Environmental Excellence

Army National Guard Army National Guard

Environmental Excellence
Our Environmental Mission

Excel in environmental stewardship

to ensure the welfare of all citizens and

communities while sustaining military readiness.
Environmental Excellence

Army National Guard

Front Cover: Military training and nature coexist at the 15,000-acre

McCrady Training Center in Columbia, South Carolina.
Buffalo still graze at Taos Pueblo, New Mexico, where

the Army National Guard maintains the 1115th

Transportation Company.
Preserving, protecting and restoring natural

and cultural resources are integral to the

Army National Guard’s commitment to

defending America’s lands and liberties.

Environmental stewardship ensures invaluable

resources are sustained for future generations, while

providing the men and women of the Army National

Guard with quality training land. 

As one of seven Dept. of Defense reserve components, the Army National Guard has units supporting

readiness centers, training centers and maintenance

facilities at approximately 3,100 locations throughout the 50 states, three territories and one district.

These assets enhance the national military strategy

by augmenting the Army whenever and wherever

needed. In addition to our federal military responsibilities, we support the states during natural disasters and civil unrest. 

The new millennium introduces a myriad of

changes and challenges for our nation and its military forces. Members of the Army National Guard

live in your community and are your neighbors,

friends and co-workers. Although we primarily serve

part-time, our units have increasingly absorbed missions and responsibilities

formerly assigned to the active-duty Army. 

We are proud of our accomplishments in balancing military

training requirements and environmental stewardship.

This brochure, Army National Guard Environmental

Excellence, describes some of our successes in preserving,

protecting and restoring natural and cultural resources for

future generations. These achievements are our legacy to

the nation: one that will last far beyond the 21st century.

Environmental Excellence

Introduction

1
The Army

National Guard

Profile

The Army National Guard is

comprised of approximately

350,000 men and women, from

hundreds of communities in the 50

states, three territories and one district, who serve on a full-time or parttime basis. The Army National Guard

has a dual mission, with federal and

state responsibilities.

Federal Mission

Maintains well-trained, well-equipped

units that stand ready for prompt

mobilization during war. Provides

assistance during national emergencies, such as natural disasters or civil

disturbances. During peacetime, units

carry out missions compatible with

training, mobilization readiness, and

contingency operations. 

State Mission

Provides trained and equipped units

to protect life and property and to

preserve peace, order and public safety as directed by each state’s governor.

Primary Responsibilities

Provides one-third of the force

structure of the U.S. Army to include

combat units (e.g., infantry), combat

support (e.g., aviation) and combat

service support (e.g., medical).

Army National Guard

members also conduct

operations in support

of the Global War on

Terrorism and

Homeland

Security.

Provides military

support to civil

defense authorities and emergency relief support

as directed by each

state’s governor. Assists

in natural disasters such as

floods, earthquakes and forest

fires; maintains vital public

services; and conducts

counter-drug operations.

ARMY NATIONAL GUARD

Environmental Excellence

Profile

Training Land: Cornerstone of Military Readiness

Tough, realistic and consistent training is essential to the men and women of the Army National

Guard. As part-time military members with an increasing number of missions, we must ensure

every training minute counts. Most of the Army National Guard’s rigorous preparation occurs at

108 training sites on 2.1 million acres located throughout the United States. 

Army National Guard Training Sites

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Los Angeles

Miami

Albany

Atlanta

Augusta

Austin

Bismarck

Boise Boston

Carson City

Charleston

Cheyenne

Columbia

Columbus

Denver

Des Moines

Frankfort

Hartford

Helena

Indianapolis

Jackson

Lansing

Lincoln

Little Rock

Montgomery

Montpelier

Nashville

Oklahoma City

Olympia

Phoenix

Raleigh

Richmond

Sacramento

Salem

Salt Lake City

Santa Fe

Springfield

St. Paul

Tallahassee

Trenton

Baton Rouge

Concord

Madison

Topeka

Annapolis Dover

Jefferson City

Pierre Providence

Harrisburg

ALASKA

Juneau

HAWAII

Honolulu PUERTO RICO

San Juan

U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS

GUAM

Washington D.C.

