Contractors working for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District install a 23-foot-tall concrete shaft enclosure weighing approximately 120,000 pounds as part of the guard wall at the Monongahela River Locks and Dam 4 in Charleroi, Pennsylvania, Nov. 16, 2023.

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Nashville District hosts Adjutant General for Tennessee at Cheatham Dam

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District
Published Aug. 1, 2024
Members of the Tennessee National Guard visit the Cheatham Powerhouse with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District officials in Ashland City, Tennessee, July 29, 2024. The adjutant general of the TNG, Maj. Gen. Warner Ross II, visited the facility to learn about USACE capabilities and explore current and future partnerships to help the Guard fulfill its missions in Tennessee, which include military readiness and emergency support to civil authorities. (USACE Photo by Jeremy Croft)

Members of the Tennessee National Guard visit the Cheatham Powerhouse with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District officials in Ashland City, Tennessee, July 29, 2024. The adjutant general of the TNG, Maj. Gen. Warner Ross II, visited the facility to learn about USACE capabilities and explore current and future partnerships to help the Guard fulfill its missions in Tennessee, which include military readiness and emergency support to civil authorities. (USACE Photo by Jeremy Croft)

Maj. Gen. Warner Ross II, right, adjutant general of the Tennessee National Guard, speaks with Lt. Col. Robert Green, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District, at Cheatham Lock and Dam in Ashland City, Tennessee, July 29, 2024. (USACE Photo by Jeremy Croft)

Maj. Gen. Warner Ross II, right, adjutant general of the Tennessee National Guard, speaks with Lt. Col. Robert Green, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District, at Cheatham Lock and Dam in Ashland City, Tennessee, July 29, 2024. (USACE Photo by Jeremy Croft)

Tim Dunn, deputy chief of operations with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District, briefs Maj. Gen. Warner Ross II, second from left, adjutant general of the Tennessee National Guard, on the USACE locks and dams in the Cumberland River Basin at Cheatham Lock and Dam in Ashland City, Tennessee, July 29, 2024. (USACE Photo by Jeremy Croft)

Tim Dunn, deputy chief of operations with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District, briefs Maj. Gen. Warner Ross II, second from left, adjutant general of the Tennessee National Guard, on the USACE locks and dams in the Cumberland River Basin at Cheatham Lock and Dam in Ashland City, Tennessee, July 29, 2024. (USACE Photo by Jeremy Croft)

Members of the Tennessee National Guard visit Cheatham Lock with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District officials in Ashland City, Tennessee, July 29, 2024. The adjutant general of the TNG, Maj. Gen. Warner Ross II, visited the facility to learn about USACE capabilities and explore current and future partnerships to help the Guard fulfill its missions in Tennessee, which include military readiness and emergency support to civil authorities. (USACE Photo by Jeremy Croft)

Members of the Tennessee National Guard visit Cheatham Lock with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District officials in Ashland City, Tennessee, July 29, 2024. The adjutant general of the TNG, Maj. Gen. Warner Ross II, visited the facility to learn about USACE capabilities and explore current and future partnerships to help the Guard fulfill its missions in Tennessee, which include military readiness and emergency support to civil authorities. (USACE Photo by Jeremy Croft)

Lt. Col. Robert Green, right, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District, points out features of Cheatham Lock and Dam to Maj. Gen Warner Ross II, adjutant general of the Tennessee National Guard, alongside other Guard and USACE personnel in Ashland City, Tennessee, July 29, 2024. (USACE Photo by Jeremy Croft)

Lt. Col. Robert Green, right, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District, points out features of Cheatham Lock and Dam to Maj. Gen Warner Ross II, adjutant general of the Tennessee National Guard, alongside other Guard and USACE personnel in Ashland City, Tennessee, July 29, 2024. (USACE Photo by Jeremy Croft)

Lt. Col. Robert Green, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District, right, discusses USACE capabilities with Maj. Gen. Warner Ross II, adjutant general of the Tennessee National Guard, by the hydropower plant at Cheatham Lock and Dam in Ashland City, Tennessee, July 29, 2024. (USACE Photo by Jeremy Croft)

Lt. Col. Robert Green, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District, right, discusses USACE capabilities with Maj. Gen. Warner Ross II, adjutant general of the Tennessee National Guard, by the hydropower plant at Cheatham Lock and Dam in Ashland City, Tennessee, July 29, 2024. (USACE Photo by Jeremy Croft)

Cayce Tiesler, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District maintenance supervisor for the hydropower plant at Cheatham Lock and Dam in Ashland City, Tennessee, briefs members of USACE and the Tennessee National Guard on the capabilities of the hydropower plant July 29, 2024.

