Part 2/11:
The Army Corps of Engineers, a venerable institution with a 250-year history, functions uniquely within the U.S. military framework. Comprising about 38,000 employees—most of whom are civilian—it's a primarily civil organization operating across the entire United States and internationally. The Corps specializes in large-scale infrastructure projects including water navigation, flood risk mitigation, and coastal defenses—examples of which include the levee systems guarding cities like New Orleans against hurricanes.