Congress Establishes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

On this day in US history, Congress established the US Army Corps of Engineers to help plan, develop, and construct facilities for the US Army on March 11, 1779. They were initially made up of citizen workers, Continental Army members, and even French officers. Today, over 35,000 US civilians and enlisted personnel are working on various projects, like rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.