By james art RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – Nevada Army Guard Brigade. Gen. D. “Dan” Roger Waters on Saturday succeeded Maj. Gen. Ondra Berry as adjutant general of the Nevada Guard in a ceremony at the Reno Ballroom.
The Nevada Guard includes more than 3,300 Soldiers in the Nevada Army Guard and 1,100 Airmen in the Nevada Air Guard.
“I am proud, yet humbled, to be the 31st Adjutant General of the Nevada National Guard and the great state of Nevada, and greatly appreciate the outpouring of support that has led to today’s ceremony,” Waters said.
The Sparks resident enlisted in the Army in 1985 at age 17 after attending Marcos De Niza High School in Tempe, Arizona.
After his initial active duty in the Army, Waters returned to Arizona and joined the Arizona Army Guard, becoming an officer in 1992. When the Nevada Army Guard faced a shortage of CH-47 Chinook helicopter pilots in 1993. , former Nevada Army Guard Maj. Gen. Robert Herbert arranged for Waters to move to Nevada to become a pilot, the Nevada Guard said. Since earning his pilot’s wings at Fort Rucker, Alabama, Waters has logged more than 2,100 hours flying CH-47 Chinook, UH-60 Black Hawk, LUH-72 Lakota, OH-58 Kiowa and UH-1 Iroquois helicopters.
The Adjutant General formulates, develops, and coordinates all policies, programs, and plans affecting Soldiers, Airmen, and civilians of the Nevada Guard. It is also responsible for the state and federal missions of the Nevada National Guard and serves as the official channel of communication with the National Guard Bureau.
Before becoming adjutant general, Waters served as director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff since February 2023, the Nevada Guard said. Received the rank of Brigadier General in July 2023.
Waters, 56, succeeds Berry, 66, who will retire from the Army at the end of the month. Berry turned 66 on October 3. This is the mandatory retirement age for military general officers, according to federal and Nevada law. Berry began his military service when he enlisted in the Nevada Air Guard in 1986.
Gov. Joseph Lombardo, a former soldier in the Nevada Army Guard), and retired National Guard Bureau Chief Gen. Craig McKinley served as presiding officers for the ceremony. Other dignitaries included: US Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jackie Rosen; Representative Mark Amodei; former Governor Brian Sandoval; retired adjutant generals gen. Drennon Clark and Cynthia Kirkland; Assembly members Ken Gray and Angie Taylor; and Commander Emeritus Dan Morgan.
“General Berry will be missed. He didn’t just lead: He cared deeply about the well-being of his servicemen and his country,” Lombardo said. “General Waters will have some big positions, but I am confident that General Waters will continue to uphold the legacy of excellence that has long defined the Nevada National Guard.”
Berry succeeded Brig. Gen. William Burks on September 7, 2019, will become the 30th Adjutant General of the Nevada Guard. A retired Reno police officer and former senior vice president of human resources for MGM Resorts International, Berry led the National Guard during its largest domestic mission in the state’s history – the 2020 COVID-19 health response, in which more of 25 percent of Nevada Guard members were called to duty to assist citizens during the pandemic.
Berry also spearheaded the Purple Resolve education process, the resilience program that hones skills to optimize military performance through resilience, mindfulness and ethical decision-making. Berry has also been successful in expanding Nevada Guard-sponsored youth education programs, which now include the Battle Born Youth ChalleNGe Academy in Carlin and the STARBASE education sites in Henderson and Reno. Nevada has also added Samoa as a partner under the auspices of the State Partnership Program since Berry became TAG.
For his achievements while adjutant general, Berry received a rare Distinguished Service Medal. Lombardo also proclaimed Oct. 31 as Maj. Gen. Ondra Berry Day in Nevada to honor Berry’s career.
Waters is married to Kimberly, a former soldier in the North Dakota Army Guard. They are the parents of Emily, Justin and Jake.
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