CHAMPION, Mich. (WZMQ) – From May 31 through June 15, soldiers from the 1432nd Engineer Company out of Kingsford and Gladstone have participated in the Innovative Readiness Training program.
The Michigan Army National Guard’s 107th Engineer Battalion has been tasked by the Michigan DNR with various trades projects at state parks and campgrounds throughout western U.P. counties.
“It’s not just running out in the woods and doing tactical stuff, but we also have all of the different trades in engineering,” said Captain Seth Beduhn of the 107th Engineer Battalion. “So, carpentry, electrical, plumbing.”
“It’s a win-win for both organizations,” said DNR District Supervisor Doug Rich, covering the western half of the U.P. “We get more work done, and it fulfills their training needs, but we can keep the guard members closer to home, versus going to Grayling.
Over the two weeks, the battalion split up into squads to cover each site. Some of these have included various road and cabin reconstruction at Craig Lake State Park, an accessible playground at McLain State Park of Houghton County, and upgrades to the concession venue and bathroom facilities at Van Riper State Park. The full list of projects can be found at michigan.gov.
“It’s about 100 people that are working on 13 different project sites for the DNR,” said Beduhn. “They have been working in their squads on the several different project sites.”
With state parks such as Craig Lake growing in popularity over the years, these renovation projects have come as a huge help to the DNR’s upkeep and management.
“Craig Lake has been found. The use up there is skyrocketing, especially since the pandemic,” said Rich. “These are some much needed improvements. Essentially, without the National Guard’s help we would be hard pressed to get it done on our own.”
Most areas under construction will reopen by the weekend of June 13.