ALABAMA

ARIZONA ARKANSAS

CALIFORNIA COLORADO

CONNECTICUT

DELAWARE

FLORIDA

GEORGIA

IDAHO

ILLINOIS

INDIANA

IOWA

KANSAS

KENTUCKY

LOUISIANA

MAINE

MARYLAND

MASSACHUSETTS

MICHIGAN

MINNESOTA

MISSISSIPPI

MISSOURI

MONTANA

NEBRASKA

NEVADA

NEW HAMPSHIRE

NEW JERSEY

NEW MEXICO

NEW YORK

NORTH CAROLINA

NORTH DAKOTA

OHIO

OKLAHOMA

OREGON

PENNSYLVANIA

RHODE

ISLAND

SOUTH CAROLINA

SOUTH DAKOTA

TENNESSEE

TEXAS

UTAH

VERMONT

VIRGINIA

WASHINGTON

WEST

VIRGINIA

WISCONSIN

WYOMING

★

Agana ★
The Four

Environmental

Pillars Environmental pillars provide

a structure that reflects the

Army National Guard’s commitment to excellence in environmental stewardship. Leadership,

people, resources, management,

organization and communication

comprise the foundation that supports the four pillars and their

objectives. The four pillars are:

• Compliance—ensure

compliance with federal and

state environmental laws, regulations and the presidents’

executive orders. Areas of

focus include air quality, water

quality, environmental audits,

hazardous waste management

and cleanup from ongoing

activities.

• Pollution Prevention—

reduce or eliminate pollution

by replacing hazardous materials with environmentally

acceptable substances, process

changes, and by reusing materials whenever possible.

Hazardous waste reduction is

a by-product of pollution prevention.

• Conservation—protect and

enhance valuable national

resources on land under

National Guard stewardship.

These include wetlands, floodplains, endangered species

habitats, historic and cultural

sites.

• Restoration—identify areas

contaminated by past practices

and clean up in a manner

fully protective of human

health and the environment.

Work closely with federal and

state regulatory agencies to

define appropriate cleanup

measures and schedules.

Establish and maintain positive relationships with local

communities and the general

public.

ARMY NATIONAL GUARD

“The black bear is the protector of our people,”

says Elisse Aune of the Mille Lacs Band,

Ojibwe tribe, Little Falls, Minnesota.
ARMY NATIONAL GUARD

Environmental Excellence

Compliance

Compliance

Army National Guard environmental

professionals ensure our military

force complies with environmental

laws and regulations. We train our

soldiers in compliance procedures

for hazardous material storage,

hazardous waste disposal, spill

response, wastewater management

and pollution prevention. We forge

strong relationships with federal, state

and local regulators. 

Compliance successes:

• The New Mexico Army National

Guard operates one of the few

paint booths in the state certified

under the Clean Air Act, which

they attribute to a highly efficient

ventilation system at the vehicle

maintenance facility in Santa Fe.

High-volume, low-pressure paint

gun systems aid abatement of air

emissions by 60 percent, reduce

hazardous paint waste by more

than 50 percent, and decrease

hazardous waste generation by

75 percent.

• The Arkansas Army National

Guard pioneered a hazardous

materials training course to

teach soldiers how to reduce or

eliminate pollution. The course

includes procurement, handling

and disposal of hazardous materials and waste; natural and cultural

resource conservation and

protection; and how to conduct

operations that comply with environmental laws and regulations.

The National Guard’s vehicle maintenance

facility in Santa Fe, New Mexico, has one of

the few paint booths in the state certified

under the Clean Air Act.

4
Environmental Excellence

ARMY NATIONAL GUARD Compliance

Jim Leukel monitors the wastewater

treatment plant on Camp Blanding,

Florida. Nearly 81,000 gallons

of sewage are processed daily at the

73,000-acre training center.

5
ARMY NATIONAL GUARD

Environmental Excellence

Compliance

• The Minnesota Army National

Guard’s environmental staff at

Camp Ripley is jointly manned

with employees from the National

Guard and state’s Dept. of Natural

Resources. This unique partnership provides the National Guard

with a better understanding of the

ecosystem at Camp Ripley and

allows them to more effectively

manage environmental programs.

• The Mississippi Army National

Guard actively monitors erosion

control and internal wetland

rehabilitation efforts at the

132,000-acre Camp Shelby,

through Geographic Information

Systems and Global Positioning

Systems technology. Information is

shared with regulatory agencies,

including the U.S. Forest Service.

Monitoring by the National Guard

saved taxpayers $1.2 million.

Troy Hardin, environmental manager at

Los Alamitos Training Center, California,

stands by the National Guard’s state-of-the-art,

200,000-gallon above-ground JP-8 fuel storage tank.

6
Community Outreach

Community outreach is integral to the National Guard’s

mission of protecting lives and property. Whether it is

providing potable water to Native Americans in New Mexico

or building roads in Alaska, the Army National Guard

is there to lend a helping hand.

Sergeant 1st Class Cecilia Chavez and 1st Sgt. Francis Cordova provide

drinking water to Taos Pueblo resident, Gloria Mirabel.

Vincent J. Lujan, governor of Taos Pueblo, New Mexico, believes the National

Guard and his people share a common purpose: preservation of the homeland.

