Ondra Berry relinquishes command of Nevada Guard

Maj. Gen. Ondra Berry, who will retire at the end of the month, will relinquish command Saturday of the Nevada National Guard after serving as the state’s adjutant general for five years.

As adjutant general, Berry currently oversees more than 4,400 military soldiers and airmen. Berry is reaching the maximum age to serve and will officially retire on Oct. 31. Brig. Gen. D. Rodger “Dan” Waters will become the first Nevada Army National Guardsmen to become adjutant general in 40 years.

In September 2019, Berry became the 30th adjutant general of the Nevada National Guard. A retired Reno policeman and former senior vice president in MGM Resorts International human resources office, assumed the top leadership position from Brig. Gen. William Burks.

Berry grew up in Evansville, Indiana, and received a bachelor of arts in secondary education from University of Evansville (Indiana) where he played running back for the Purple Aces. He also has a masters of arts in public administration from the University of Nevada, Reno and is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Air War College. Berry enlisted in the Nevada Air National Guard in 1986 and was commissioned as a lieutenant four years later. Since then, he has held numerous positions.

As adjutant general, Berry has been responsible for formulating, developing and coordinating all policies, programs and plans affecting Nevada Guard soldiers, airmen and civilians. He is also responsible for both the state and federal missions of the Nevada National Guard and serves as the official channel of communication with the National Guard Bureau.

DISTINGUISHED MILITARY CAREER

During his military career, Berry has visited every state and the territories, the District of Columbia and 20 countries.

“One of the things I think about … I know people in every state,” he said, grinning.

During his career, Berry said he has nurtured the relationships and friendships, and a number of colleagues will be in attendance at the change of command including Gen. Craig R. McKinley, the first National Guard general to sit on the Joint Chiefs of Staff and also an expert in leadership and diversity programs.

Now with retirement looming, Berry said he and his wife Margo will travel, but he also will become involved with a Saturday school for boys at the Boys and Girls Club. As a young boy, Berry remembers the guidance given to him and the importance of having a job, and tutors stressing the importance of education.

“The challenging group for young men is in the seventh and eighth grades,” he said.

Berry said boys have concerns before entering high school, whether or not they have manners and if they dress appropriately and carry themselves correctly. Berry said he’s looking forward to providing the mentorship in the 10-week program. As the boys begin to develop into young adults, Berry said college is not easy to navigate, and he wants them to avoid becoming lost in the college process.

DYNAMICS OF LEADERSHIP

In the seventh month of Berry’s command, the dynamics of his leadership changed with the coronavirus pandemic that shut down many states including Nevada. The Nevada National Guard was at the forefront to ensure Nevadans were kept safe.

“You will always know the impact if we put people in dangerous situations,” he said.

The governor’s office sought an active role for the Nevada National Guard. Grasping the enormity of the decision-making behind the state’s needs for the Guard became a priority for Berry. He said the state wanted the Guard take care of the state’s residents and set a strategy to combat COVID-19. Early in his conversations with the governor, Berry said the Guard would the handle multiple casualties predicted to occur. The death of the first person who succumbed from COVID, however, occurred on the East Coast, but he said the virus was heading west. “There was a need to protect our citizens,” Berry said. “People listen to the military.”

Based on the lack of knowledge of the virus and the concerns with the availability of personal protective equipment and hospital beds, the Guard faced a Herculean task.

“Based off of all that (available resources), the leadership looked to us for guidance and decision. making,” Berry said.

Many of the Nevada Guard’s citizen-soldiers began working 14-16 hour days. When a vaccine became available in early 2021, the Guard travelled from community to community to administer the vaccines and other tasks as assigned.

THE EXPANDING NEVADA GUARD

During Berry’s tenure as adjutant general, the Nevada Guard continues to grow.

“The growth of the Guard starts off with people,” Berry said, adding leadership must be supportive of the organization's ability to grow and reach a higher level that’s aligned with a strategic plan.

Berry said the Nevada Guard and its soldiers and airmen have a story to tell.

“Our community, people know who we are and what we do and what we represent,” he added.

Berry and Margo have their own story. They are the parents of three adult children Jarel, Aivy and Dulcena, a Nevada Air National Guard airman first class. She recently graduated from the University of Nevada.

Over the years and especially during Berry’s tenure as adjutant general, the Nevada Guard has promoted officers into key leadership positions regardless of gender and race. If this were not occurring, Berry, the father of two adult daughters and a son, said the Nevada Guard would be losing talent.

Berry described the Nevada National Guard as extremely representative in the state of  by creating a culture of  serving.

“If you have a desire to serve and the willingness to take an oath to serve and protect this nation, we welcome and provide you the opportunities to grow, develop, and be part of this mission,” he said, referring to both females and males.

Berry said currently about 30% of the incoming recruits are female.

Nevada became the second state after Vermont to swear in a female adjutant general when Maj. Gen. Cindy Kirkland served from 2005-2009.

“You don’t hear much about it now,” he said. “The reason for that is becoming more normal in the National Guard.”

The adjutant general said the military personnel and civilians with the Nevada Guard do a “phenomenal job” in their specialties. Additionally, he said the Nevada legislature has shown it support for the Guard and through state funding. He said it’s a major investment for the guard’s growth and support. During the last two sessions, he said lawmakers asked what can they do to help the Nevada Guard.

