 Portraits, reflections of the past, glimpses of moments frozen in time, a time of challenges met, a problem solved by the Army Corps of Engineers. You know, the Corps has been around too long, done far too much to be seen in just one picture. But after our walk through this gallery, I think you're going to have a better idea of the accomplishments and activities of the United States Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps works in both the military and civil work areas, either directly or through contracts supervised by the Corps and performed for the Army and Nation by the Corps laboratories, industry, state agencies and universities. Let's look at some of their work. We'll start with the military effort. The battlefield of today, victory, depends on mobility. The movement of troops, containment of enemy vehicles, analysis of terrain. These are only a few of the problems facing a battlefield commander. Problems the Army Corps of Engineers are hoping to solve. Corps civil and mechanical engineers produce the Army Mobility Model, which contributed to the design of the suspension system for the X-M1 tank. The Army Mobility Model is also being used to evaluate the performance of vehicles to travel cross-country and to design counter-mobility measures. Knowledge of the terrain gives our troops a decided advantage. New methods are being developed by Corps computer scientists to rapidly provide our ground forces with updated map information so troop movement can respond quickly and with ease. By using new computer techniques, we can pinpoint areas where our troops can move with minimum detection as they advance. The computer can also analyze terrain that is not visible to the eye due to clouds or other factors limiting visibility. Quoto-enhancements enable better identification of equipment, weapons and ground facilities. By simply changing programs, digital data and microprocessors can be used to rapidly provide commanders with three-dimensional views and line-of-sight overlays which can assist them in positioning weapons in planning troop movements and in locating landing zones for helicopters. But computers will only form one part of the tools the Corps uses. Models like this and the recreation of environmental conditions form the basis of the Corps' research efforts. Well, what do you think this is supposed to be? Here's a hint. That's right, a helicopter blade. Cold weather military operations pose problems which the Corps' R&D program is solving. One of the most difficult is the icing up of helicopter rotor blades. The Army's Aviation R&D Command and the Corps' Cold Regions Laboratory are working together to limit the icing of helicopter blades. Through research, they determine the physical properties that cause ice to form on and adhere to metal surfaces in extreme cold weather. The outcome of this research will be coatings and materials that will keep ice from forming on structures and equipment. Protection of our troops is a major area of research. Soldiers in the open field need protection from artillery and gunfire. This recent development is a shelter in a box. It's a polyurethane foam which is mixed where and when it's needed, poured into a canvas envelope and sets up in 15 minutes. The foam doesn't stop bullets, but it does provide the support for up to two feet of earth cover and that will stop lots of bullets. Remember the snow fort you built as a kid? Well, recent R&D studies on ice and snow reveal that snow packed at certain thicknesses can serve as an effective protection from small arms and artillery fragments. In addition to developing protective covers, the Corps is also conducting research into improvement of a base plate for 81-millimeter mortars. They develop methods and technology that allow the firing of mortars and snow without changing position. Counter-mobility is also a major area of research. Using bridges already scheduled for demolition, the Corps experiments with effective ways to destroy them and slow enemy movement. In tests like this, we find better ways of setting explosives, such as at or under the waterline, to take maximum advantage of the force generated in the explosion. Of course, not everything the Corps does is aimed at solving problems related to combat operations. In the nation, we always seek the peaceful solution, so our military spends most of its time training and maintaining equipment, just keeping our guard, preparing for what we hope will never happen. So many new techniques and procedures the Corps has developed are aimed at keeping our peacetime army in step with the rest of the nation with respect to energy, the environment, and the lifestyle of our soldiers. Many of the Corps' projects are designed to improve army garrisons and installations, each almost like a city. And like any large city, military bases have their share of problems. Now, we've seen one kind of model, but this, this is another kind of Corps uses, a computer model. And these numbers and symbols, they represent the design and construction of buildings, parks, airstrips, all the facilities of an existing installation or a new one under construction. Innovative applications of computer technology have helped the Corps develop improved architectural standards. This system, when completed, will incorporate nine separate modules into one program, allowing Corps engineers to do their designing and engineering faster, better, and cheaper. A major concern in all construction is quality control. A new Corps development which is being tested in this area is the Well Quality Monitor. The Well Quality Monitor was developed to ensure integrity and uniformity of wells. This research will help set standards which will assure structural stability. Corps mechanical engineers are also studying heating, air conditioning, and ventilation. This test facility allows the comparison and efficiency rating of temperature control systems and insulation