7
Capt. William Fay works in the “eco-building” at Papago

Military Reservation in Phoenix, Arizona. The adobe

structure is powered by 11 kilowatts of solar energy.
Environmental Excellence

ARMY NATIONAL GUARD Pollution Prevention

Pollution

Prevention

The Army National Guard

incorporates cost-effective pollution

prevention practices into daily

activities. Although using fewer

hazardous materials and generating

less hazardous waste are the primary methods we use in pollution

prevention, our soldiers also consistently seek ways to support pollution

prevention efforts, such as recycling

and education.

Sergeant 1st Class James Dulin

removes a track vehicle transmission from the aqueous parts washer

at the National Guard’s maintenance facility on North Ft. Hood,

Texas. Hot water replaces solvents to

clean parts and reduce waste. Capt. William Fay explains that recycled soda cans, used tires,

mud and straw make up the structure of the “eco-building” at

Papago Military Reservation in Phoenix, Arizona.
Pollution Prevention successes: 

• The Massachusetts Army National

Guard at Camp Edwards cut hazardous waste from 8 tons to 4 tons

in two years. Camp Edwards reduced

its solid waste disposal by 50 percent

through recycling of paper, plastics,

tin and other materials.

• The Arkansas Army National Guard’s

creation of a Haz-Mart Pharmacy at

Camp Robinson slashed disposal of

hazardous items with an expired

shelf life from 90 percent to 12 percent. This revolutionary online pharmacy advertises expired and unused

items for reuse by units, substantially reducing the total hazardous

waste stream.

• The Texas Army National Guard

invested more than $1 million in

pollution prevention equipment and

systems and boosted its recovery of

solvents (paint thinners) by 136 percent. For example, at the Saginaw

maintenance facility, the installation

of an additional solvent recovery system for the painting operations facilitates the distillation process and

minimizes hazardous waste.

• The Minnesota Army National Guard

at Camp Ripley hosts training units

from around the world. Due to recycling, Camp Ripley disposes of only

1.53 pounds of waste per person per

training day, much lower than the

national consumer average of four

pounds per day. More than 61 percent of the waste generated onsite is

recycled. Recycling fuel, oil,

antifreeze, solvents and metal contribute to the waste reduction. 

• The Arizona Army National Guard’s

environmental staff at Papago

Military Reservation in Phoenix partially constructed a 5,200 squarefoot building out of aluminum cans,

used tires, mud and straw. The environmentally sustainable adobe

structure, dubbed the “eco-building,” is powered by an 11-kilowatt

solar array and is equipped with

four cisterns to collect rainwater.

ARMY NATIONAL GUARD

10

Antifreeze recycling reduces waste

and cost at the National Guard’s

vehicle maintenance facility on

North Ft. Hood, Texas.

Environmental Excellence

Pollution Prevention
Environmental Excellence

ARMY NATIONAL GUARD Pollution Prevention

Used oil is temporarily stored in 50-gallon drums for recycling at

Rio Rancho, New Mexico.

Cardboard is compacted for recycling at Diamond Head Crater,

Oahu, Hawaii.

11
The Hawaii Army National Guard works with the Oahu Invasive Species

Committee to protect indigenous plants at Bellows Air Force Station. The

National Guard operates a multi-service regional training institute at Bellows.

The Hawaii Army National Guard works with the Oahu Invasive Species

National Guard operates a multi-service regional training institute at Bellows.
Environmental Excellence

Conservation

Conservation

Innovative natural resources management is central to the Army National

Guard’s environmental mission. Land

management initiatives, defined in

our Integrated Natural Resources

Management Plans, ensure safe

havens for threatened and endangered

plant and animal species.

We are equally committed to the

preservation of cultural resources,

such as archaeological sites and historic structures, outlined in our

Integrated Cultural Resources

Management Plans. Preserving and

protecting these treasures today allow

for long-term viability of our training

lands. 

13

Joan Berish and Lori Wendland of the Florida Fish and Wildlife

Conservation Commission track the health of the gopher tortoise by using a

“bucket trap” next to its burrow on Camp Blanding, Florida.

Environmental specialist Ben Skellington works with the endangered

Schiedea plant to ensure it survives and flourishes like the native Naupaka

plant in Hawaii.
Environmental Excellence

ARMY NATIONAL GUARD Conservation

The Puerto Rico Army National Guard reforested 42 acres at Camp

Santiago Training Site as part of its Integrated Natural Resources

Managment Plan. Together with local Boy Scouts and the U.S. Forest

Service, the National Guard planted over 6,000 trees. The Guard also

monitors signs of the endangered yellow-shouldered blackbird, which lives

in the Salinas coastal area and is endemic to Puerto Rico.

