An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | March 21, 2016

Virgin Island Air Guard engineers build plant beds to support kids' project

By Spc. Priscilla Desormeaux 51st Public Affairs Detachment, Virgin Islands National Guard

U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS – Members of the Virgin Islands Air National Guard 285th Civil Engineering Squadron did their part in giving back to the community by building plant beds in support of the Helping Children Work Project.

Airmen arrived early on March 5 to Grove Place community center, St. Croix, to build the boxes.

As part of the project, the Airmen built several elevated plant beds out of wood. The construction was part of an overall goal to educate children on how to plant and properly cultivate a garden. The garden will be used to teach children how to be responsible, nurture their time management skills and give them a sense of ownership. 

Airmen involved in the project immediately began to see the potential for their work to benefit the rest of the community. Airman 1st Class Danley McIntosh looked forward to partaking in more projects and saw the impact the squadron could have. 

"It's vital; the territory is suffering because of a lack of common projects like this one," said Airman 1st Class Danley McIntosh. "There just isn't enough of that going around."

The Helping Children Work Project is an initiative that provides after-school tutoring, summer programs and other positive activities for children in the community.

 

 

Related Articles
U.S. Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. Fernanda Van Pratt, 162nd Aircrew Flight Equipment, or AFE, noncommissioned officer in charge, stitches a parachute at Morris Air National Guard Base, Arizona, May 1, 2026. During a major vertical inspection the 162nd AFE flight earned a top-tier rating, leading the inspector to share their modernized mobility deployment kits with Air National Guard units nationwide, enhancing mission adaptability across the force. Photo by Tech. Sgt. Hampton Stramler.
Arizona Guard Team Earns Awards for Combat Readiness
By Staff Sgt. Guadalupe Beltran, | May 21, 2026
MORRIS AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Ariz. — The Arizona National Guard’s 162nd Wing’s Aircrew Flight Equipment, or AFE, flight recently earned two major command-level awards: the 2025 U.S. Air Force AFE Outstanding Air Reserve...

Capt. Richard
Oregon Guard Supports Ceremony Featuring 103-Year-Old WWII Pilot
By Maj. Wayne Clyne, | May 20, 2026
SALEM, Ore. – The hangar fell quiet for nearly 30 minutes on Armed Forces Day while Capt. Richard "Dick" Nelms stood before a crowd at the B-17 Alliance Museum & Restoration Hangar at Salem McNary Airfield and described, in...

U.S. Soldiers aid Sgt. Josiah McBride, left, serving as part of the Massachusetts National Guard Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear, or CBRN, Task Force Search and Extraction Recon Team 1 in donning personal protective equipment during a CBRN Task Force collective training exercise at Camp Edwards Training Site, Joint Base Cape Cod, Massachusetts, May 16, 2026. Photo by Staff Sgt. Justin Leva.
Massachusetts Guard Strengthens Disaster Response Capabilities
By Senior Airman Julia Ahaesy, | May 20, 2026
BOURNE, Mass. – Massachusetts National Guard Airmen and Soldiers conducted a Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear, or CBRN, Task Force collective training exercise May 14-17 on Joint Base Cape Cod to strengthen the...