Memphis Engineer District Changes Command
The Memphis Engineer District bid goodbye to its commander, Col. Zachary Miller, in a relinquishment of command ceremony June 16.
Major Gen. Diana Holland presided over the ceremony, where Miller relinquished command to Lt. Col. Robert Green, deputy district commander. Green will command the district until he transfers command to Col. Brian D. Sawser in an assumption of command ceremony scheduled for late July.
Miller assumed command of the Memphis district on July 19, 2019. As commander, he was responsible for flood damage reduction, navigation, environmental stewardship, emergency operations and other authorized civil works along 610 miles of the Mississippi and White rivers, encompassing a 25,000-square-mile area in six states: Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi.
Miller was also the recovery field office commander for hurricanes Laura and Ida in Louisiana, leading Corps operations supporting FEMA’s recovery missions.
One of the most significant needs of people impacted by the hurricanes was temporary roofing. To assist with this need, Miller led a key initiative called Operation Blue Roof. This operation provided homeowners with professionally installed fiber-reinforced plastic sheeting, free of charge, to cover their damaged roofs until permanent repairs could be made. Temporary roofing protected the homeowners’ property, reduced temporary housing costs and allowed residents to remain in their homes while recovering from the storm. More than 54,000 “blues roofs” were installed for the two hurricanes combined.
Miller also led the construction of the Tennessee COVID-19 Alternate Care Facility in Memphis. To assist with the demand placed on hospitals due to COVID-19, the Memphis district converted the vacant Commercial Appeal newspaper building into a 350-bed, non-acute COVID-19 patient care facility. Construction was completed in an unpreceded 28 days, operating 24 hours a day and totaling more than 250,000 labor hours.
For these efforts, Miller was awarded both the Legion of Merit and the Silver De Fleury Medal.
Col. Miller will next command the 3rd Security Force Assistance Brigade at Fort Hood, Texas. He is the first engineer officer to be selected for this leadership assignment.
