Fort Leonard Wood hosts "Engineering to Preserve Our Natural Resources"

By Mrs. Melissa Buckley (Leonard Wood)June 18, 2015

Fort Leonard Wood hosts "Engineering to Preserve Our Natural Resources"
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The Nature conservancy's Michael Reuter, North America Fresh Water director, and Robert Sinkler, former U.S. Army Soldier and Water Infrastructure director, are presenting "Engineering to Preserve Our Natural Resources" from noon to 1 p.m. June 24 at... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fort Leonard Wood hosts "Engineering to Preserve Our Natural Resources"
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The Nature conservancy's Michael Reuter, North America Fresh Water director, and Robert Sinkler, former U.S. Army Soldier and Water Infrastructure director, are presenting "Engineering to Preserve Our Natural Resources" from noon to 1 p.m. June 24 at... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (June 18, 2015) -- A former Fort Leonard Wood engineer will be one of two U.S. Army Engineer School guest lecturers.

The Nature Conservancy's Michael Reuter, North America Fresh Water director, and Robert Sinkler, former U.S. Army Soldier and Water Infrastructure director, are presenting "Engineering to Preserve Our Natural Resources" from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday in Lincoln Hall Auditorium.

Reuter said water security means national and global security.

"Our nation's military leaders, especially the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will become increasingly involved with water issues, in order to prevent and resolve conflicts. The Nature Conservancy can -- and wants to -- be part of the solution," Reuter said.

The Nature Conservancy is a conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people.

The organization has worked with the USACE to protect more than 119 million acres of land and thousands of miles of rivers worldwide, while operating more than 100 marine conservation projects globally.

"The Nature Conservancy is the World's largest non-profit conservation organization. Our mission is simply to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends," Reuter said. "We work to make a lasting difference around the world in more than 35 countries and in all 50 states."

Prior to joining the Conservancy, Sinkler completed a 30-year career with the Army, and most recently served as the strategic initiatives chief for the USACE commander.

This will be just one of many trips Sinkler has made to Fort Leonard Wood.

"From January 1992 to May 1995, I was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood as a captain at the U.S. Army Engineer School. I also commanded the 5th Engineer Battalion from 2001 to 2003 and deployed the battalion to Iraq during Operation Enduring Freedom," Sinkler said. "In addition, my father went through basic training at Fort Leonard Wood in the early 1960s."

Now, Sinkler and his conservation team focus on influencing national policy, so that it incorporates natural water infrastructure into integrated approaches for managing and developing water resources -- particularly the nation's large river systems, watersheds, wetlands and lakes.

"Non-government organizations are increasing in power and influence in North America and in the world," Sinkler said.

"In today's complex environments that military leaders find themselves, NGOs are increasingly becoming an import part of the team to deliver solutions and solve difficult problems," Sinkler said.

"The Nature Conservancy has had a partnering agreement in place with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for nearly a decade, and we look forward to exploring ways to expand that partnership for the benefit of both people and nature, while enhancing global and regional stability at the same time," Sinkler added.

No reservations are needed to attend the lecture that is part of the ongoing USAES guest speaker program.

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