Alexander Kufel

Editor ..................................................................................................Michelle Cain

When I was younger, the rotary phone was the standard.You actually had to “dial” each number, meaning that your fingerfollowed it around the circle and speed never really was part ofthe equation because you waited for the dial to return to zeroafter each digit. You were considered lucky if you had a privateline. Our family had a party line. Neighbors could listen in onyour calls at will.

Technology advanced and those of us out in the “sticks”were next afforded the opportunity to have a private line. Oh,what a blessing it was! No more guessing whether the phone callwas really for your residence or that it bled over from your partyline partners.

Leap forward a few years and push button phones are in.No more “dialing.” It might even be more appropriate to sayyou’re going to punch someone’s number, but we don’t want toget into trouble do we? With modern telephones, you can evenflip a switch from pulse to tone depending on your telephonecompany’s equipment and services offered.

Nowadays, things are changing again. An increasingmajority of communication services include cellular phones andare email-based. If I asked my nephew to describe a rotaryphone, I would probably get that dazed and confused looksuggesting that once again I was proving that I came fromanother planet. And, since I have indeed mastered the telephoneand am not fully satisfied with the shortcomings of email, hemight have something there.

As many of you know, I am not a fan of using email forroutine communicating when a phone call or personal visit servesthe purpose much better. I particularly don’t like email when it isused as a method of leadership or counseling. It isn’t. I feel it issheer laziness. It is too easy to sit behind a desk and fire out 100

emails within an hour telling people what they need to do andexpect immediate results. Also, the assumption is that once thesender sends the email, the receiver immediately reads it and actsupon it. Wrong assumption! Do you know what they had plannedfor today? Are they even in the office? Maybe they’re on leave?You can’t get this by sending out electrons alone. You get it onlythrough complete communications.

Let me throw a few scenarios at you and you pick the rightanswer.

1) Email is an effective way to send one liners back andforth between employees sitting less than 20 yards apart.

a. True. b. False.2) It is great to attach as many names as possible on the cc:

when you are chastising a fellow employee in order to humiliatethem in front of their peers, subordinates, superiors.

a. True. b. False.3) Email is an ineffective way of communicating with

many people all around the world, sending files back and forth,when the USPS has been in business a lot longer and could useyour support.

a. True. b. False.4) It is perfectly acceptable for a leader to use email to

conduct quarterly counseling in order to avoid talking personallywith the employee.

a. True. b. False.If you answered false to all of the above, I am glad to have

you on my team. If you thought that some of the answersdeserved a true response, I’d like to see you reevaluate thesituation. Another of my pet peeves is the misuse of the “replyall” from a “Dist A” message. There are valid reasons to use the“Dist A” option. I have used it a few times when speed is of theessence when gathering information. The voting button optionalso is great. It provides an extremely fast way of gathering andtabulating data. What irks me is the use of reply all from a “DistA” message. If you have a problem, concern, issue, contact thesender directly (via office visit or phone call). Don’t waste otherfellow employees’ time making them read your rebuttal. Onefinal note here, USE SPELL CHECK!

Okay, so I have been bashing email. Like any tool, it can bemisused. There is a good side to email. We can reach out world-wide, day or night, to contact a colleague at the far reaches of theglobe without having to match time zones when trying to callthem. Just send a message and wait for their reply. It is also greatto send files back and forth. It sure beats waiting for the postalsystem to deliver the mail, especially in these difficult times ofincreased security.

Remember, one of Lt. Gen. Flowers’ three strategic goals iscommunication. Also, Brig. Gen. Johnson is interested in it aswell. He paid us a visit on November 19 and asked for our helpwith internal communications. Reading between the lines, whichwasn’t hard, we need to lead people through personal communi-cations, not by conducting artificial counseling hiding behindemail.

Opinion

The art ofcommunication:

Thenand now By Maj. Scott Schriner

Deputy Commander

On the cover: Gerald Young talks to new employees ata project site as part of a new HED initiative designedby Maj. Scott Schriner, Deputy Commander. The two-day overview helps familiarize new employees to HEDby introducing them to all of the different divisionswithin the District so they can better understand howthey fit into the big picture. —Photo by Michelle Cain.