14
Environmental Excellence

ARMY NATIONAL GUARD Conservation

Conservation successes:

• The Texas Army National Guard

implements a comprehensive

maintenance treatment plan to

restore, improve and maintain the

historic structures at Camp Mabry.

The National Register Historic

District consists of 26 structures,

including the only brick cavalrystyle buildings in the United States

dating to 1918.

- Joint archaeological research

with Texas universities at Camp

Mabry and other Army National

Guard sites yield significant

data about prehistoric mobility,

settlement patterns and

hunter-gatherer technology.

- Active consultation with Native

American tribes facilitates

training and construction on

Army National Guard sites

throughout Texas.

• The Florida Army National Guard

at Camp Blanding devotes special

attention to protecting and replenishing its population of red-cockaded woodpeckers. Relocating the

birds to Camp Blanding from Fort

Stewart, Georgia, and creating new

roosting areas in longleaf pine

trees are some of the environmental protection techniques used by

the National Guard.

• The Nevada Army National Guard

partners with eight public agencies

and non-profit organizations to

support marsh habitat and provide

outdoor education opportunities

for Reno’s school children. Fifty

acres of the National Guard’s Stead

Training Center comprise the new

Swan Lake Nature Study Area, a

wetland that attracts tundra swans

and more than 130 other species

of migratory birds.

15

The federally protected red-cockaded

woodpecker finds a home on

National Guard land forested with

longleaf pine.
The Eyes on Wildlife program at Camp Ripley, Minnesota,

includes the study of different species such as the federally

protected gray wolf. Master Sgt. Charles Farrell, teacher

Becky Rennicke and students get a close-up look.
Environmental Excellence

ARMY NATIONAL GUARD Conservation

• The Mississippi Army National

Guard’s natural resources staff

arranged for an emergency water

shuttle during a drought in the

Desoto National Forest that saved

at least one generation of threatened gopher frogs from extinction.

The unit also developed the

“gopher gap,” a method that protects the gopher tortoise during

construction and military exercises at training sites.

• The Minnesota Army National

Guard consults with 13 Native

American tribes, including the

local Mille Lacs Band of the

Ojibwe, to identify and protect

cultural resources at Camp Ripley.

A predictive settlement model,

built with Geographic Information

Systems technology, defines probable past cultural sites and aids in

the management of reservation

lands today.

“Telemetry sort of works like dialing in a radio station. In this case,

we’re trying to locate radio-collared animals,” explains Brian Dirks,

animal survey coordinator at Camp Ripley, Minnesota.
The ecosystem thrives at Blackwater Swamp and throughout McCrady

Training Center in Columbia, South Carolina. The blue jay, fence lizard,

bull thistle and tiger tail butterfly, eastern box turtle and sweet water lily

are some of the colorful wildlife.
• The Oregon Army National Guard

conducted the first in-house cultural survey at Camp Biak and

other National Guard training sites

in central Oregon, resulting in the

discovery of 12 prehistoric (before

1650 AD) archaeological sites and

one historic site. The survey of

1,139 acres, conducted on foot,

identified three sites eligible for

inclusion on the National Register

of Historic Places.

• The Hawaii Army National Guard

protects endangered native plants

and works aggressively to eradicate

invasive (non-native) plants.

- The endangered Pu`uka`a

(Cyperus Tracythanthos)

Sedge increased from 50 to

400 seedlings in the Diamond

Head Crater wetland on Oahu

through the cultivation efforts

of the National Guard and

civilian volunteers.

- Only three wild Schiedea

(pink carnation family) plants

remain at Diamond Head

Crater, but the National Guard

is saving the species from

extinction by creating new

populations on Oahu and

Maui.

- At Keaukaha Military

Reservation, Hilo, Hawaii,

the National Guard conducts

human “sweeps” of a 108-

acre forest area to remove

alien plant species.

Environmental Excellence

ARMY NATIONAL GUARD Conservation

19

Environmentalist Cynthia Thurkins and facility manager

Major Darryl Lindsey team up to identify and remove alien

plant species at Keaukaha Military Reservation, Hilo, Hawaii.
ARMY NATIONAL GUARD

Environmental Excellence

Conservation

• The South Carolina Army National

Guard conducts annual

Monitoring Avian Productivity and

Survivorship (MAPS) surveys with

the state’s Dept. of Natural

Resources to characterize populations of migratory birds at

McCrady Training Center. The

MAPS surveys involve netting and

banding the birds, which aid in

producing habitat characteristics

that are associated with successful

breeding sites.

• The North Dakota Army National

Guard significantly reduced the

pesticides used to control the

Leafy Spurge weed. Sheep are now

the primary means of weed control at Camp Grafton South, near

Devils Lake. The National Guard’s

land management initiative with

North Dakota State University has

spread across the Midwest as a

means to facilitate cattle grazing.

