Ballard served as a platoon leader in the 84th Engineer Battalion during his first tour of duty in South Vietnam.

After another assignment in the Pentagon as Chief, Total Army Basing Study in the Office of the Chief of Staff of the Army, he returned to Missouri as Commanding General of the Engineer Center and Fort Leonard Wood.

When Ballard was nominated by President Bill Clinton to be the Chief of Engineers and Commander, United States Army Corps of Engineers, he was serving as Chief of Staff, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command in Fort Monroe, Virginia.

During his career, Lieutenant General Ballard earned a master's degree in engineering management from the University of Missouri–Rolla and graduated from the Engineer Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, the Command and General Staff College, and the Army War College.

List of USACE Chiefs of Engineers This article contains public domain text from "Lieutenant General Joe N. Ballard".