Cayce Tiesler, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District maintenance supervisor for the hydropower plant at Cheatham Lock and Dam in Ashland City, Tennessee, briefs members of USACE and the Tennessee National Guard on the capabilities of the hydropower plant July 29, 2024.

Do you know the difference between the U.S. Army and the Tennessee Army National Guard?

It’s a distinction that’s easy to miss. After all, the two forces wear the same uniform, with “U.S. ARMY” splashed across National Guard blouses. But the differences are important to Maj. Gen. Warner A. Ross II, the 77th Adjutant General for Tennessee, who visited the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District’s Cheatham Lock in Ashland City, Tennessee, July 29, 2024.

“Our primary mission is fighting and winning our nation’s wars,” said Ross, who has spent 33 years in the military and 30 years in a civilian career as a K-12 educator. “But as national guardsmen, we also respond to state emergencies.”

The National Guard traces its roots to the colonial militias that fired the first shots of the Revolutionary War against British troops. Title 32 of United States Code sets the policies and regulations governing the organization of these units into the National Guard and the extent of each state governor’s authority to employ their forces within state borders.

Like the Army Reserves, most Guard members serve on a part-time schedule while splitting time between a civilian job. But service to their state and country is a full-time commitment. Maj. Gen. Ross has commanded a variety of operational units at the company, battalion, and brigade levels in both garrison and combat, including engineer units.

This role brought him in close contact with the Corps of Engineers.

“I worked with FEST-A (Forward Engineer Support Team – Advanced) teams in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan,” said Ross. “We had reachback capability to USACE facilities in the states for design issues and challenges we faced on the battlefield.”

Ross’s extensive experience with engineer units and current role as a vital decision-maker in the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency informed his visit to Cheatham Lock and Dam, where he met with USACE Nashville District Commander Lt. Col. Robert Green.

Green, along with district employees from a variety of disciplines, spoke about the contributions USACE makes to responsible management of the Cumberland River Basin.

“We came here to showcase our operations and emphasize how our missions complement each other,” said Green. “As adjacent commands we reinforce one another, so it’s important for us to educate each other about our mission sets and opportunities for further collaboration.”

Cheatham Lock shone during the shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline in mid-2021. Still grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic, the state faced a looming shortage of gasoline that would have sent prices skyrocketing throughout Middle Tennessee, including Nashville.

Ultimately, the Corps temporarily lifted maintenance restrictions at Cheatham Lock, allowing 1.5 million gallons of fuel to make their way to port.

“During emergencies, where parts of Tennessee may be cut off from power, fuel, or other resources, it’s vital to have as many logistical options as possible,” said Ross. “This helps our forces fulfill our mission of assisting civil authorities with disaster relief and humanitarian causes.”

“Our 45th Civil Support Team used this actual lock here at Cheatham earlier this year to transport equipment,” he added.

Communication between the two agencies is vital in most emergencies, but especially during flooding incidents. The Nashville District maintains real-time awareness of flood conditions at its ten Cumberland River installations, while the Guard has the resources and personnel to assist affected residents.

In addition, Cheatham Dam houses three hydropower turbines that generate about 36 megawatts of electricity. Maintaining or restoring this flow of clean energy could save lives in an emergency. And Cheatham is one of the smaller hydropower installations the Nashville District operates — the largest is Wolf Creek Dam near Jamestown, Kentucky, which can reach levels of 270 megawatts.

“Our challenges are very complex,” said Ross. “We in the Guard know that the Corps is a partner we can work with in multiple ways to serve all seven million Tennesseans.”

The public can obtain news, updates and information from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District on the district’s website at www.lrn.usace.army.mil, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nashvillecorps and on X (formerly Twitter) at www.twitter.com/nashvillecorps. Follow us on LinkedIn for the latest Nashville District employment and contracting opportunities at https://www.linkedin.com/company/u-s-army-corps-of-engineers-nashville-district.


Chick Lock

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