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Vicksburg District Civil Engineer Returns from Afghanistan

Published July 31, 2014
The Vicksburg District encompasses a 68,000-square-mile area across portions of Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana that holds seven major river basins and incorporates approximately 460 miles of mainline levees. The district is engaged in hundreds of projects and supports disaster response in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Tennessee.

The Vicksburg District encompasses a 68,000-square-mile area across portions of Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana that holds seven major river basins and incorporates approximately 460 miles of mainline levees. The district is engaged in hundreds of projects and supports disaster response in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Tennessee.

Vicksburg, Miss… Paul Richards, civil engineer with the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Vicksburg District, has returned from a nine-month deployment to Kabul, Afghanistan, in support of Overseas Contingency Operations.

Vicksburg, Miss… Paul Richards, civil engineer with the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Vicksburg District, has returned from a nine-month deployment to Kabul, Afghanistan, in support of Overseas Contingency Operations.

Vicksburg, Miss… Paul Richards, civil engineer with the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Vicksburg District, has returned from a nine-month deployment to Kabul, Afghanistan, in support of Overseas Contingency Operations.

During his tour, Richards served as a project engineer in the Kabul Area Office. As a project engineer and contracting officer’s representative, Richards was responsible for contract administration and quality assurance for 16 projects valued at over $200 million. Projects were in support of the Afghan National Army, Kabul Afghanistan International Airport, and the Ministry of Interior Afghanistan. Richards processed numerous contract modifications to include scope determination, cost estimation, and negotiations. He also ensured that all projects assigned stayed within schedule and budget requirements, and provided guidance to local nationals on quality assurance and engineering practices.

“Deploying to Afghanistan was a chance to gain engineering experience that would take years to obtain at home. The work is fast paced, and there is never a dull moment. The deployment was definitely a memorable moment in my career, but it’s nice to finally be home with my family and friends,” Richards stated.

He will resume his role as a Civil Engineer in the Technical Support Branch at the Vicksburg District. He will be responsible for the planning and coordinating of survey contracts, analyzing contractor and in-house collected data, and coordinating with survey contractors and project designers to deliver survey products required for successful project execution.

A native of Vicksburg, he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from Mississippi State University.

The Corps supports the U. S. Army by deploying members of its civilian workforce who volunteer to support the Army’s mission worldwide. Since 2002, the Vicksburg District has deployed over 180 civilians to Iraq and Afghanistan. This civilian workforce provides a unique expertise to the fighting forces, including a reach-back capability that taps the expertise of the Corps of Engineers as a whole. The Corps continues to play a key role in defense operations as well as responding to natural disasters, both at home and abroad.

Contact
Alice Bufkin
601-631-5412
alice.bufkin@usace.army.mil

Release no. 14-063