December 2001 The Pacific Connection 3

Perspective:Perspective:Perspective:Perspective:Perspective: A child on a farm sees a plane fly by overhead and dreams of a faraway place. A traveler onthe plane sees the farmhouse and dreams of home. —CarCarCarCarCarl Burl Burl Burl Burl Burnsnsnsnsns

Honolulu Engineer District recog-nized its top performers in a Dec. 7ceremony at Fort Shafter that introduced anew awards program to the District.

The District’s Tripler Army MedicalCenter Project Delivery Team earned the HuiO’i Loa (Hawaiian for being the best team)award for its outstanding work on the Triplerlaser eye surgery and vascular laboratoryprojects.

Team members include the projectmanager Randall Kurashige, Jody Muraoka,Michael Onuma, James Pak, Dixon Park,Brad Scully, Allyn Tabata, Aaron Tashiro,Linda Tsugawa and Richard Yoshimura.

Raymond Kishaba received the“Alaka’i (one with personal strength whoexhibits leadership quality) award as theDistrict’s project manager of the year.

Raymond Kong received the Maika’iLoa (mighty, achieving excellence) as theDistrict’s leader of the year.

Three employees received Ikaika Loa(power of knowledge, professional skills andexpertise) awards.

HED recognizes top performers

Jeannette Anderson was named Ad-ministrative Employee of the Year.

Ernesto Guerrero was named Techni-

cal Employee of the Year.Olson Okada was named Professional

Employee of the Year.

By Doug MaKitten

HED’s Tripler Army Medical Center Project Delivery Team members are therecipients of the Hui O’i Loa award for their work on the TAMC laser eyesurgery and vascular laboratory projects. The award is one of several pre-sented as part of the HED’s new awards program. —Photo by Michelle Cain

David Okada, HEDDesign Branch civilengineer, does apreliminary damageassessment of thePago Bay Bridgewith representa-tives of the GuamW a t e r w o r k sAgency. The bridgesustained damageto a water main dur-ing an earthquakethat struck the is-land on October 13.—Photo by DonYorimoto.


Challenges:Challenges:Challenges:Challenges:Challenges: Challenges are what make life interesting. Overcoming them is what makes life meaningful. —Joshua MarineJoshua MarineJoshua MarineJoshua MarineJoshua Marine

Jesse DuarteHometown: Corpus Christi, TexasFamily: Wife, DarlenePosition with Corps and how long: Civil engineer for 13monthsDescribe your job in 50 words or less: My job as theConstruction Services Branch Chief, in a nutshell, is tokeep the projects moving as smoothly as possible admin-istratively, and to assist where appropriate with civil/technicial issues.What do you like best about your job? Part of thesatisfaction comes from resolving problems which oth-erwise would impact contract schedules, dissatisfy thecustomer, or add cost to the project. There’s also adistinct sense of accomplishment in seeing a project tofruition.What is the most difficult part of your job? Balancingtime against customer/contractor demands.If I was the DE for a day, I would... consider buying abig morale booster like a jetski, motorboat, or other craftfor occasional island hops. (I know... wishful thinking!)What is the best improvement in the District in the pastsix months? I suppose that for the District that would bethe office furniture.What is the best improvement in your office in the pastsix months? The addition of my wife to our team (I’ve justearned brownie points!), and our new server.

Randall KurashigeHometown: Honolulu, HawaiiFamily: Wife, Rae and daughters, Lauren (13) andJodi (4)Position with Corps and how long: Project manager inPrograms and Project Management Division. Twentyyears of federal service, all with the Corps.Describe your job in 50 words or less: I get projectsdesigned and constructed. I need to ensure that the expec-tations of my customers are met or exceeded so that theyare satisfied. I do this by trying to ensure quality, controlcosts, and stay on schedule.What do you like best about your job? The opportunityto work with people. I have had a chance to work with verygood folks in this job. I have benefitted greatly from thisinteraction.What is the most difficult part of your job? Havingenough time to accomplish all the things I want to get doneand still have time for family.If I was the DE for a day, I would... I don’t know if I woulddo anything differently.What is the best improvement in the District in thepast six months? Furniture is the most visible improve-ment. It seems a lot of effort has been put into improvingthe workplace.What is the best improvement in your office in the pastsix months? We’ve gotten a lot of new folks on board, andwe all have nice places to work in, too.

