U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Security Chief Wins Prestigious Antiterrorism Award

Gary Kehoe joined the North Atlantic Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1998 as its Chief of Security and Law Enforcement. In those 18 years he and his staff have worked tirelessly to protect the security of the division and educate employees on commonsense ways to ensure that they remain out of harm's way and fully versed on antiterrorism programs and practices.

On February 2, the Army recognized his hard work by presenting him with the Lieutenant Colonel Ronald C. Francis Antiterrorism Program Manager Award, given to the individual that the Army has identified as the best Antiterrorism Manager at the major subordinate command level within the service. The Army has also recognized NAD for its efforts as an organization by awarding it the Best Antiterrorism Program Award at the same level.

"I am very proud to receive the award but I am also very humble," Kehoe says. "We at NAD do have the best AT Program but it takes far more than my efforts. I know the requirements, accomplish some of the required tasks individually and provide guidance for others to do what is also required. But it is a team effort throughout the division that has helped us earn these two awards."

"The Division is so big and we have so many diverse missions that it is not physically possible for one person to accomplish everything required of the program to be successful," he adds. "It truly takes a combined effort. If it were not for the support I receive from the NAD Command Group, Robert Sielaw and Dennis Singleton (AT and PS Contractors assigned to NAD), all of the Division and Office Chiefs within NAD, my team of Security Experts physically located at each of the Districts and at the Washington Aqueduct, and last but not least the support of the Corps of Engineers' Operational Protection Division Staff and others at headquarters, we would never have achieved this high level of success."

Kehoe joined the Corps in February 1995 as the Chief of Security and Law Enforcement at New York District after 20 years of active duty in the U.S. Army, where he served as a Military Policeman, Military Police Investigator and a U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command Special Agent (a majority of his time in service). His military career took him around the world on various assignments.

"After about a year or so with the New York District," he says, "I began to serve as both the District and Division Chief of Security and Law Enforcement due to the illness and subsequent departure of my predecessor."

How did Kehoe become involved in security and law enforcement?

"I truly enjoy the work," he says. "I always wanted to be in law enforcement but was born at the wrong time. When I was old enough to consider a career in that specialty was when New York City was in a fiscal crisis and was laying off Police, Fire, etc. I also applied for the NY State Police and was called, however I had just re-enlisted and they could not hold the slot for me for an extended period of time."

He has certainly come a long way and now has a prestigious award to show for his efforts. But selfless man that he is, he does not take full credit.

"In closing, again, I feel these awards are truly team and not individual awards," he says. "Everyone throughout the entire organization should take pride and some credit for making the NAD Antiterrorism Program as good as it is. We could not have earned them without the help of everyone throughout the organization."

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans, designs and constructs projects to support the military, protect America's water resources, mitigate risk from disasters, and restore and enhance the environment. The North Atlantic Division is the Corps' headquarters for the Northeastern United States, Europe, and Africa, with offices in Concord, Mass., New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Norfolk and Wiesbaden, Germany.