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Military Programs

In 1992 the Army, Navy and Air Force signed a Memorandum of Understanding with five other Federal Departments and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) of the Executive Office of the President. In 1994, the Department of Energy, Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Environmental Protection Agency joined the Coastal America partnership. Most recently, the partners signed a Commitment to the Partnership in December 1999 to clarify the funding and administrative support provided by the partners. Resulting from this last agreement, the Department of Defense has assigned a Military Liaison to Coastal America to represent the Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) Program and coordinate IRT activities with Coastal America projects.


Download a PDF version of "A Decade of Military Support"
See a video clip of Rains Mill Dam Demolition (13,976KB)


This Month's Coastal America/Military Partnership Highlight: Military/Coastal Ecosystem Learning Center Partnership in Support of the Marine Mammal Stranding Network



Coastal America Award Event Spotlight:

East Machias Dam Ceremony
July 17, 2000

Award Ceremony
Honor Guard with Major General Andrews & Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense at the East Machias Award Ceremony

Supervision of the demolishing of East Machias Dam
Air Force Reserve command civil engineers supervise the demolishing of East Machias Dam

This project removed the East Machias Dam and the associated downstream powerhouse during the summer of 2000. The Bangor-Hydro-Electric Company Dam on the East Machias River originally built the dam in 1926. After the dam reached the end of its useful life, the Bangor-Hydro-Electric Company gave the dam to the town of East Machias. The effort restored more than 200 stream miles of anadromous migration routes for the Atlantic Salmon as well as other species. The removal improves fish passage as well as fish habitat by creating more potential for resting pools. A team of 12 Air Force Reserve Command civil engineers began arriving in the middle of May to begin demolishing the dam as part of the command's IRT, short for Innovative Readiness Training Program.

"The IRT program is a
win-win situation,"

Air Force Maj. Gen. James E. Andrews said. "We send teams of military professionals to communities around the United States to receive hands-on training, as an incidental benefit, reservists provide medical and engineering assistance."

AF Reserves Remove Dam
Air Force Reserve Command Civil Engineers Demolishing the East Machias Dam

East Machias Bridge and Dam Before Removal East Machias Bridge and Dam Before Removal

Coastal America's Military Partners
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This page was updated Sunday, 21-Dec-2003 14:58:47 EST

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