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Enthusiasm:Enthusiasm:Enthusiasm:Enthusiasm:Enthusiasm: You can do anything if you have enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes riseto the stars.—Henr—Henr—Henr—Henr—Henry Fory Fory Fory Fory Forddddd

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Sally MinamiHometown: Aiea, HawaiiPosition with Corps and how long: Program andbudget analyst with the Corps for 24 years. Started in 1978with the Middle East Division in Winchester, Va.Describe your job in 50 words or less: We’re respon-sible for coordinating the development, execution andanalysis of the District’s operating budgets; processingdirect and reimbursable funds; and performing studies andpreparing briefs on cost trends, overhead, performanceindicators, etc.What do you like best about your job? No matter howstressful or overwhelming a job can be, it’s incrediblehow people are willing to share their ideas, knowledge,and candid opinions to help us get the job done.What is the most difficult part of your job? I’m all forchange, but find it difficult to accept mandated changeafter change with no meaning or purpose and consoli-dation of functions across the ocean. We’ll miss ourfriends here who must leave us and move on to otherjobs.If I was the District Engineer for a day, I would... relax,trust that the work will be done well by the people in thisdistrict, and have fun. Guess I’d lose this job in less thana day.What is the best improvement in the District in thepast six months? Information overload and too much toread, but at least it’s interesting to know what’s going onwith the rest of the Corps.What is the best improvement in your office in thepast six months? The good news here is that we finallyhave a new RM and new manpower analyst on board.

Richard SayHometown: Honolulu, HawaiiFamily: Wife, Marion and son, Nathan (senior atWaipahu High School)Position with Corps and how long? General attorneywith HED for four months, previously with the Kansas CityDistrict for 10 years.Describe your job in 50 words or less: My job is to findways to avoid problems. If we can’t avoid a problem, I try toshow that the Corps position was correct. At HED I workprimarily with issues involving government contracts, fiscallaw, real estate, and ethics.What do you like best about your job? Successfullyarguing a point and having my position sustained (WIN-NING).What is the most difficult part of your job? Identifying andanalyzing the effect of the numerous laws, regulations,cases, and guidance memoranda that can affect the out-come over the wide range of Corps of Engineers activities.If I was the DE for a day, I would... try to impress uponeveryone how important it is to do the job completely andcorrectly, particularly regarding those duties that seemdifficult or distasteful.What is the best improvement in the District in thepast six months? I have only been here four months but,from the perspective of one who has defended a few bidprotests since my arrival, I would say that recent effortsto improve the contractor selection processes should behigh on the list.What is the best improvement in your office in the pastsix months? I don’t know how things were here six monthsago. However, I hope that I have lightened the workload forthe other OC staff and that I can contribute to more improve-ments in the future.

December 2001

Many wise words are spoken in jest, but they don’t compare with the number of stupid words spoken in earnest. —Sam LevensonWWWWWororororords:ds:ds:ds:ds:

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“The stockings werehung in Office ofCounsel with care...”—Photo by MichelleCain

Above right: ShirleyKoga and DonnaKanetake, OC, wrappackages to giveaway. OC, with helpfrom CT, adopted afamily in need thisChristmas. At right:Clifford Olivera, LM,accepts the first-placeaward from ClarenceWilhelm, Fort ShafterChristmas card com-mittee director. Oliveraspent many hours ofhis own time creatingHED’s entry. —Photosby Michelle Cain

The Pacific Connection

Courage:Courage:Courage:Courage:Courage: Pain nourishes courage. You can’t be brave if you’ve only had wonderful things happen to you.—Mary Tyler Moore

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They may be trying to disguise themselves, but we know ourleaders when we see them! Maj. Scott Schriner, DDE, Ray Jyo, PP,Lt. Col. Ronald Light, DE, and Sam Song, EC, enjoy a game at theSEPC Christmas party. —Photo by Donna Kanetake

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ROBERT B. FLOWERSLieutenant General, USA

Commanding

Holiday greetings fromHoliday greetings fromHoliday greetings fromHoliday greetings fromHoliday greetings fromthe Chief of Engineersthe Chief of Engineersthe Chief of Engineersthe Chief of Engineersthe Chief of Engineers

Above: Pauline Kahalioumi, IM, and Rolando Castillo, LM, un-load a truck-load of toys, clothing, and household items at theCommunity Clearinghouse. HED employees donated two pick-up trucks full of items, including 689 pounds of food that wasdropped off at the Hawaii Food Bank. —Photo by Michelle Cain

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The Pacific Connection


Humor:Humor:Humor:Humor:Humor: The most wasted of all days is that on which one has not laughed. —Nicholas-Sebastian Chamfort—Nicholas-Sebastian Chamfort—Nicholas-Sebastian Chamfort—Nicholas-Sebastian Chamfort—Nicholas-Sebastian Chamfort

Spotlighting an office that is helping to make the Honolulu Engineer District“The Best Place for the Best People to Work.”

