For six months, Army National Military Cemeteries and Arlington National Cemetery hosted interns in partnership with the National Park Service (NPS) Historic Preservation Training Center (HPTC) Traditional Trades Apprenticeship Program (TTAP) and Conservation Legacy Stewards Individual Placement Program. The interns supported the Cultural Resources and Conservation Programs at ANC in execution of ANC's mission to represent the American people for past, present, and future generations, while immersing guests in the cemetery's living history.
(U.S. Army photo by Elizabeth Fraser / Arlington National Cemetery) VIEW ORIGINAL
As part of Arlington National Cemetery’s mission to immerse guests in the cemetery’s living history, staff members conduct ongoing work to preserve its historic structures and monuments. Built in 1873, the “old amphitheater” was rededicated as the James R. Tanner Amphitheater in 2014 as part of the cemetery’s centennial events. The amphitheater then reopened in 2019, after four years of restoration work.
(U.S. Army photo by Elizabeth Fraser / Arlington National Cemetery) VIEW ORIGINAL
Engineers play a vital role in making Arlington National Cemetery a more efficient and connected place to honor our nation’s fallen heroes and their families. In honor of this year’s Engineer Week theme, “Welcome to the Future,” ANC’s Director of Engineering Col. Andrew Wiker, reflected on overseeing ANC’s current and future projects and discussed how the cemetery’s Southern Expansion project will expand the cemetery’s footprint into the future so the cemetery may continue laying our service members and their families to rest for generations to come.
A 1999 U.S. Air Force Academy graduate, Wiker was commissioned as an Army officer to pursue engineering. “Engineering was outside and project-oriented,” he said about his choice. “The Army offered me that kind of career.”
Assisting Wiker is Deputy Director of Engineering Ms. Agnes Sullivan, who has close to 30 years of experience across a broad range of engineering disciplines. She has been a licensed professional engineer registered in Virginia since 2001 and is also a member of the Society of American Military Engineers. Sullivan’s two daughters are following closely in her footsteps, both studying to become engineers themselves.
The engineering directorate at Arlington National Cemetery, led by Wiker and Sullivan, is comprised of approximately 40 personnel across four teams: design and construction, planning and resources, facility maintenance and horticulture.
The cemetery’s ongoing Southern Expansion is the directorate’s most visible project and one that is required to keep the cemetery an active burial space into the future. The Southern Expansion project will expand the geographic footprint of the cemetery and add more than 80,000 new interment opportunities, while preserving the iconic look and feel of this national shrine. The 50-acre project will significantly enhance the visitor experience by adding a new entrance on Columbia Pike, an additional public parking garage, and integrate the Air Force Memorial onto ANC grounds.
The project is split into three phases, with the first already complete. “We will demolish the existing service complex, establish a columbarium, and shift the fence line,” he explained. “We will also create that manicured transition between the existing and the future land, so you don’t notice the difference.” The Southern Expansion project is estimated to be complete in 2028.
"Our engineering personnel are paving the way to ensure ANC remains a dignified and honorable resting place for service members and their loved ones for years to come,” said Executive Director of Army National Military Cemeteries and the Office of Army Cemeteries Karen Durham-Aguilera. “They are continuously planning and building ANC's future, and we could not be more grateful for their hard work and commitment.” Durham-Aguilera is also an engineer by education and trade, a professional engineer registered in Louisiana, and a member of the Society of American Military Engineers and the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Southern Expansion is only part of Wiker’s job. “We have a pretty robust construction program,” he said. Short-term projects cover the cemetery’s day-to-day work environment. This includes fixing water leaks, painting, electrical maintenance, and snow removal. “We can do everything ground- and facility-wise to keep the cemetery operating.”
Vital to helping Wiker and the entire engineering department are interns, the real future of engineering. “They bring a fresh look and enthusiasm that those of us who have been in the field longer might lack,” he said. The intern program works both ways. “We also offer them an opportunity to see a possible future and make an impact in engineering.”
Wiker enjoys that his job touches on so many parts of the cemetery. “We’re dealing with everything from the grounds, planning, events, to the technical aspects of design,” he explained, “and we’re still able to provide that level of dignity, respect, and professionalism for the cemetery’s mission.”
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