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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has paved the way in complex construction environments for almost a century. Shortly before World War II, Congress and the War Department approved the transfer of military construction responsibilities from an overtaxed Quartermaster Corps to the Corps of Engineers. The Transatlantic Division evolved from that original mission emerging as the Army Corps of Engineers’ tip of the spear when it comes to supporting the warfighter and promoting safety and stability throughout the Middle East and Central Asia. The history of how the Transatlantic Division evolved is as complex and rich with innovation as the support we provide.

Now under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Southwestern Division, this mission—formerly part of the Transatlantic Division—continues to STRENGTHEN PARTNERSHIPS, BUILD CAPACITY, and ENHANCE SECURITY for our nation, allies, and partners.

SAFELY delivering agile, responsive, and innovative, design, construction, engineering and contingency solutions in support of U.S. Central Command, U.S. Special Operations Command and other global partners to advance national security interests.

Our Evolution

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Historical Missions

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Mosul Dam Task Force
Members of the Mosul Dam Task Force exit a Ministry of Water Resources building at the Mosul Dam. With its the hydropower plant and four water storage towers, Mosul Dam supplies water, hydropower, irrigation and flood control to the region.
Mosul Dam Task Force
The Governments of Iraq, Italy, and the U.S. have combined their efforts to stabilize Mosul Dam, the largest earthen dam in Iraq and the fourth largest in the Middle East. The dam provides water supply, irrigation, flood control, and hydro-power for the people of Iraq along the Tigris River Valley.
Mosul Dam Task Force
Iraq Computer Engineer Abdulrahman Alnuiami inside the grout tunnel at Mosul Dam. Alnuiami monitors the Automated Data System that permits remote 24/7 monitoring of the dam, using more than 800 devices that gage water elevations, water pressures, quality and flow rates, and surface displacement.
Mosul Dam Task Force
Mosul Dam, with its the hydropower plant and four water storage towers, sits in a valley along the Tigris River 30 miles outside Mosul City in Iraq.. It is the largest dam in Iraq, and the fourth largest in the Middle East and supplies water, hydropower, irrigation and flood control to the region.
Members of the Mosul Dam Task Force
Members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic Division's Task Force Mosul Dam, headquartered in Iraq, pose in front of their building.
Mosul Dam spillway gates
The gates on the Mosul Dam spillway that are used to release water from the reservoir, which holds billions of gallons of water. It is the largest dam in Iraq, and the fourth largest in the Middle East and supplies water, hydropower, irrigation and flood control to the region.
Mosul Dam Task Force
Mosul Dam, with its the hydropower plant and four water storage towers, sits in a valley along the Tigris River 30 miles outside Mosul City in Iraq.. It is the largest dam in Iraq, and the fourth largest in the Middle East and supplies water, hydropower, irrigation and flood control to the region.
Mosul Dam Task Force
The Mosul Dam, with its the hydropower plant and four water storage towers, sits in a valley along the Tigris River approximately 30 miles outside Mosul City in Iraq. The dam is the largest in Iraq, and the fourth largest in the Middle East. It supplies water, hydropower, irrigation and flood control to the region.
Mosul Dam Task Force
Members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq, and members of the Government of Iraq celebrate the completion of the Mosul Dam Task Force mission in Iraq by holding up the MDTF Mission Flag on the banks of the Tigris River in front of the dam.
Mosul Dam Task Force
Brig. Gen. Susan Henderson, director of Logistics for the Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, overlooks the Mosul Dam in Iraq. Henderson toured the dam and visited with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mosul Dam Task Force on Feb. 26, 2019.

Transatlantic Division History

The Transatlantic Division was established September 29, 2009, in Winchester, Virginia, to provide unity of command for all the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' organizations working in the U.S. Central Command area of operations.

Before the Transatlantic Division was established, three major Army Corps of Engineers' organizations operated in that theater: the Gulf Region Division in Baghdad, Iraq; the Afghanistan Engineer District in Kabul; and the Transatlantic Programs Center in Winchester.

When the Transatlantic Division was activated, the Gulf Region Division was disestablished and its remaining districts assigned to the new Division: the Gulf Region District in Baghdad and the Gulf Region South District in Tallil. The Division inherited the Afghanistan Engineer District-North in Kabul; the newly created Afghanistan Engineer District-South in Kandahar; and the Middle East District (renamed from the Transatlantic Programs Center).

The Transatlantic Division’s structure continues to evolve to meet its operational requirements. The Division currently has two districts; the newly formed Transatlantic Expeditionary District and the enduring Transatlantic Middle East District.

Today

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has a very rich history of support to our nation with more than 240 years of engineering experience. The Transatlantic Division, located in Winchester, Virginia, is the Army Corps of Engineers’ ninth major subordinate command. The Transatlantic Division stood-up for a second time on September 29, 2009.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic Division provides construction, engineering and project management support of the U.S. Central Command, a Unified Combatant Command within the Department of Defense. USCENTCOM’s area of responsibility includes countries in the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia, including Afghanistan and Iraq.

Overseeing thousands of Army Corps of Engineers projects, the Transatlantic Division also supports the full spectrum of regional support including United States and Coalition Forces, all U.S. partners and allies, the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Foreign Military Sales and traditional MILCON, FSRM and engineering services.

The Transatlantic Division's area of responsibility is now the second largest Global Combatant Command for the United States which is very strategic to National Security and global competition. It has one subordinate contingency district in Kuwait, the Expeditionary District, and one enduring district, the Middle East District, co-located with the Division headquarters in Winchester, Virginia.

Ever-evolving to meet the Department of Defense’s needs, the Transatlantic Division was originally comprised of the Division headquarters, the Transatlantic Middle East District, the Transatlantic Afghanistan District, which cased it’s colors after 18 years, and Task Force Essayons. In 2021, the Afghanistan District combined with Task Force Essayons to become the Transatlantic Expeditionary District. Today, the Division and its two districts continue to provide responsive, relevant expeditionary engineering capabilities as part of the Army Corps of Engineers' Team.