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Interview and photo by Michelle Cain

This month I talked with JimBersson, HED’s Chief of Engineer-ing and Construction, to find out

how his organization contributes to theoverall mission of the District.Pacific Connection (PC): What is E&C?Jim Bersson (JB): Engineering andConstruction Division (E&C) is the largestdivision in HED, comprised of approxi-mately 230 engineers, architects, scien-tists, technicians, and administrativepersonnel. We are divided into sevenbranches: Design; Cost Engineering; CivilWorks Technical; Engineering Services;Environmental Technical; Regulatory; andConstruction, which is our largest branchand includes four resident offices. Theyare located at Ft. Shafter, SchofieldBarracks, Kwajalein, and Palau.PC: What are some of the responsibili-ties that fall under the E&C umbrella?JB: E&C’s responsibilities are many anddiverse. They include virtually all theservices the District provides its custom-ers. To put it another way, E&C providesservices necessary to plan, design,construct, and (in some cases) maintainmilitary, civil works, environmental, andsupport of other agency projects through-out the Pacific region. E&C also providesengineering services for other PODdistricts, operates a Regional Visitor’sCenter at Ft. DeRussy, and administers theDepartment of the Army (DA) RegulatoryProgram in Hawaii and U.S. possessionsin the Pacific.

PC: What is the DA Regulatory Pro-gram?JB: Department of the Army permits arerequired for all construction and dredgingin navigable waters of the United States;for projects discharging fill into jurisdic-tional waters of the United States, includ-ing wetlands; and for transportation ofdredged material for the purpose of oceandisposal. The program is unlike anything

else we do in that we are acting in aregulatory capacity, as opposed to as aproject proponent. It is also highly visibleto the public and can be quite controver-sial.PC: Who does E&C deal with outside ofHED?JB: E&C deals with many organizationsand entities outside of HED. Theseinclude: customers, local and foreigngovernment officials, the general public,architect-engineer firms, constructioncontractors, the media, Pacific OceanDivision(POD) and other POD districts,and USACE Headquarters, laboratories,and centers of expertise such as theProtective Design Center in Omaha. E&Calso maintains close ties with local

industry organizations to include theAmerican Institute of Architects, theConsulting Engineers Council of Hawaii,the General Contractors Association, theBuilding Industry Association, theAssociated Builders and Contractors, andothers. We hold an annual workshop withthese organizations where we provideinformation and exchange ideas.PC: What engineering services doesE&C provide other POD districts?JB: In the past year we provided design,technical review, cost engineering, claimssupport, contract negotiations, andenvironmental support services to theother POD districts. HED has beendesignated a regional technical reviewcenter within POD, which the otherdistricts use to augment their own capa-bilities in this area.PC: What is E&C’s role in the ProjectManagement Businesss Process(PMBP)?JB: E&C folks perform technical servicesand form the bulk of project deliveryteams, or PDT’s. Most of our PDT’sinclude environmental specialists, costengineers, designers, design reviewers,negotiators, and construction managers.These and other PDT members are criticalto the success of our projects. In somecases, E&C folks serve as the projectmanager in addition to their technical role,particularly for projects with a narrowscope, such as an environmental study.PC: How do you ensure that everyone inyour division is trained and current intheir professional qualifications?JB: Obtaining professional registration forfolks in job series such as engineering orarchitecture is highly encouraged. There

“ First and foremost ismaintaining the capa-bility to provide supe-rior services to our cus-tomers.” — Jim Bersson


