Press Release
☷Seasoned USACE responders paving the way for new generation
U.S. Army ( By Press Release office)
Jan 27,2024
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Jeff McCullick and Clayton Corken , members of the U . S . Army Corps of Engineers St . Paul District , are working together on the Hawai‘i Wildfires Recovery mission . They are part of a team of 26 individuals who are responsible for temporary housing planning and response . McCullick serves as the mission manager , while Corken is a mission specialist . With their experience in disaster recovery missions , McCullick and Corken are mentoring and guiding first time responders to help them understand the process . The goal is to gradually introduce these new responders to their roles and responsibilities . “We start small and then steadily increase the workload over time so they don’t become overwhelmed , ” McCullick said . Corken said McCullick was transparent and let him know at the beginning that he would get help because it was a learning process , but at some point he would take full responsibility for his role . “It’s okay if you don’t know all the answers right away , you’re not expected to , ” Corken said . “But we are always expected to give 100% effort . ” Although Corken quickly reached the point in the mission where he was now doing all of his work like any first responder , he was initially nervous about the mission . “The move and implementation was daunting for me as I didn’t know what to expect , ” he said . “But knowing what I know now , I wouldn’t give a second thought to deploying again . The experiences I have had here and the people I have met have influenced every aspect of my life in some way . ” As with any disaster response , new responders can sometimes face a variety of challenges . “One of the biggest challenges for me was figuring out how interagency communications work and where I really fit in , ” Corken said . He credits the full support of his family and colleagues as the driving force behind his ability to successfully overcome the challenges he faced . “I learn every day and am grateful to be able to do my part to help the people of Maui recover , ” he said . Corken plans to continue learning as much as he can from McCullick and the rest of the ESF #3 team and hopes to use him on future missions . “Clayton has a bright future ahead of him , ” McCullick said . “I have no doubt that one day we will see him in the mission manager’s chair . .
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