Mission
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Europe District's International Engineering Center (IEC) is a dynamic organization that supports the Theatre Security Cooperation objectives of two combatant commands, U.S. European Command (EUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM). The IEC provides facility planning, design and construction for programs typically located in remote locations of Eurasia, especially within the Caucasus, Baltic and Balkans regions, and in any of 52 countries in Africa.
The IEC provides facility acquisition for several programs in support of EUCOM and AFRICOM. An example is the Counter-Narcotics and Terrorism (CNT) program which allows the U.S. Dept of Defense to share intelligence with a host nation in the mutual fight against international crime and terrorism. Through Foreign Military Funds (FMF/FMS) the IEC constructs facilities that directly support a friendly host nation. A major program for the IEC is via Humanitarian Assistance (HA) funding. From this program the IEC provides schools, medical clinics, orphanages, community centers, and other beneficial structures to often impoverished people in developing countries, thereby helping to reduce poverty and spread good will.
In addition to supporting the US Department of Defense, the IEC provides engineering, environmental and construction management, and other related skills to other U.S. agencies, such as the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State, and to International Organizations such as the Millennium Challenge Corporation.
The IEC strives to utilize local materials and construction methods in its designs so that completed facilities not only complement their environment but are less expensive to construct and easier to maintain. At the same time the IEC introduces modern design and management processes to remote regions to develop local capacity and improve safety. The IEC is assisting Eurasian and African countries with their transition to democracy by providing their governments with the technical and professional assistance necessary to modernize and improve their civil and military infrastructures.