PPPPParararararenting:enting:enting:enting:enting: Good parents give their children roots and wings. Roots to know where home is, wings to fly awayand exercise what’s been taught them. —Jonas Salk—Jonas Salk—Jonas Salk—Jonas Salk—Jonas Salk

has been an increased emphasis on this inUSACE. Some positions require registra-tion as a prerequisite for selection.Everyone is required to maintain anindividual development plan which isgeared toward accomplishing the missionrequirements of each branch in E&C.Supervisors and employees reviewtraining needs annually and programneeded training. They also take advantageof unscheduled training that is relevant tomission areas. An example of the latter isunscheduled training we sent key peopleto in anti-terrorism/force protection, whichhas received increased emphasis in theaftermath of September 11th. We also holdmonthly technical seminars for our folks.PC: What role do the field offices playin accomplishing the E&C mission?JB: Our construction resident offices arekey to the accomplishment of not just theE&C mission, but the District’s mission asa whole. The resident office folks adminis-ter and manage construction projects,negotiate modifications, and ensure theprojects are constructed in accordancewith the contract documents. As ourrepresentatives at installations and projectlocations, they have frequent contact withcustomers and perform a myriad ofcooordination activities to facilitateconstruction. An example occurred duringthe high threatcon levels in the aftermathof September 11th, when our folks spentcountless hours assisting contractors gainaccess to military installations, thusminimizing delays to projects. Our projectengineers are also responsible for ensuringthat contractors adhere to the safetyrequirements in their contracts.

We also maintain a small regulatoryfield office in Guam. Its primary missionis to administer the DA regulatoryprogram in Guam and the CNMI, but theoffice also acts as the District’s forwardpresence in that part of the world andassists the District Headquarters in anumber of ways, such as by facilitatingcontact with local governmnent officials.PC: What are some of the challengesthat face E&C?JB: First and foremost is maintaining thecapability to provide superior services toour customers. Continuing to do this willrequire us to shape the workforce to

accomplish our current and futuremissions. This is critical in view of theincreases we foresee in our program, interms of both dollars and missions; andour mature workforce. Many of our peoplewill be eligible for retirement in the nextseveral years. We want to make sure wehave sufficient numbers of trained folks toreplace them and capture the benefits oftheir knowledge and experience. To thatend, we have been hiring. We filled 39positions since Oct. 1, 2000 and arecurrently recruiting for 10 additionalpositions. E&C also has the lead on aFY02 OPLAN initiative to develop acomprehensive human resource plan forthe District, which will focus on this issuefor the long and near term.

Another challenge is to continue toleverage technology. We rely heavily onautomation, such as Computer AssistedDrawing and Design (CADD) andDrChecks (an automated design reviewand lessons learned system), to increaseour productivity and accomplish our work.We need to continue to stay abreast oftechnological advances and ensure arepeople are trained. We are implementing aTechnology Integration Group withinE&C to help us do that.

Improving our business process is acontinuing challenge. The District has

come a long way with implementation ofthe PMBP; we are now involved in theISO 9001 implementation process, whichis being lead by PPM. E&C is leading ateam working on a FY02 OPLAN initia-tive relating to our business process - howto improve our small and routine projectexecution. It is difficult for an organizationthat manages projects in the $100 millionrange to be efficient managing projectsunder $100 thousand. The team willaddress how we can better achieve that.

There are also potential challengesover which we have minimal or nocontrol, such as mandates requiringincreased use of design-build contractingand privatization. For those, all we can dois stay informed, participate in thedialogue, and adjust our plans andprocedures accordingly.PC: Do you have any final comments?JB: E&C is involved in just abouteverything the District does, but we don’tdo it alone. We’re part of a team - manyteams, in fact. It would take a lot moretime to go into much detail on the wonder-ful things the individual branches do but Iwould like to close by saying that ourbiggest asset is our people. They arededicated and extremely capable. Theservice they provide to our customers andto the nation is invaluable.

Lolly Silva, regulatory branch, takes soil samples to determine if this pos-sible wetland falls within HED’s jurisdiction.


Age:Age:Age:Age:Age:

Electronic Libraryby Ruby Mizue

CONSTRUCTION CRITERIA BASE (CCB) UPDATEFor those of you who use CCB on the network, the new

edition #58 has replaced the current DVD. Instructions forupdating as well as new installations are posted in the POHPublic Folders, Information Management Folder, ElibraryConnection box.

Beginning in 2002, CCB disc sets will be published twice ayear, in April and October, instead of the current quarterlyschedule. This is the final regular quarterly edition of CCB. Wewill continue to have password access to CCB On-Line (Internet)for at least one year, with even more emphasis placed on thecurrency and completeness of documents and programs availableon the CCB website.

