Waters named next Nevada Guard adjutant general

CARSON CITY — A career soldier who has spent more than 40 years in the military has been named Nevada’s incoming adjutant general, replacing the retiring Maj. Gen. Ondra Berry in October.

Gov. Joe Lombardo, the state’s commander in chief, made the announcement Tuesday with his appointment of 56-year-old Brig. Gen. D. Rodger “Dan” Waters.

“I am honored to appoint General Waters as the new Adjutant General for the Nevada National Guard,” Lombardo said in a statement. “His extensive experience, both in domestic operations and overseas assignments, along with his deep commitment to Nevada, make him the ideal leader for our state's military forces. I am confident that General Waters will continue to uphold the legacy of excellence that has long defined the Nevada National Guard.”

A change of command ceremony will be Oct. 19 at the Reno Ballroom when Waters becomes the Silver State’s 31st adjutant general. He is Nevada’s first Army Guard adjutant general since 1983 when Maj. Gen. Robert Dwyer was sworn in, succeeding Maj. Gen. William Engel. An Air Guard officer has been adjutant general for 60 of the past 76 years.

Normally, the adjutant general comes from the ranks of either the Nevada Army or Air guards. In his current assignment as director of the Joint Staff, Nevada National Guard, Waters is responsible for overseeing the state’s joint operations and works with the Nevada Department of Emergency Management and Office of Homeland Security.

The 65-year-old Berry, a retired Reno Police officer and former senior vice president in the MGM Resorts International human resources office, became the state’s adjutant general on Sept. 7, 2019, after succeeding Brig. Gen. William Burks. By law, Berry, Nevada’s first African-America who served as adjutant general, is required to retire when he becomes 66 years old.

“I want to thank Gov. Lombardo for this opportunity to serve as adjutant general for the soldiers, airmen, and civilian employees of the Nevada National Guard and the state Office of the Military,” Waters said. “I also want to thank Maj. Gen. Ondra Berry for his leadership. I look forward to a bright future for our great state and the Nevada National Guard.”

Waters enlisted in the Army in 1985 and after his basic and advance training, he spent time in the Republic of Panama at Fort Kobbe. He transferred with his unit to Fort Campbell, Kentucky in 1987. After finishing his active duty commitment, Waters moved to Arizona where he transferred to that state’s Army National Guard and successfully applied to the Aviation Officer Basic Course. He graduated in 1992 as a Distinguished Honor Graduate.

According to the Nevada Military Department, Waters has flown numerous aircraft including the UH-1, OH-58, CH-47, UH-60 and UH-72 helicopters.

Waters has deployed overseas on a number of occasions. As commander of the “Wolf Pack” company, he led the unit to Kosovo in 2002 as part of a NATO peacekeeping mission. He also deployed to Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne Division as an Afghan National Army planner and operations officer as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

As a lieutenant colonel, he became the first commander of the 17th Special Troops Battalion and as a colonel, he commanded the 991st Multifunctional Brigade. Waters was also a staff director to the U.S. House of Representatives Select Subcommittee on Intelligence and Counterterrorism, chair for the Department of Military Science at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and a Brookings Institute Legislative Fellow.

Although he completed his initial officer training in aviation, Waters also attended the infantry advanced officers course.

Water volunteered to be part of an international force in EUCOM where he served as the Security Cooperation and Partnering Division chief.

In addition to his military education, Waters earned a Master of Business Administration at the University of Nevada, Reno and a post-graduate certificate in Advanced Public Policy Leadership from George Washington University. He is a graduate of both the Harvard University Senior Executive Fellows and Syracuse University National Security Management Programs.

“Brig. Gen. Waters loves Nevada, he loves the military, he loves the mission, and he cares about our guardsmen and women,” said Berry. “From his background in Army aviation to his lengthy education — enlisted in 1985, commissioned in 1992 — his various command roles and his connections around the country and the globe, Brig. Gen. Waters is the consummate Army officer. Our state’s military force will remain in good hands with Brig. Gen. Waters as the adjutant general.”

Waters’ major decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with one Silver Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Air Medal. He earned the Army Senior Aviator Badge, Army Aviation Badge, Parachutist Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Air Assault Badge, U.S. Navy Scuba Badge, and Ranger Tab.

Additionally, he is a 1999 recipient of the Gen. Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award.