Environmental specialist (officer

candidate) Donna Wu focuses her

efforts on protecting endangered

plants such as the Pu`uka`a Sedge

and Schiedea at Diamond Head

Crater, Oahu, Hawaii.

Diamond Head, Oahu, Hawaii: 150,000 years old 20
Environmental Excellence

ARMY NATIONAL GUARD Conservation

Army National Guard biologist

Debbie Brewer helps revive the

ecosytem at Florence Military

Reservation, Arizona, by using

the “guzzler,” a non-leaking

water source for native wildlife.

21
Environmental Excellence

Conservation

Historic Camp Mabry, Texas, features

cavalry-style buildings dating to 1918.

Cultural

Resources

Preserving and restoring historic structures are integral to

the Army National Guard’s cultural

resources program. Over 3,000

armories and other historic buildings exist in the United States that

boast very distinctive, recognizable

architecture. Old barracks still house

National Guard troops. Hundreds of

armories are now community centers, libraries, school buildings,

museums and apartments. Dozens

of armories constructed between

1877 and 1944 are on the National

Register of Historic Places. 

ARMY NATIONAL GUARD

One of two remaining towers at Jackson

Barracks is used as VIP quarters.

The old Jackson Barracks was constructed in a manner characteristic of

antebellum Louisiana: wide verandas,

round and square columns, gabled and

hipped roofs, with spacious interiors.

Today, the Louisiana National Guard

occupies 1834-vintage buildings. 22
Conservation

Before: The Savannah Volunteer Guards Armory at Madison

Square was built in 1893 and housed a succession of

Georgia Army National Guard units until World War II. The

Guards’ regimental association owned the building and

derived income to support its upkeep by renting space to

commercial tenants.

After: The old armory was converted to the Savannah College

of Art and Design in 1979. Today, it is part of the Savannah

Historic Landmark District.

Army National Guard Armory, Utica, New York, built in 1930.

Current home of the 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry. Listed on

the National Register of Historic Places.

Army National Guard Armory, Geneva, New York, built in

1892. Current home of E Troop, 101st Cavalry, 27th Brigade.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
ARMY NATIONAL GUARD

Environmental Excellence

Conservation

Cultural Resources

Battery Harlow was built in 1910 on the outer, north-facing

slope of Diamond Head, Oahu, Hawaii. It was the first

coastal artillery site constructed on Oahu as part of the U.S.

coastal defense network designed to protect the U.S. west coast

in case of enemy attack from the sea. The Hawaii Army National

Guard preserves the cultural site, which

features an intact, operable, pre-World

War I mechanical data transmission system for mortar firing control.

Ben Skellington and the National

Guard keep the gears greased at

Battery Harlow, now part of the

Fort Ruger Historic District.

Above left: Model 1890 M1 mortar shells had 12-inch projectiles that

weighed 700 lbs.

Above center and right: Battery Harlow contained two concrete pits,

each equipped with four mortars. The coastal artillery mortars could

deliver high-angle fire against enemy ships up to ten miles away.

24
Environmental Excellence

ARMY NATIONAL GUARD Conservation

Cultural Resources

The Army National Guard balances environmental stewardship and

training requirements by “clearing” land through archaeological

surveys. Dr. Robert Estes (left) and colleagues from the University of

New Mexico conduct surveys at Camel Tracks, New Mexico, a training

site and former Pueblo settlement. Native American pottery is recovered

and preserved in the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology in Alburquerque.

1050 AD

1315 AD

1325 AD

1315 AD

1425 AD

25
The Army National Guard protects

bald eagle nesting sites during training

exercises at Camp Ripley, Minnesota, by

establishing 400-meter buffer zones.

ARMY NATIONAL GUARD

Environmental Excellence

Conservation
Camp Ripley, Minnesota

Where training, conservation and community

outreach thrive

On the 53,000 acres at Camp Ripley,

numerous wildlife species coexist with

the Army National Guard’s ongoing military training. Camp Ripley’s environmental staff works closely with federal and

state environmental agencies to ensure

these species are protected. The installation provides unique opportunities for

community groups to experience the

splendid natural resources found at

Camp Ripley.

The Minnesota Army National Guard

shares its training land with the federally

protected gray wolf. The Gray Wolf Project

uses satellite and radio collars to study

wolves and track their movements, which

enables wolf dens and rendezvous sites to

be located and protected. The National

Guard also hosts local schools as part of

the Eyes On Wildlife and Job Shadow programs, which allow students to conduct gray wolf research through Geographic Information Systems technology,

telemetry and hands-on evaluations.