The change will enable subscribers to take advantage ofCCB On-Line for timely updating and easy access to guidespecifications and other documents which are quickly updated onthe website. Alternatively, the option of CCB on CD-ROM orDVD will continue to be the choice for very large documents(which often take impractically long to download with normalinternet connections), and for proprietary documents such ascodes and reference standards which cannot be distributed on theInternet.

Visit CCB Online at: < http://www.ccb.org/> for generalinformation about the electronic collection of over 10,000documents used in building design and construction. Call RubyMizue at 438-8348 if you need a username/password or assis-tance in using the resource.

Request for Leave and Approved Absence FormIf you are still using the old familiar SF71 to submit leave

requests, you are using an obsolete form! It has been replaced by

OPM Form 71, same title, which can be filled out electroni-cally in Formflow at: S:\forms\formflow\OPM0071.frz. Besure you save your DATA on a diskette or your hard drive—DoNOT save your personal data on the S:\ drive!

INTERNET/INTRANET UPDATE

Two Commander’s Policy Memos Posted at http://www.pod.usace.army.mil/info/hedcom.html

Commander’s Policy Memo #7, After Action ReviewStandards and Procedures, has been revised. The revisionadjusts thresholds for informal and formal AARs, provides amatrix outlining all requirements on one page, provides thestandard Army memo format as the format to record AARs, andadds design completion and construction completion customersurveys to the AAR process.

A new policy on Designation of Mission EssentialPersonnel During Times of Crisis has been posted asCommander’s Policy Memo #14. This policy prescribeswhich employees are considered mission essential in order tokeep HED functional and mission ready at all times. It alsoestablishes a telephone roster notification/message system.

PMBP Standing Operating Procedures (SOP) RevisedThe series of SOPs developed in support of Honolulu

District’s Project Management Business Process (PMBP) wasfirst posted in June 2001. These SOPs have been revised andare now posted on the Intranet page at https://pohinfo/SOP/SOPindex.html.

New AARs, customer feedback, and information papersare posted continually throughout the year. Be sure to useIntenet Explorer to access the POH Intranet at https://pohinfo.

The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life. —Muhammad Ali—Muhammad Ali—Muhammad Ali—Muhammad Ali—Muhammad Ali

Brig. Gen. Ronald Johnson, Com-manding General, Pacific OceanDivision, paid a visit to the Districton Nov. 19-20. Johnson touredHED offices and visited projectsites during the visit. Here, he re-ceives a briefing at Tripler ArmyMedical Center from RobertMorishige, project engineer, on re-placing air handling units atTAMC. Pictured from left are Mar-tin Lau, TAMC’s Chief, FacilitiesManagement Branch, Johnson,Col. Terry Youngbluth, PODdeputy commander/Chief of Staff,and Morishige. —Photo byMichelle Cain


Change:Change:Change:Change:Change: It has the power to uplift, to heal, to stimulate, surprise, open new doors, bring fresh experience andcreate excitement in life. Certainly it is worth the risk. —Leo Buscaglia—Leo Buscaglia—Leo Buscaglia—Leo Buscaglia—Leo Buscaglia

”

At our recent Town Hall meeting, I presented a number ofyou with our District Coin. If you look, you’ll see that the coincontains the phrase “America’s Engineers in the Pacific.” This is apowerful notion, and I want to share with you my perspective onwhat it means.

During World War II, the Honolulu Engineer District em-ployed some 26,000 people! While we are much smaller today, ata staff of about 400, we still serve mightily. No one else in thePacific provides the breadth and depth of services we deliver.

When I think of our service in the Pacific, many things cometo mind. I think of the Palau Compact Road Resident Office staff,nearly 5,000 miles away, building a 53-mile road through the Re-public of Palau, one of the world’s newest independent countries.Most people I speak with outside of the District have never heardof the Republic of Palau, yet we have a dedicated staff of profes-sionals there working selflessly. Led by Alex Morrison, our PalauCompact Road Resident Office helps ensure the economic vitalityof the Pacific region.

Our small staff of two people in Guam likewise comes tomind. Frank Dayton and Carolyn Holliday manage our regulatoryprogram, and provide continuity and assistance in our civil worksmission on Guam. You may never meet Frank or Carolyn, but letme assure you that they represent the Honolulu Engineer Districtand the US Army Corps of Engineers well, and are well known inboth Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Is-lands (CNMI). Frank and Carolyn are helping to preserve and protectthe environment of the Pacific region.

