LOS ANGELES – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District awarded about 755 contracts worth more than $600 million in fiscal year 2023.

Col. Andrew Baker, LA District commander, and Justin Gay, LA District deputy engineer, lead the End-of-Year Celebration – that highlighted the year’s accomplishments – Oct. 17 at the LA District Headquarters in downtown Los Angeles.

Baker acknowledged the hard work of employees leading up to the Sept. 30 deadline.

“I am honored to be here today at my first SPL town hall to celebrate all of yours and the district’s accomplishments,” Baker said. “SPL has a phenomenal reputation throughout the entire Corps of Engineers, not only because of the size, scope and significance of the program that we deliver for the nation, but also because of the amazing people that have come through and continue to serve here.”

During FY23, the district completed more than $780 million in work, including about $385 million in Military Construction in support of our warfighters and their families; about $288 million in Civil Works projects in local communities; and $113 million in International and Interagency Support Services in support of veterans and other agencies.

Baker further highlighted a few of the district’s special accomplishments:

• The Government Purchase Card was a successful program with 845 actions, valued at more than $880 million.

• The LA District’s Recruiting Facilities Program team accomplished a higher percentage of programmed actions than any other district, accomplishing 247 actions, valued at more than $32 million.

• The Installation Support Team completed the land acquisitions for the Fort Irwin Expansion project, a series of military construction projects that began in 2004. The project acquired 551 parcels of land comprising nearly 115,000 acres of land.

• About $60 million in FY23 sustainment, restoration and modernization obligations were completed, which is the largest ever in Arizona and Nevada.

• Polacca Wash Emergency Management mission protecting Hopi people and property was completed in August – well ahead of schedule – with no mission impact to End-of-Year contract awards.

“Since taking command in July, it’s been a busy few months,” Baker said.

“We went from going through our first tropical cyclone to hit this region in 84 years, to hosting an array of distinguished guests. What we do directly impacts our national economy, the safety and welfare of our citizens, and our national defense.”

Baker went on to acknowledge other accomplishments in FY23, including:

• Response to Tropical Storm Hiliary, in which the district successfully kept communities surrounding our dams safe and captured 19,000 acre-feet of storm water.

• The Energy Resilience Project completion at the Joint Forces Training Base at Los Alamitos.

• A Project Partnership Agreement signing for the San Diego County (Encinitas and Solana Beach) Shoreline Protection Project.

• A Project Partnership Agreement signing for a 50-year shoreline protection agreement with City of San Clemente.

• The signing of the Eastern Municipal Water District Project Partnership Agreement.

• The signing of the Little Colorado River at Winslow Flood-Risk Management Project Design Agreement.

• Completion of emergency flood-risk mitigation measures at the Bishop Paiute Tribe Indian Reservation in Bishop, California.

• Imperial Streams Salton Sea and Tributaries Feasibility Study cost-share agreement signing.

• Groundbreaking at Fort Irwin Simulations Center at Fort Irwin, California.

• Alcoa Dike wall installation in Corona, California.

• Completion of an air traffic control tower at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California.

• Public Law 84-99, Emergency Response to Natural Disasters, response to flood-fighting at Duncan, Arizona.

• Completion of a project that restores the capability of five federally constructed channels in Maricopa County.

In addition to celebrating numerous project completions throughout the district, more than 75 employees were recognized as Year-End Heroes for their contributions to the organization, and more than 40 employees were presented with second, third and fourth quarter awards during the ceremony.

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