materials. Recent natural catastrophes continue to teach us that we have to always be prepared to combat the forces of nature, such as earthquakes. Extensive seismic research underway by the Corps will help the Army design and construct critical facilities that can better survive the traumatic and destructive effects of an earthquake. Acoustical studies are done which require the construction of scale model houses on shake tables. The test is conducted with volunteers in the facilities to learn how much noise buildings and people can tolerate without discomfort or undue stress. This is one of the largest shake tables in the United States. The computer controls the table and is able to simulate a multitude of vibrations from an aircraft passing overhead to an earthquake. It allows three-dimensional vibration testing for earthquake stability. The Corps is also working for you, the civilian. The research and development mission of the Corps includes helping to improve your life and the environment of the country through the development and use of new technology, techniques and materials. For example, along the nation's coastal regions, the Corps is continually working on ways to stabilize beach sand with vegetation, dune construction or structural means when necessary. Sprawl over acres of countryside. Others, like this one, build giant buildings. They are used to study water resources and navigability of our rivers, ways to improve flood control capabilities in every area of our country and ways to protect harbors. This is a scale model of Oceanside, California. Here, researchers collect data under control conditions, which is then used to make recommendations on seawall construction, docks, piers and shoreline erosion so that harbors will be more usable. The continuous movement of sand along our coastal area presents problems of erosion, including heavy sand deposits in our channels and marinas. The Corps researched and designed a sand pump permitting the unwanted sand deposits to be moved. Models are used to study hydraulic factors critical to the proper location of reservoirs, dams and their associated navigation structures. Other models of barges and boats are used to study channel alignment and placement of lock chambers. But lock chambers can become frozen in the winter months. To prevent this, the Corps has developed a bubbler system. Corps' new ice engineering facility is being used to simulate frozen conditions on our waterways. Research is focused on cold weather phenomenon, such as the destructive forces of ice. Some engineers study the formation of ice jams to find solutions for winter navigation problems. Other engineers in the Corps study the effects of ice on structures and related facilities. In this test, a large sheet of ice is being dragged against a calibrated device, representing a structure to develop improved design criteria. The corrosive action of rust is a serious problem to structures. Considerable work is being done by the Corps to understand this problem. A new ceramic coated protective device about the size of a pencil has replaced the old standard device weighing over 40 pounds. Developed by the Corps, it is easier to install and service and reduces corrosion on waterway structures. Road icing. It interferes with transportation. Deicing agents are studied in test facilities to see how traction can be improved. But answers aren't always found with technology. Sometimes the right answer is right under your nose. Like with this fish. This is a white amour. The Corps is using it to solve the problem of overgrowing aquatic plants in our rivers and recreational areas. The growth and expansion of aquatic plants have been so rapid in the last few years that the problem is of unmanageable proportions, making many areas totally unusable to the recreational public. To find a solution to this problem, a demonstration project was initiated. One solution was to design special-purpose boats to maneuver, cut and store the plants. The cost of operation is expensive. Another solution is the white amour. This fish finds our aquatic plants a delicacy and consumes huge quantities daily. The preliminary results of the demonstration project with the white amour have shown a definite decrease in the aquatic plant growth in Lake Conway and no adverse ecological or environmental effects. A real success for Corps botanists and biologists. Corps civil engineers have taken on the perennial problem of potholes. They are continually researching better ways of preventing it by improved design and construction, as well as quick and inexpensive methods of repairing them when they do occur. Often, the problems they face have no apparent solutions. Yet, through painstaking evaluation and study, most of the problems are solved, or at least partially solved. When the optimum solution is still beyond the current state of technology, we work to advance the technology to provide improved solutions. Well, that's been a picture of the Corps. I hope that you now have a better idea of the multifaceted research and development programs undertaken by the Corps. Programs dedicated to seeing that our soldiers can fight effectively and successfully on any battlefield. Another part of the Corps' effort is in designing and upgrading present and future army installations, helping the peacetime army meet the demands required of them. The Corps' work has given our military personnel the best facilities to accomplish their missions economically and effectively. Then, of course, there's the vital role the Corps plays in helping the nation better utilize the present and future civilian water resources, making them more cost-effective, providing maximum benefits to people everywhere. Remember, the United States Army Corps of Engineers finds no problem too big, none too small for it to tackle. The other problem solvers. People working on a variety of research and development projects in a variety of places.