Although Joe Mau, Frank Ono, and Charles Adams don’t livein Saipan, CNMI, they might as well. Together these three men (thefirst two from the Fort Shafter Resident Office, the third from PPM)

have spent hundreds of hours in the small village of Tanapag ensur-ing that PCB-contaminated soil is remediated. They’ve withstoodtyphoons, some fierce public opinion, and life in a hotel room forweeks on end. These men, and those who came before them, servewillingly far from home: they, too, are America’s Engineers in thePacific.

Closer to the Hawaiian Islands, the men and women of theKwajalein Resident Office continue a tradition of service and sac-rifice of more than 42 years. Part of the Republic of the MarshallIslands, Kwajalein is home to the US Army Kwajalein Atoll(USAKA) and the Ronald Reagan Missile Test Facility. The workthat Lou Askew and his staff perform for USAKA and others onKwajalein sometimes goes unnoticed. But Lou and his staff are onthe cutting edge of our country’s missile defense program, and theyare helping to protect as well as build the Pacific.

Further south, across the equator, Stan Boc, Milton Yoshimoto,and Al Cambra have a reputation for service in American Samoa.The small boat harbors, roads, and shore protection projects theDistrict has built during the past 20 years in American Samoa arevital! These projects, like much of the other work we do in thePacific, bring jobs, commerce, access to medical care, and pave theway for other needed infrastructure. Truly, Stan, Milton, and Al cancount themselves among “America’s Engineers in the Pacific.”

Elsewhere, throughout the region, Zandra Smith, of our RealEstate Division, manages dozens of military recruiting facilities forthe Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines. Zandra’s efforts help buildthe Pacific by providing opportunities for Pacific Islanders to servein our Nation’s armed forces. They infuse in our military a diver-sity and appreciation for the Pacific region which is unmatched! Inher way, Zandra is building the Pacific, too.

Finally, here in Hawaii the rest of the District serves to buildthe Pacific. With environmental services oversight performed byBeth Miura at Makua Military Range and the Pohakuloa TrainingArea. With whole barracks renewal at Schofield Barracks performedby a host of construction reps, project engineers and others servingin the Schofield Barracks Resident Office. (These same people areon the leading edge of bringing Army Transformation to the 25th

Infantry Division, an enormous effort of strategic importance toour Army and our nation.) With aircraft hangar and pavement reno-vation by Bob Inouye and Ed Yago, and others in the Fort ShafterResident Office. With constant, around the clock work at the TriplerArmy Medical Center, at the capable hands of Randy Kurashige,Olson Okada, and Bob Morishige, to name only a few.

Of course, behind every successful project is a project deliv-ery team of designers, resource managers, contracting specialists,logisticians and other support staff, making it all happen. I want toacknowledge the hundreds of people in the District who work dayafter day, professionally completing every task they undertake. Someof these people shy away from the spotlight, and work diligentlyeach day; they deserve our respect, thanks, and admiration as well!

Every one of you is part of the Honolulu Engineer District’smission to build the Pacific region. Thank you again for your ser-vice, professionalism, and dedication. You are part of the economicvitality of the region. And indeed, you are “America’s Engineers inthe Pacific!”

America’sengineers inthe Pacific

“No one else providesthe breadth and

depth of services theDistrict delivers.

By Lt. Col.Ronald N. LightHED Commander

Commander’s Comments


Aloha means hello toStuart Fermahin, SBRO. Alohameans hello to JeffHoneycutt, Palau ResidentOffice. Aloha means helloto Janice Brissette, newChief, Resource Management.Aloha means hello to

