CULBERTSON, Mont. – Soldiers assigned to Montana National Guard’s Detachment 1, 230th Engineer Company are transforming Legion Park into a community recreation area during annual training, combining hands-on engineer training with a project designed to serve northeastern Montana residents for years.
The project, conducted May 29-June 11, includes construction of a pedestrian walking trail, a vehicle parking area and the foundation for a future pavilion overlooking the Missouri River.
The project originated through coordination between local community leaders and Montana National Guard personnel and will continue later this summer when Soldiers from the 260th Engineer Support Company complete additional campground improvements and site development.
For 1st Lt. Matthew Waterhouse, detachment commander of the 230th Engineer Company, the mission represents an opportunity to provide meaningful training and create something tangible for the community.
“This project has been almost a year in the making,” Waterhouse said. “We started planning with the 260th Engineer Support Company last year, and I led the design effort for the pavilion and overall site layout.”
Waterhouse said the goal was to create a destination that residents and visitors can enjoy long after construction is complete.
“The end state is a park people can enjoy for years to come,” he said. “We're building a pedestrian trail that provides access to views of the Missouri River, improving campsite access, constructing a parking area and preparing the site for a pavilion that will serve as a gathering place for the community.”
The project provided Soldiers with practical experience in site layout, earthmoving, aggregate placement, concrete construction and project management. During the mission, Soldiers cleared vegetation, graded the site, built the pedestrian trail and completed concrete work for the pavilion foundation and post bases.
The project also required significant logistical coordination. Soldiers operated six dump trucks for several days, hauling gravel from a local pit about 35 minutes from the work site to support parking lot construction and site improvements.
Sgt. 1st Class Michael Lowe, noncommissioned officer in charge of the project, said the work allows Soldiers to apply their skills while directly benefiting local residents.
“This project is essentially a campground and recreation area,” Lowe said. “It includes a pavilion, campground sites and a walking path. The goal is to give the community a place where people can come out, enjoy nature and spend time together.”
Lowe said the 230th Engineer Company is focused on completing site preparation and foundational work before turning the project over to the 260th Engineer Support Company for the next phase of construction.
“The overall goal is to hand this project over to the community and say, ‘The Montana National Guard built this for you. Enjoy it,’” Lowe said.
Throughout the mission, local residents regularly visited the site, offering encouragement and expressing appreciation for the work being performed.
“The community has been incredibly grateful,” Lowe said. “People have stopped by to thank us, brought us food and shown how much they appreciate what we're doing here. It gives Soldiers the opportunity to use their skills while building something that will have a lasting impact.”
For many Soldiers, the opportunity to complete a project with visible results has made this year's annual training especially meaningful.
Spc. Robert Grindell, assigned to Detachment 1, 230th Engineer Company, said the project has provided a unique opportunity to give back to a Montana community.
“This has been a breath of fresh air,” Grindell said. "We're building something that the community will be able to use and enjoy for years to come.”
Grindell said support from local residents has had a positive impact on Soldier morale throughout the project.
“The people here have been incredibly supportive and grateful,” Grindell said. “Everywhere we go, people stop to thank us and tell us how excited they are about the project. That means a lot to the Soldiers working out here every day.”
Brig. Gen. Trent Gibson, the adjutant general of the Montana National Guard, said the project reflects the National Guard's dual mission by strengthening both readiness and community partnerships.
“Projects like this demonstrate the value the Montana National Guard brings to communities across our state,” Gibson said. “Our Soldiers are developing critical engineering skills while leaving behind something that will serve Montanans long after the training is complete. It is a perfect example of readiness and service working together.”
For Waterhouse, the project's greatest value may be measured years from now.
“Soldiers can come back here with their families and point to something they helped build,” Waterhouse said. “That's what makes projects like this so meaningful. It improves our readiness while creating something lasting for the community.”