News Release Archive

Reclamation Employees Honored with Army's Outstanding Civilian Service Medal

Media Contact: Peter Soeth, 303-445-3615, psoeth@do.usbr.gov

For Release: April 26, 2007

Bureau of Reclamation employee's Bruce Muller, Acting Director Technical Resources, and Cliff A. Pugh, Acting Chief Water Resources Services Division, were honored recently by the U.S. Army with its Outstanding Civilian Service Medal.

Muller and Pugh were presented their award recently by Lt. Gen. Carl A. Strock, Commander, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at a formal U.S. Army ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Muller was awarded the Medal for his efforts as a Co-Lead for the Interagency Performance Evaluation Task Force risk and reliability analysis. He was instrumental in developing a strategy for assessing risks associated with the New Orleans Hurricane Protection System. The team, Muller was a Co-Lead, developed modeling that was a critical component to understand Hurricane Katrina's impact upon the system and the risk and consequences of a wide range of hurricane events.

As stated in the award presented by Strock, Muller "provided valuable leadership, insights and expertise from the Bureau of Reclamation where risk assessment methods have been developed for Dam Safety."

Pugh was awarded the Medal for his commitment and contribution as a member of the ASCE External Review Panel. This panel provided an independent and objective review of the work of the Hurricane Katrina Interagency Performance Evaluation Task Force. Pugh served as the primary reviewer of all local hydrodynamics work conducted by the IPET.

As stated in the award presented by Strock, Pugh's "valuable comments and recommendations, along with his perceptive insights on factors affecting levee performance, help the IPET determine creditable and objective scientific and engineering answers that were critically needed to understand the behavior of the Southeast Louisiana Hurricane Protection System in response to Hurricane Katrina."

The Outstanding Civilian Service Award is the third highest honor the U.S. Army can bestow upon a civilian. It was established as an award in January 1959.

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The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR; Facebook @bureau.of.reclamation; LinkedIn @Bureau of Reclamation; Instagram @bureau_of_reclamation; and YouTube @reclamation.