Camp Ripley’s environmental staff and the state’s Dept. of Natural Resources

sponsor deer hunts for disabled veterans and youth. Both events provide

opportunities for community members to experience the great outdoors and

assist in the control of the deer population. 27

The black bear, gray wolf and osprey are just a few of the protected

animals inhabiting Camp Ripley, Minnesota.

“To be in this business for the long

term, we have to take care of our

resources and add value to the

community,” says Colonel Terry

Dorenbush, former commander of

Camp Ripley.

ARMY NATIONAL GUARD
Left: Ecologist Estevan Muldavin of the University of

New Mexico and Roberto Concha, compliance

assessment manager for the Army National Guard,

conduct a vegetation delineation survey at Camel

Tracks, near Santa Fe.

Above: The Cholla Cactus is a native tree-like plant

that thrives at Camel Tracks.

Inset: The New Mexico Army National Guard

accomplishes Patriot Missile air defense training

and environmental protection through Integrated

Training Area Management.

ARMY NATIONAL GUARD

Environmental Excellence

Conservation

28
Environmental Excellence

ARMY NATIONAL GUARD Conservation

Tropical, non-native plants like the

Red Torch Ginger flourish throughout

the Hawaiian islands.

The native Hawaiian Naupaka plant

and lava add to the shoreline near

the National Guard training site at

Bellows Air Force Station, Oahu.
Prescribed burning at Camp Blanding,

Florida, reduces fire hazards and

encourages growth of the longleaf pine.
Environmental Excellence

ARMY NATIONAL GUARD Conservation

In New Mexico, part of the National Guard’s

environmental mission is to preserve and protect

natural and cultural resources in the local communities.

Community Outreach
The Alaska Army National Guard conducts combined-arms training

with other components of the U.S. armed forces on Fort Richardson.

The National Guard is also headquartered at the fort, situated amid

aspen, birch and cottonwood trees, Lake Clunie and the majestic

Chugach Mountains.
Environmental Excellence

Conservation

33

Archaeologists William Morgan and Alex Noury dig for

Native American artifacts as part of a cultural resources

survey at Camp Blanding, Florida.
Healthy populations of LEPA, better known as slick-spot peppergrass, are found

on Orchard Training Area. The Idaho National Guard conducts a LEPA field

seed germination study, using protective wire-mesh cones, to prevent rodents

from eating the seeds. Elsewhere in the state, LEPA is dwindling in numbers.

Idaho’s 138,000-acre Orchard

Training Area has a lot of sagebrush,

which is vital to native desert

wildlife like the badger. Idaho

National Guard soldiers plant native

shrubs in old burns that once had

stands of sagebrush.

Tank maneuvers on Idaho’s

Orchard Training Area are not

allowed in sites that contain

LEPA plants.

34
Environmental Excellence

ARMY NATIONAL GUARD Conservation

35

The Arkansas Army National Guard at

Camp Robinson initiated an urban deer

management program to control the whitetailed deer population. Vehicle collisions

with the deer and evidence of tick-borne

diseases were major safety concerns that

prompted the National Guard to implement conservation measures with the

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

The California Army National Guard at Camp Roberts takes protective

steps to ensure military training does not impact the endangered kit fox.

A National Guard biologist, accredited by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, conducts pre-exercise and follow-up surveys to locate, secure

and monitor suspected kit fox dens.

The Idaho Army National

Guard at Orchard Training

Area is host to several

birds of prey, including the

ferruginous hawk and

short-eared owl.
ARMY NATIONAL GUARD

Restoration

The Army National Guard’s Installation

Restoration Program involves identification of sites contaminated by past

Dept. of Defense operations. In close

coordination with state and federal regulators, environmental professionals

ensure that contaminated soil, surface

water and groundwater are cleaned to

levels fully protective of human health

and the environment. 

Environmental Excellence

Restoration

36

Bill Gendron and Greg de la Paz perform routine maintenance on the Dual

Phase Vacuum Extraction system at Los Alamitos Training Center, California.
Environmental Excellence

ARMY NATIONAL GUARD Restoration

Restoration successes:

• The California Army National

Guard at Los Alamitos Training

Center operates a cleanup system

at the former JP-4 (jet fuel) tank

farm consisting of Dual Phase

Vacuum Extraction (DPVE), air

sparging and groundwater extraction. Since 1995, 2,900,000 gallons of groundwater have been

extracted and treated at the site,

preventing migration to the community. Phytoremediation, a natural cleanup system that uses

poplar trees, will eventually

replace the DPVE to treat the

remaining levels of contamination in the groundwater.

• The Arizona Army National Guard

at Camp Navajo cleaned up 6,100

tons of the explosive TNT

(Trinitrotoluene) by composting

the excavated soil with vegetables,

straw, wood chips and manure.

