Dinosaur National Monument recently welcomed a very special group to accomplish a variety of projects within the Monument. Utah National Guard Engineers from the 116th Engineer Company and support personnel from the Forward Support Company, 125 soldiers in all, worked together to accomplish 6 separate projects. According to the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS), teams of carpenters and electricians renovated a decades-old restroom structure, making it more functional and compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Two other restroom facilities were also improved to be ADA-compliant as well as having a new water line installed. Construction teams graded roads and replaced cattle guards while others were in charge of logistics support. “Our Soldiers did excellent work during this annual training,” said Forward Support Company 1st Sergeant Ross Francis. “My distro platoon drove and worked their guts out providing fuel, delivering construction material and food runs that accounted for over 10,000 miles driven.” The leadership of each agency agreed that the training was a success and that cooperation between the National Park Service and Utah National Guard was near-perfect. It took over a year to plan and organize everything and the work took place from June 6th to the 16th. The soldiers set up camp next to the Green River at Split Mountain Campground and reported having a great time camping and enjoying campfire cooking. The entire experience was great for morale and “ultimately,” says Lt. Caleb Brown, “it’s great for our Soldiers because they get to build something lasting.”
