Courtesy Photo | Lt. Gen. Robert L. Van Antwerp interacts with audience members during his the keynote...... read more read more
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VICKBURG, Miss. -- With a comedic style reminiscent of a Bob Hope USO tour, the 52nd Army Chief of Engineers, Lt. Gen. Robert L. Van Antwerp, delivered the keynote address during the annual Castle Ball at the Vicksburg, Miss., Convention Center, June 5.
The ball, which consisted of Vicksburg engineer community members and 412th Theater Engineer Command Soldiers, culminated the 412th’s Warfighter Seminar which started, June 2.
Van Antwerp used his keen sense of humor to highlight some of the significant events currently in progress in the Corps of Engineers.
For example, he talked about the Asian Carp, a type of fish that engineers in Illinois are trying to keep from getting into the great lakes.
“I am waiting for some chef to figure out just how to cook this thing just right,” Van Antwerp said. “It eats everything and starves the rest of the fish out.”
He also talked about the 8, 213 individuals the Corps of Engineers hired from the private sector at the end of 2009.
“There was an incredible amount of talent out there and we got a ton of it.” Van Antwerp said. “We are going to hire 8,000 people this year and we are on track to actually exceed that … we have never hired on this scale in my lifetime.”
He then talked of modifications currently being done to the Panama Canal that will change economies in the world. A new lock system scheduled for completion in 2014 will have a major impact on the 928 deep-water ports in the United States, according to Van Antwerp.
“That lock is 1600 feet long and it is going to be about 120 feet wide,” Van Antwerp said. “The current Panamax ship carries 4,600 containers… the Panamax ship of tomorrow going through the new lock system will carry 12,500 containers, it is that much bigger.”
In the future, Ship designers will only design vessels that will fit the new Panama Canal lock system. The New Panamax ships must have a hull that is deeper by five feet, and all ports will be 53 feet deep, according to Van Antwerp.
He said, most Ports in the United States which are 52-feet deep will need to increase their depths by one foot.
At the start of his presentation, Van Antwerp assigned an audience member to be his time keeper. He coached her on how she should tell him that his time was up. When the time had elapsed she stood up and said, “Chief, thank you for your general remarks, you are generally out of time.”
| Date Taken: | 06.05.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 08.05.2010 14:41 |
| Story ID: | 54015 |
| Location: | VICKBURG, MS, US |
| Web Views: | 85 |
| Downloads: | 46 |
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