District Digest News Stories

USACE command sergeant major visits Nashville District

Nashville District Public Affairs
Published March 21, 2014
Linda Adcock,Center Hill Dam project manager,from the Nashville District briefs U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' senior enlisted adviser Command Sgt. Maj. Karl J. Groninger on the foundation rehabilitation progress and construction on March 17, 2014 at the Center Hill dam resident managers office.

Linda Adcock,Center Hill Dam project manager,from the Nashville District briefs U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' senior enlisted adviser Command Sgt. Maj. Karl J. Groninger on the foundation rehabilitation progress and construction on March 17, 2014 at the Center Hill dam resident managers office.

Kevin Gatlin, an emergency operations specialist at the Nashville District explains procedures for the new emergency operations center to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' senior enlisted adviser Command Sgt. Maj. Karl J. Groninger during a visit to the district March 17, 2014.

Kevin Gatlin, an emergency operations specialist at the Nashville District explains procedures for the new emergency operations center to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' senior enlisted adviser Command Sgt. Maj. Karl J. Groninger during a visit to the district March 17, 2014.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (March 21, 2013) - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' senior enlisted adviser Command Sgt. Maj. Karl J. Groninger visited the Nashville District March 17-18.

Groninger said he put emphasis on his visit to talk directly to USACE civilian employees from many projects at the district on many changes, working conditions and highlights.

“Everyone’s doing a great job here in Nashville and should be proud,” said Groninger.  “I love talking to individuals who do the work, seeing the work in progress and great results that have been made to many of our structures specifically in Nashville since the 2010 flood,” said Groninger.

He visited Nashville Headquarters, Center Hill Dam, Cheatham Lock and Dam, Lake Barkley Lock and Dam, and the Kentucky Dam.

His first stop was a brief walk around to meet and greet Corps personnel at the district headquarters located in the Este Kefauver building, where he found many talkative about various topics ranging from the importance of their jobs, to job training and to adapting to various new jobs.

Groninger’s traveled east to the Center Hill Dam to visit the foundation rehabilitation project, the Resident Engineers Office, and the Power Plant.  Bill DeBruyn, Center Hill project resident engineer and Linda Adcock, Center Hill Dam project manager, briefed him on the foundation rehabilitation progress and construction.

Construction workers for Bauer Foundation Corporation, at Center Hill Dam are drilling deep into the main dam earthen embankment to also install a subsurface concrete wall.

“We have the best of the best working for the Corps and you’ve provided me with a great lesson in engineering today,” said Groninger to Adcock and DeBruyn after the briefing. 

The next visit was at the newly constructed and state-of-the art Cheatham Resource Center, and Lock and Dam. 

Larry Nash, Cheatham resource manager, showed Groninger the facility and described the history behind the new buildings features.  After a quick walk across the dam, Groninger met with most of the employees from the power plant who fix and maintain equipment for the engineers. He told them the equipment continues to evolve due to the ever-changing situations and USACE demands.  Groninger said more than 37,000 Soldiers and civilian employees in USACE work side-by-side to provide services to more than 130 countries and that’s an incredible feat.

"USACE is proud of the work you do and recognize the sacrifices that you do to keep major facilities running like this one,” said Groninger. The Corps has nine divisions with 44 districts worldwide committed to creating sustainable projects that are environmentally friendly, cost effective and beneficial to all customers every day," said Groninger to the group. "We have a diverse and complex mission that range from emergency operations to overseas contingency operations to reducing the risk of flooding nationwide, and we have well disciplined professionals behind every project like you,” he said. 

Before leaving for Lake Barkley he told the group, “The Nashville team has made incredible changes to keep water flowing on the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers.”

“The Corps is a great organization with a robust day-to-day mission that exceeds the standard engineering definition," said Groninger.