Moving at the Speed of Trust: Lt. Col. Weander’s Leadership in Emergency Response

Photo By Chad Eller | PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. - Lt. Col. Nate Weander, deputy commander of the Emergency Field Office - Palisades Fire, gives an update on debris removal operations in front of a cleared property in the Pacific Palisades. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues working with local, state and federal partners to include FEMA, as we support survivors impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires.  

PACIFIC PALISADES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES

05.04.2025

Story by Chad Eller 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District

Lt. Col. Nate Weander has built his career at the intersection of disaster response and infrastructure resilience. From hurricanes to wildfires, his leadership is guided by a principle: Trust is earned in the trenches of emergency response.
Weander, a third-generation engineer from Nebraska, expanded his engineering expertise from warfighting to civil works.
“I was strictly jumping out of planes, looking to support the global war on terror anywhere I could, before my first assignment with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Albuquerque District,” Weander said.
One of his most formative experiences in the district came while working with a tribal community northwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico, to prepare for the arrival of monsoon rains. Wildfires had devastated the pine forests, leaving the mountainside vulnerable to catastrophic erosion. His team worked to trap sediment in the high valleys, fortifying the land against future storms and helping to ensure the village’s survival.
“We met with a tribal elder who told us, ‘When the fires came, we thought we would lose our way of life. When the monsoon rains came, we thought we would lose our village. We prayed for a miracle, and the Creator sent the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,’ with tears in his eyes,” Weander said. “How could you not want to be a part of something like that? It was a defining moment in my career.”
Now serving as Deputy Commander for the New Orleans District, Weander supports flood risk management, navigation and ecosystem restoration. With hurricane season approaching, he and his team are already preparing for the next storm.
“There are only two times of year in New Orleans,” he said. “Hurricane season and preparing for hurricane season.”
Preparation is key in disaster response. Each year, the New Orleans District coordinates with FEMA, the U.S. Coast Guard, and state, parish and levee district leaders to conduct a hurricane tabletop exercise. The simulated disaster allows key personnel to validate plans, identify capability gaps and improve response procedures.
Emergency response relies on accountability. Whether responding to hurricanes or wildfires, Weander ensures the workforce is safe and accounted for. Then comes system validation. The Mississippi River, the nation’s most critical inland waterway, must remain operational to prevent economic disruption. Survey boats equipped with lidar, radar and sonar wait in safe harbor before a storm hits. Once the storm passes, they deploy to assess damage and coordinate with the Coast Guard to reopen impacted channels.
“Post-landfall, the District Commander is in a helicopter with the governor performing damage assessments within a couple of hours,” Weander said. “This is a critical moment of balancing safety and speed of execution. Lives are in that balance, and that’s why building relationships and preparing with other agencies is so important.”
Weander was recently deployed to support California’s wildfire recovery as deputy commander of the Emergency Field Office-Palisades Fire. Following FEMA’s emergency declaration, USACE took on the critical task of debris removal. With thousands of destroyed properties and lives upended, Weander’s focus was clear: Move at the speed of trust.
The challenge was multifaceted.
“Think about it. You’ve lost your home in a fire, and a guy in camouflage comes up and says, ‘Hey, I'm here to help. I could demo your house if you sign this paper.’ It's going to be a hard sell,” Weander said. “We're moving at the speed of trust. It’s not just about debris removal; it’s about building relationships with the community and earning that trust. We do what we need to do to solve the problem, reduce human suffering and get people back to their everyday lives.”
As Weander prepares to complete his deployment, more than 5,900 properties have been cleared, and more than 1 million tons of debris have been removed from the area.
For Weander, emergency response is more than operations and logistics—it’s about people. Trust built through preparation and relationships makes the difference when disaster strikes. Moving at the speed of trust is how communities find their way forward, even in the wake of devastation.

• Date Taken: 05.04.2025
• Date Posted: 05.04.2025 15:44
• Story ID: 496954
• Location: PACIFIC PALISADES, CALIFORNIA, US