“What the state does for us is outstanding,” he said. We do better than a majority of states receiving support.

Although he will be retired when the next Legislature convenes in February, Berry said the budget process has already begun.

FORGING STATE PARTNERSHIPS

The State Partnership Program began in 1993 after the former Soviet Union’s breakup in the late 1980s. The SPP’s initial  purpose was to help countries emerging from behind the Iron Curtain, but today, the program involves more countries than those under the Soviet umbrella.

This is a joint program between the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. states, territories, and the District of Columbia and pairs National Guard units with partner nations. The Nevada National Guard first partnered with the Central Asian country of Turkmenistan, a former Soviet republic.

Representatives from the Nevada Guard traveled to Turkmenistan on several occasions, and military and civilian representatives from Turkmenistan visited Nevada.

In 2004, the Turkmens visited several Nevada areas to learn more about agriculture. They also visited the University of Nevada’s  College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources.

The last trip to the U.S.  came in 2007 when the visitors spent time in Carson City and then a day at Naval Air Station Fallon learning about aircraft fire suppression.

Berry said the program has evolved, and the Nevada Guard now partners with three South Pacific nations: Fiji, Samoa and Tonga. 

Nevada Guard completed its most recent State Partnership Program exchange in August with Samoa, its newest partner nation. Tonga became the first partnership country in 2014 followed by Fiji four years later.

“State partnerships and allies are important,” Berry said, adding the Guard represents the United States at some events and activities. The partnership is important and vital that we develop these relationships, partnerships and collaboration. It’s potentially enhanced when we can find common ground than being in a conflict.”

Berry said he’s a firm believer in using diplomacy rather than sending people into harm’s way although not everyone agrees with how the U.S. does business.

“We have some challenging days ahead,” he said.

Berry shifted from the Pacific to Europe.

“NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) is important and how we take care of this world,” he said.

NATO consists of military alliance of 32 member countries with 30 in Europe and two in North America, Canada and the U.S. Berry said NATO is providing aide to Ukraine to prevent Russian expansion into the former Soviet republic.

“People don’t play fair or by the rules,” he said.

Berry said one of his favorite trips occurred almost two years ago to one of the youngest NATO partners. The adjutant general and seven other members of the Nevada Guard traveled to Romania in 2022 to visit guardsmen from the 137th Military Police Detachment based in Carson City. The unit spent a year at the Mihail Kogqlniceanu Airbase, near Constanta, a coastal city on the Black Sea. MK base is expected to become the largest NATO military installation in Europe.

Not only did Berry and the other soldiers see the operations, but the garrison commander also lauded the Nevada soldiers.

“I talked to the garrison commander,” Berry said.

Lt. Col. Brian Fiddermon, commander of the Army Support Activity-Black Sea (ASA-Black Sea), was impressed.

“‘I did not know how effective the National Guard is in its mission. I have given them additional responsibility,” Fiddermon told Berry in a meeting with other Nevada guardsmen.

During the short visit in January 2023, Berry said Gov. Joe Lombado gave a shout out to the Nevada Guard during his inauguration speech.

Berry also pointed out the U.S, New Zealand and Australia are part of the ANZUS Treaty, which the three countries signed in 1951 to protect the security in the Pacific.

TAKING CARE OF PEOPLE

“We are a very pro-military state,” Berry said.

During the administration of former Gov. Brian Sandoval, he vowed to make Nevada one of the most supportive states for veterans and the military. Berry sees the dividends because of the positive reactions the state’s residents show both the active-duty, Nevada Guard and the reserves.

“That is pure show when you see that,” Berry said.

Part of the shift toward the Guard came during Desert Shield in late 1990 and then Desert Storm when coalition forces stormed into Kuwait to liberate the country from Iraqi control. Iraq invaded the tiny Arab nation in August 1990.

That time in history also pushed the Total Force concept, which, according to the Army, is “the amalgamation of active and reserve forces into a combined military entity capable of meeting the Nation's military needs in a timely and efficient manner.” The concept was used expensively during the Gulf War against Iraq and then in Iraq and Afghanistan during the Global War on Terror.

Another issue has been the care of both military and civilian personnel, and the military takes care of its people. Berry said it has been important to also take care of the families.

“Their family’s matter,” Berry said. “We have enough to show we’ve done quite a bit to take of people,” he pointed out. “I keep that in the forefront of all my priorities because readiness is our most strategic objective. If you take care of people, they take care of your nation and state.”

Berry said employers 30 to 40 years did not make it easy for a person to be in the Guard. Now, with the required deployments and training, he said businesses give soldiers and airmen up to 30 days off for training and federal law calls for the reinstatement of deployed soldiers to their previous or similar job.

Preparing for employment takes time.

“I have to keep readiness in the forefront,” he said, noting military personnel are evaluated and tested before they deploy to the Middle East. Some units receive months to prepare for a deployment.

Berry said the big question is how the military keeps a thumb on the Global War on Terrorism.

“The world is a challenging place right now,” Berry added, listing off the world’s hot spots of Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, Lebanon. “It’s not a secret potential global conflicts could increase over a couple of years.”