This unusual, but cost-effective

and quick cleanup recipe,

reduced TNT concentrations from

more than 5,000 parts per million to under 10 parts per million

in just 11 days.

Kevin Martin monitors filtration on the

Dual Phase Vacuum Extraction system at

Los Alamitos Training Center, California.
Jerry Krieger and Jeffrey

Kennedy (right) conduct

magnetometry surveys at a

former Camp Edwards,

Massachusetts, training

range to locate sub-surface

munitions.

Mario Villarreal and Ray

O’Brien (left) remove inert

munitions, which are later

recycled as scrap.

Unexploded ordnance is

destroyed.

• The Massachusetts Army National

Guard at Camp Edwards locates

and removes unexploded ordnance as part of the Impact Area

Groundwater Study Program’s

investigation and cleanup of contamination from explosives and

other chemicals. Air and ground

magnetometer surveys are

employed to locate sub-surface

munitions. A natural resource

specialist provides oversight during excavation, which minimizes

environmental impacts.

ARMY NATIONAL GUARD
Environmental Excellence

ARMY NATIONAL GUARD Restoration

Innovative

Techniques and

Technologies

Dual Phase Vacuum Extraction

places a high vacuum on the

subsurface soils to extract soil vapor

and groundwater from soil pores.

This approach overcomes some of

the obstacles of traditional vapor

extraction by allowing larger well

spacing and improving the removal

of contaminated pore water from

the subsurface.

Free Product Recovery is used to

recover fuel product that floats on the

water table as a result of fuel spills

and leaking fuel tanks. Skimmers,

passive bailers, hydrophobic sorbent

socks and vacuum extraction are all

recovery methods, often used with

other remediation techniques. 

Phytoremediation is a natural system of extracting contaminants from

groundwater through the roots of

plants and trees. As roots expand,

they provide more oxygen for bacteria

to grow and the contaminants naturally degrade as they move up the core.

The aim is for trees such as poplars to

replace mechanical cleanup systems,

which will save on operational costs,

eliminate noise and beautify the environment.

39

Chuck Keohan samples soil at a munitions

excavation site to determine if remedial

actions are required.
ARMY NATIONAL GUARD

Environmental Excellence

Restoration

Dr. Roman Pasteka searches for

unexploded ordnance on the

ridge of Limestone Hills Training

Range, Montana, aided by a

“quad-sensor, optically pumped

cesium vapor magnetometer.”

The Elkhorn Mountains provide

a striking backdrop for the

Montana Army National Guard’s

Limestone Hills Training Range.

40
Environmental Excellence

ARMY NATIONAL GUARD

Innovative

Readiness Training

Training that benefits

the community

It’s not uncommon for military

training to occur off Army National

Guard installations. The Innovative

Readiness Training program

enables National Guard units to

conduct construction, medical,

transportation and maintenance

training missions in the local

communities, which benefits

civilian organizations and sustains

the National Guard’s mission

preparedness.

The Army National Guard builds

artificial reefs off the South Carolina

coast using stripped, surplus track

vehicles such as the M-60 tank.
ARMY NATIONAL GUARD

Highlights:

• The South Carolina Army National

Guard and the state’s Dept. of

Natural Resources build artificial

reefs off the South Carolina coast

using stripped, surplus military

equipment such as M-60 tanks

and Armored Personnel Carriers.

The Reef-X (reef exercise) creates

habitat for marine life and facilitates recreational fishing.

• The Alaska Army National Guard

removed 262 junk vehicles, more

than 71,000 pounds of metal and

74 old appliances that were abandoned along trails, roads, and

rivers in Matanuska-Susitna

Borough. The scrap was loaded

on a barge and shipped to the

state of Washington for recycling.

• The South Dakota Army National

Guard’s community cleanup projects include removal of 3.5 tons of

iron from a demolished bridge in

Custer State Park, clearing trees

that were impeding water flow in

Garden Creek and recycling scrap

metal from Rosebud Indian

Reservation.

• The Ohio Army National Guard

renovated the grounds of Hillcrest

Civil War Cemetery by rebuilding

culverts and digging drainage

ditches.

Community Involvement

Essential to the decision-making process

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires federal agencies to analyze the potential environmental impacts that may occur

from implementing proposed major actions or feasible alternatives.

Community involvement is essential to fulfilling NEPA requirements.

