Leadership & Operations: New Wilmington District Deputy Commander Conducts Battlefield Circulation at Philpott Lake and Kerr Reservoir

Editor’s Note: The following is from the USACE Wilmington District, curated by America’s Engineers for general public, commercial contractor, and industry visibility. The original report can be found at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers news repository.

Meetings and briefings can tell U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Wilmington District Deputy Commander Maj. Bruce Merrill a lot about the district’s projects. But for a new member of the command team, there is no substitute for seeing those projects — and meeting the people behind them — firsthand.

Merrill traveled to Philpott Lake and John H. Kerr Reservoir in Virginia Sept. 1-2 as part of battlefield circulation intended to familiarize him with the district’s projects, missions and personnel.

“My primary purpose for battlefield circulation was to firsthand see the projects and the unique environment that each of our projects works in,” Merrill said. “It’s important for leadership to get out of the office to interact with the workforce so we can hear directly from the folks executing our mission.”

Merrill began his circulation Sept. 1 at Philpott Lake, where he met with project personnel at the visitor center to discuss morale, workplace concerns and issues affecting employees as they carry out the project’s missions.

He then toured Philpott Dam and its powerhouse, where employees provided an overview of the facility, its operations and ongoing work at the project. The visit gave Merrill an opportunity to connect information typically conveyed through meetings and briefings with the infrastructure and personnel responsible for executing the mission.

The following day, Merrill traveled to John H. Kerr Reservoir, where he again met with project personnel and heard directly from employees about their work and concerns.

During the visit, Merrill toured recreation areas around the lake and visited several facilities associated with the project’s varied missions, including the Tungsten Queen mine site, a pumping station and John H. Kerr Dam. At the dam, he toured the powerhouse and received briefings on hydroelectric power production and water control.

We’re so glad you are here! Like what you’re reading? Make America’s Engineers a Google preferred news source.

For Merrill, seeing the projects firsthand provided context to the information he receives as a member of the district command team.

“I hear projects talked about in meetings and it’s crucial to visually see the key aspects of the projects,” Merrill said.

The two visits also highlighted the different environments in which Wilmington District employees operate. Although both projects are located in Virginia, each has its own missions, infrastructure, surrounding communities and challenges.

“No two projects and their surrounding communities are the same,” Merrill said. “Some areas are extremely rural and others are located in a metropolitan area. Each is unique.”

Despite those differences, Merrill said one thing that stood out was the depth of knowledge among the employees responsible for operating and maintaining the projects.

“The amount of SMEs we have at each of our sites is impressive,” Merrill said. “Everyone knows all the details of their projects and is willing to share such details.”

The circulation also gave employees an opportunity to speak directly with district leadership about challenges affecting their ability to execute the mission. Staffing was one recurring concern Merrill heard during the visits.

“The most common theme from all our projects is the challenges with staffing,” Merrill said. “While everyone’s hard work to keep the mission going does not go unnoticed, the staffing shortages remain a challenge that we must overcome.”

As Merrill continues familiarizing himself with the Wilmington District, the visits provided a firsthand look at not only the projects and missions under the district’s responsibility, but also the people responsible for their success.

“This team continues to impress me with their dedication to our mission,” Merrill said. “I thank everyone for their hard work and their continued service.”

This article was originally published by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers under the title, “Battlefield circulation connects new deputy commander with Wilmington District projects, people.” Reposted with permission.