Emily Fu and Felicitas Basa, RM. Aloha meanshello to Darrin Berends, engineer at KRO. Aloha meanshello to Christi Shaw and David Grant, archeologists in theEnvironmental Technical Branch. Aloha means hello toHarmon Slappy, Ordinance and Explosive Waste Specialist inthe Environmental Technical Branch. Aloha means good-bye to Sharon Sherry, IM, who has retired after 37 years withthe Corps of Engineers. Aloha means good-bye to EstherCruz, RE, who has transferred to AED. Aloha means good-bye to Nellie Arnold, RM, who has accepted a position with theNavy at CINCPAC, Camp Smith. Aloha means good-bye toAnita Alcantara, RM, who has transferred to JED. Alohameans good-bye to Lyle Otineru, Civil Works TechnicalBranch, Regional Visitors Center, who has accepted a positionwith the Directorate of Plans, Training and Mobility. Con-gratulations to Lynn Arakaki on her promotion to Chief ofConstruction/A-E Contracts. Congratulations to DanNakamura on his promotion to Chief, Environmental TechnicalBranch. Congratulations to Olson Okada on his promotionto senior project manager at TAMC. Congratulations toGlen Takishita on his promotion to senior project manager forfamily housing and non-appropriated funds projects. Con-gratulations to Earl Hiraki, whose position as SBROResident Engineer has been upgraded. Congratulations to

Imagination is more important than knowledge, for knowledge is limited while imaginationembraces the entire world. —Alber —Alber —Alber —Alber —Albert Einsteint Einsteint Einsteint Einsteint EinsteinImagination:Imagination:Imagination:Imagination:Imagination:

��

��HED

the following employees who received awards at the Town Hallmeeting Dec. 7: Suggestion Program awards for sugges-tions resulting in more than $112,000 in verified saving and morethan $51,000 in unverified savings to the District: MariaBuckner, Joy Sakamoto, Jeanette Anderson, ElaineNagasawa, Hiroaki Morita, Kent Tamai, and Rick Oleniaczreceived on-the-spot cash awards; Amy Izawa, CharleneHasegawa, Lynette Serrao, Amy Loo, Sandy Ginto, JimCainelli, Vince Faggioli, David Kam, and Debbie Alexanderreceived HED briefcases. Special Emphasis ProgramCommittee members for their contributions to the District:Linda Hihara-Endo, Renee Hicks, Sharon Ishikawa, PaulineKahalioumi, Alexander Kufel, Donna Kanetake, KurtisKikkawa, Gary Kitkowski, Randall Kurashige, David Lau,Tammy Luke, Maydean Martin, Kent Tamai, Wendy Mow,Dan Nakamura, Vecy Pascual, Lolly Silva, Anna Tarrant, EdYoshimura, and Jeannette Anderson received HED briefcases.Commander’s coins in recognition of the employee’sprofessionalism, dedication to duty and commitment to theexecution of HED’s missions and the District’s Operations Plan:Barbara Mills, Paulette Choy, Austin Rester, Polly Bjorken,Shane Brady, Michelle Cain, Rick Oleniacz, Joel Hendrix,Cyndee Oleyte, Katie Tamashiro, Ronnie Kirkland, AllenToma, James Pak, Tammy Luke, Pat Billington, Robyn Au,Donna Kanetake, Kenneth Santiago, M. Kalani Smith,Laureen Vizcarra, Sharon Kashiwabara, Dorinda Won,Rosaline Yagi, Charles Adams, Dean Fukuchi, and DarleneShimamura. No Ka Oi coin: Renee Kurashige for her workon the 2001 Combined Federal Campaign. Condolences toKurtis Kikkawa, CEPOD-CT, on the Nov. 12 passing of hisfather, Richard Katsunori Kikkawa, a retired estimator for theU.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

��Raleigh Sakado, deputy chief of HED Programs

and Project Management, retired after 40 years of fed-eral service. He served 20 years active-duty militaryas an engineer, followed by 20 years of civilian servicewith the Army Corps of Engineers.

Scott Newitt, POD Resource Management chief,retired after 41 years of federal service.

Families at Schofield Barracks continue to moveinto newly-completed family housing units. HED su-pervised construction of the $13 million project, builtby Hunt Building Corporation.��

A December 12 ceremony marked the comple-

��

tion of a 30,000-square-foot addition and renovationof the 15th Air Base Wing medical and dental clinic atHickam Air Force Base. The $16 million project wassupervised by HED.��

POD sent a five-member team to storm-damagedAmerican Samoa to support the Federal EmergencyManagement Agency’s relief action in the wake of tropi-cal cyclone Val.

Construction began on the new Army ContinuingEducation System facility at Schofield Barracks. HEDawarded the nearly $8 million project to Tower Con-struction Co. of Honolulu.

the pacific connection...december 2001 the pacific connection 3 perspective: a child on a farm sees...

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