Photo By Kelcy Hanson | Electronic mechanic Gordon Rush meticulously prepares fiber-optic cables at the lock...... read more read more
Gordon Rush started his career with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District, in 1998, working for the Illinois Waterway’s Structural Maintenance Unit. In 2005, he became an Electronic Mechanic for the Illinois Waterway Project’s Lock and Dam Section and since that time has been using his extensive background in electronics to support electrical needs throughout the project.
Rush’s federal service began in the United States Air Force following high school graduation. He was first stationed at the now decommissioned Aerospace Electronics Chanute Air Force Base, in Rantoul, Illinois. He later served in Michigan, Texas and Germany before retiring in 1993 at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. During his time in the military, Rush completed leadership training at a U.S. Air Force Noncommissioned Officer Academy and he developed a bench stock check system used for inventorying parts and reordering supplies.
Aside from his Air Force experience, Rush has gained valuable knowledge during previous jobs where he was responsible for equipment installation for IT rooms and podiums, wire management, logic controller programming used for industrial automation and designing equipment layouts. Each of these skills have carried into his current job on the Illinois Waterway in some way or another.
Rush says his favorite part of his job is, “every day is a challenge to figure out a way to get electronic equipment to work correctly. Not always easy and requires a lot of thinking outside the box.”
When asked about his most memorable projects, Rush narrowed the list to two. His first came in 2015 after his return to the District following nearly four years of service in Afghanistan for USACE. The drop gate at Lockport Lock and Dam was jammed and they needed a way to monitor the tension on the cables used to raise and lower the gate. Specialized equipment was purchased to read the tension but the data needed to be sent to a computer in the lock house and a video signal was needed to visually monitor the cables as adjustments were made. This is where Rush and his expertise came into play. Using computer language known as RS-232, Rush designed a cost-effective system that allowed personnel in the control stand and lock house to monitor the tension on the cables and prevent future jamming of the gate.
His second memorable project is one he’s currently working. It involves a complete replacement of the outdated camera system at the locks and dams on the Illinois Waterway. It is a major upgrade to the system and includes installation of laser-optimized, high bandwidth fiber optic cables which are most suitable for the new system and any future updates the system will need. According the Rush, it’s not easy keeping the old system operational while the new cameras are being installed but since May, he’s update five cameras at Peoria, seven at LaGrange and 15 at Marseilles.
In the past, the lock and dam camera system has aided the District in gathering valuable imagery during incidents and has even allowed operators to see problems in advance and in some cases, prevent accidents from occurring.
“The new cameras being installed are high definition and can zoom in to get greater detail when needed,” said Rush.
In addition to these memorable projects, Rush has played an integral part in the installation of new and replacement telephone units and security systems at each of the locations on the Illinois Waterway. He conducts regular inspections of electrical equipment, tests and adjusts electrical systems and performs preventative maintenance functions. He also works with the CIO/G-6 office to support the Illinois Waterway Project’s fiber optics, networking and wireless systems, the Security office to make sure security systems are working at the locks, and Engineering and Construction Division to set up connection-oriented Ethernet networks during special projects.
Rush and his wife Rebecca Kay reside in Delavan, Illinois, and have three daughters, Christina, Margaret and Sabrina, and two grandchildren, with another on the way! In his free time, you will find him working on his old house or one of his daughter’s homes. He enjoys carpentry, electrical, plumbing, and fine detail wood working. When asked about his favorite inspirational quote he said his father told him long ago, “If you love your job and what you do, then it does not seem like work.”
| Date Taken: | 12.27.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 12.28.2021 06:56 |
| Story ID: | 411948 |
| Location: | ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, IL, US |
| Web Views: | 155 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Illinois Waterway Receives New Fiber-Optic Upgrades, by Kelcy Hanson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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