Chief of Mobile District’s Coastal Project Office supports disaster response operations in Puerto Rico
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – As the chief of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Mobile District Coastal Project Office, Duane (Bubba) Poiroux is responsible for all of the coastal navigation projects in Mobile District’s area of operations. But, several times during his long career with the Corps, Poiroux has turned his hand to disaster response.
On Sept. 24, Poiroux embarked on his tenth disaster response deployment, this time to Puerto Rico to support the response to Hurricane Maria.
As one of the first Corps employees to arrive in Puerto Rico following the hurricane, Poiroux helped set up operations for the Corps’ Puerto Rico Recovery Field Office. As the RFO’s Planning Chief, Poiroux conducted strategic planning, reported on resources status, situational updates and incident action planning. In short, he was the master planner for the office that grew from less than 20 personnel to more than 600 personnel in less than a month.
Poiroux has served with the Corps for 37 years, starting as a Cooperative Education student in 1980. He holds a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering and a master’s in business administration from University of South Alabama. He’s also a registered professional engineer in the state of Alabama. He’s held several positions with Mobile District, including working in the Regulatory Branch of Operations and working in developmental assignments with Engineering Division and Project Management, as well as with the South Atlantic Division, Mobile District’s higher headquarters. He has worked on both civil and military designs for which he has traveled to several countries throughout Central and South America.
“Bubba is one of our star players,” said Mobile District commander, Col. James DeLapp, who is also serving as the commander of the Puerto Rico Recovery Field Office. “He’s just at adept at participating in a disaster response as he is at managing the District’s coastal navigation projects.”
His travels for disaster response have taken him even further afield than his primary duties. He deployed to St. Croix, the Virgin Islands, following Hurricane Hugo in 1989; Miami for response to Hurricane Andrew in 1992; Ecuador following the landslides there in 1993; Honduras following Hurricane Mitch in 1998; the South Pacific after Typhoon Chantal; New York City to work recovery at the World Trade Center following the 9-11 attacks in 2001; and Minneapolis/St. Paul after the Interstate 35 bridge collapse in 2007.
“I was glad to have the opportunity to really help the citizens of Puerto Rico and to work with great Corps folks from across the Nation,” Poiroux said.
After a month of 12 or more-hour days, Poiroux redeployed to Mobile, Sept. 23, where he will resume his duties as the chief of the Coastal Project Office, managing all of the coastal navigation projects. This includes seven deep-draft ports, 22 shallow-draft ports and 330 miles of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. In his time off, Poiroux is eager to get back to his favorite pastimes: farming, fishing and cooking.