Before the Army National Guard makes a decision on a proposed

action, the public must have the opportunity to review the proposal

and provide comments. Our philosophy is to involve the public as

early as possible in the decision-making process and to keep communities aware of ongoing projects. For example:

The Mississippi Army National Guard at Camp Shelby produced an

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) with the U.S. Forest Service

for the site selection and construction of a 1,800-acre, multi-purpose range complex. The combined-arms training range is the first

of its kind at a National Guard training center, supporting tanks,

artillery, infantry and helicopters. From the

beginning until the end, the public participated

in the EIS process. The National Guard held

four public meetings to discuss concerns about

safety, noise and relocation of wildlife habitat

before issuing a record of decision.
On The Horizon

The Army National Guard will continue to excel in environmental stewardship by implementing Environmental Management Systems (EMS). The

aim of EMS is to enhance Army National Guard readiness and environmental

practices by linking mission priorities and environmental management

requirements. 

The Army National Guard will first meet the requirements of Executive Order

13148, “Greening the Government through

Leadership in Environmental Management,” before

starting EMS at Guard locations. The goal is to

adopt the internationally recognized management

system standard, ISO 14001, by fiscal year 2009.

The Tennessee Army National Guard

protects the Eggert’s Sunflower, a

federally listed threatened species at

Tullahoma Training Site.
The Pennsylvania Army National Guard at Ft.

Indiantown Gap set aside 250 acres of prime

training land for butterfly habitat. Today, Ft.

Indiantown Gap is home to the last known colony

of the Regal Fritillary east of the Mississippi.

Yellow signs delineate grassland areas that are

off limits to mechanized training.
ARMY NATIONAL GUARD

Photo Credits

Bill Gossweiler: p.32

Bob Haskell, National Guard Bureau: p.21 (bottom right)

Bryan Hall, South Carolina Army National Guard: front cover, p.1

(lower right), 18, 41, 42

Catherine Beaudoin, Maxwell Museum, University of New Mexico: p.25 (1315 AD large)

Chris Cleaver, Pennsylvania National Guard: p.44

Clif Youmans, Montana Army National Guard: p.40

Dana Quinney, Idaho Army National Guard: p.34 (right) 

Daniel Stoute, Louisiana Army National Guard: p.22 (top left, bottom right)

Guild Communications: intro (buffalo), p.3, 4, 5, 7 (left), 9-10, 11 (right), 13 (left), 15-17,

20 (right), 21 (left), 22 (top right), 27 (left), 29 (right), 30, 31 (right), 33, 36-39, 41 (inset),

back cover

Jay Weaver, Idaho Army National Guard: p.34 (center right), 35 (top center; right)

Jim Wiley, U.S. Geological Survey, p. 14 (inset)

Luis Orengo, Puerto Rico Army National Guard: p.14 (top, lower left)

Minnesota Army National Guard: p.27 (bottom left; right)

National Guard Bureau Photo Archive: p.26 (top left), 31 (bottom left)

Peggy A. Gerow, Maxwell Museum, University of New Mexico: p.25 (1050 AD,

1315 AD small, 1325 AD, 1425 AD) 

Rick Breitenfeldt, National Guard Bureau: p.29 (top left)

Savannah College of Art and Design, Campus Photography: p.23 (top left,

center, bottom left)

Scott Woodham, National Guard Bureau: p.6, 7 (right), 8, 11 (left), 12, 13 (right),

19, 20 (left), 24 (top), 25 (left), 28, 29 (bottom left), 31 (top left), 46

Scott Quinney, Idaho Army National Guard: p.34 (top left, center left, bottom

left, inset)

Tennessee Army National Guard: p.43

Tom Roberts, National Guard Bureau: p.1 (top, bottom left)

U.S. Army Museum of Hawaii: p.24 (black and white)

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: p.21 (top right); Dave Menke, 26 (bottom left;

right); John and Karen Hollingsworth, 27 (top); B. Peterson, 35 (left); Jesse

Achtenberg, (bottom right)

Visual Information Support Center, Army National Guard: p.23

(top, bottom right)

Production

Designed and produced by the National Guard Bureau, Office of Public Affairs

and Guild Communications.

The National Guard Bureau

1411 Jefferson Davis Highway

Arlington, Virginia 22202-3231

(703) 607-2584

www.ngb.army.mil

45
Environmental specialist (officer candidate) Donna Wu envisions a Hawaii where native

plants thrive.

I

n addition to supporting

Homeland Security and the

Global War on Terrorism, the

National Guard is committed to

sustaining a ready, reliable and

relevant force for the 21st century.

We are transforming the way we

fight, the way we do business and

the way we work with others so we

can be a more efficient and accessible joint force. As we continue to

conduct rigorous training on lands

across America, we are also committed to safeguarding the environment for generations of

Americans to come.

The National Guard

Ready, reliable and relevant...
Back Cover:

The sun always sets on Papago

Military Reservation in Phoenix, Arizona.

Our Environmental Vision

Lead the Army with unmatched environmental excellence that

benefits our customers, communities and employees.
Environmental Excellence

Army National Guard Army National Guard

Environmental Excellence