History Talk - History of the Army Corps of Engineers

For 250 years the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has engaged in two unique roles to defend and build the nation. First, as a source of professional engineering expertise, the Corps built coastal fortifications to defend the boundaries of a growing nation. And from that expertise, the Corps was also the obvious choice for Congress to engage in developing roads and waterways westward to the expanding frontier. Overtime those two unique missions – military construction and civil works – evolved and expanded to include flood control, disaster response, and overseas contingency operations, among others. In this History Talk, explore how the mission of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers changed and developed with the nation.