Illinois Army National Guard’s 123rd Engineer Battalion worked on some ‘Do It Ourselves’ projects in late May and June giving the Soldiers valuable training and saving the taxpayer between $470,000 to $770,000.
Soldiers from the Sparta-based 631st Engineer Support Co. and 2118th Asphalt Detachment built a running track at the Illinois Army National Guard’s Crestwood Armory saving the taxpayer between $250,000 to $350,000 over their 2-weeks of annual training.
The Macomb-based 616th Engineer Utilities Detachment and 661st Engineer Construction Co. did renovation work at the Illinois Army National Guard’s Forest Park Armory preparing the facility to accept new high-technology ILARNG units around October. The work included re-piping the heating system, installing LED lighting, and replacing ceiling tiles. It could’ve cost the Illinois Army National Guard from $225,000 to $418,000 had it been contracted out.
“Our Engineers did an outstanding job at both sites and their fellow Soldiers will reap the benefits through better facilities,” said Brig. Gen. Lenny Williams, the Assistant Adjutant General – Army of the Illinois National Guard and Commander of the Illinois Army National Guard. “The work they did both trained them for their war-time mission and will have a lasting impact on the organization through improved facilities.”
The Soldiers enjoyed the work. “We had a really good time,” said Sgt. Seth Michaels, a carpentry and masonry specialist (12W) who worked at the Forest Park Armory. There he replaced doorways as well as installed drop ceilings and stairway railings among other construction tasks. “This was something new. It was more (military job)-based than other training we’ve done.”
The Forest Park Armory needed the work, Michaels said. “We really flipped it.” The Illinois Army National Guard acquired the long-vacant facility from the Army Reserve last year. After the renovation, the Illinois Army National Guard is slated to move new units into the building this fall, including a cutting edge high-technology electronics warfare battalion.
The Crestwood Armory, which houses multiple units, gets a physical training track on what had been a vacant lot. Capt. Cory Manns, who led the Crestwood track construction, said the project was more “public facing” than previous work the unit has done. “People can see it from the street.” However, the Engineers have a history of improving Illinois Army National Guard infrastructure. For example, the Engineers have done extensive work at Marseilles Training Area where they built and improved roads and range berms among other projects.
At Crestwood, the Engineers took a little time to orient the Illinois Army National Guard’s Foxtrot Company of the Recruiting Retention Battalion’s Recruit Sustainment Program to some of their military jobs. The Recruit Sustainment Program is for those who enlisted in the Illinois Army National Guard but have not yet completed Army Basic Training and their job training. The program helps them prepare for Basic Training and life in the Army National Guard.
“This is actual real-world training where every bit of work is being invested back into the Illinois National Guard,” Manns said. The track project allowed the Soldiers to do real work in their military occupations, and the officers and senior noncommissioned officers got to work on planning and management skills. “This gave us a chance to work our project management muscles,” Manns said. “The project came together with precision, and the Soldier’s work was integrated with success.”
The Soldiers showed extraordinary work ethic, Manns said. “They dove into the work both feet first. The best retention tool is getting them out there doing their jobs.”
Capt. Shannon Coppula led the Soldiers doing work at the Forest Park Armory. She said the Soldiers got to work with experienced Illinois Department of Military Affairs tradesmen who have been working on the facility since the Illinois National Guard acquired it. The opportunity to learn from those highly skilled craftsmen with many years of experience was a valuable experience for the young Soldiers – and the Soldiers soaked it all in.
“They got a lot of work done over two weeks,” Coppula said. “I’m just very proud of my Joes.”