For the past 25 years, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Contingency Response Unit has delivered skilled personnel in support of military operations, disaster response and combatant command missions worldwide.
The unit was officially activated Oct. 16, 2000, and is comprised of roughly 46 Army Reserve soldiers who rapidly respond to engineering needs during times of crisis.
"Though we are an Army Reserve organization, the CRU has consistently demonstrated our ability to respond and support the Corps [of Engineers] during times of need," said Army Col. Kari Haravitch, Contingency Response Unit commander. "Our soldiers understand the unique nature of the CRU and the support we provide to USACE and their customers."
The unit's first major assignment came in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Within hours, members were deployed to the USACE operations center and then were on the ground in New York, assisting USACE's North Atlantic Division as they stood up and operated both the emergency operations center and a military tactical operations center. The unit's efforts enabled division personnel to focus on ground zero while the reserve soldiers coordinated across five USACE districts, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and local emergency services.
Soldiers from the CRU also contributed actionable intelligence and terrorism analysis to inform national-level planning and served at USACE headquarters, where they manned the emergency operations center, installed secure communications infrastructure, provided mission-critical continuity, and helped assess and upgrade infrastructure vulnerabilities in U.S. ports and waterways. They also coordinated reserve mobilization and demobilization efforts during a period of rapid activation.
From that point on, the CRU's mission continued to evolve.
Shortly after 9/11, the unit deployed to USACE's Europe District in Germany to establish a future operations center supporting U.S. European Command and U.S. Joint Forces Command. The team conducted antiterrorism and force protection assessments across key facilities in Germany, Italy and Turkey. They also supported unexploded ordnance removal in Nigeria and assessed training ranges in Georgia and Estonia to strengthen NATO and U.S. interoperability.
"As a unit tailored to perform specific support missions, we have the flexibility to meet the variety of USACE and overarching engineer regiment needs," Haravitch said. "We pride ourselves on a strong interview process that allows us to select senior leaders with high-quality staff and command experience, enabling us to provide a baseline, foundational set of [engineering] technical and operational skills and experiences, as well as leadership skills that are needed regardless of the mission."
According to Haravitch, this foundation of experience and training enables the team to rapidly integrate with and augment any engineering element.
Throughout the decades, the unit's members deployed in small, agile teams or individually, supporting domestic and international events, serving as liaisons, project engineers, planners and staff officers.
During this time, CRU soldiers supported the federal responses to Hurricane Katrina and the 2004 tsunami that struck Southeast Asia, as well as deployed in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, providing engineering leadership to the Afghanistan Engineer District and, at the time, the Gulf Region Division.
During the early days of the global war on terrorism, CRU soldiers served as the operations centers and the hubs of the districts and GRD.
"These CRU green suiters enabled operational success for USACE in U.S. Central Command," Haravitch said. "Their technical skill sets, often gained via their civilian employers, coupled with their military experience and training, allowed them to hit the ground running, each and every rotation."
Beyond the efforts during the war on terror, the CRU supported the nation during COVID-19, providing essential engineering support for emergency medical infrastructure, as well as supporting disaster response efforts in the wake of the Maui wildfires and Hurricane Idalia.
Most recently, the CRU responded to support recovery efforts following Hurricanes Helene and Milton, as well as the Los Angeles wildfires.
"Having the ability to tap into reserve soldiers who bring the best of both the military and civilian knowledge is a force multiplier for USACE," said Army Maj. Gen. Jason Kelly, deputy commanding general for civil and emergency operations. "CRU soldiers fill those critical needs with an unmatched professionalism and expertise that allows USACE to be successful no matter the challenge."
Looking ahead, the CRU aims to continue building upon its past successes, supporting the nation as it adapts to the global operating environment.
The Corps of Engineers has no shortage of missions, asks and tasks. While the demand grows, the CRU will continue to provide direct support to the corps, providing educated, trained and experienced teams and individuals to help USACE and the engineer regiment," Haravitch said.