{"id":504084,"date":"2025-06-30T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-30T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=504084"},"modified":"2025-07-01T04:11:16","modified_gmt":"2025-07-01T04:11:16","slug":"washington-guard-improves-park-through-innovative-readiness-training","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=504084","title":{"rendered":"Washington Guard Improves Park Through Innovative Readiness Training"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Zachary Williamson, right, with the 176th Engineer Company, 420th Chemical Battalion, 96th Troop Command, Washington National Guard, is instructing Soldiers in his unit about tongue and groove roof decking for the restroom facility at Charter Park, Orting, Wash, June 19, 2025. 176th Eng. Co. is partnering with the city of Orting through the Innovative Readiness Training program, a Department of Defense initiative that enables Soldiers to receive training and acquire new skills while providing valuable services to their local communities.
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\n U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Zachary Williamson, left, and Spc. Pharez Telona, with the 176th Engineer Company, 420th Chemical Battalion, 96th Troop Command, Washington National Guard, prepares the beam for installation on the roof of a restroom facility at Charter Park, Orting, Wash, June 19, 2025. 176th Eng. Co. is partnering with the city of Orting through the Innovative Readiness Training program, a Department of Defense initiative that enables Soldiers to receive training and acquire new skills while providing valuable services to their local communities.
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ORTING, Wash. \u2013 Washington Army National Guard members are making improvements to a community park while also receiving valuable training that can support domestic and overseas missions.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe this isn\u2019t just a way to give back to our community\u2014it\u2019s a way for us to sharpen our skills,\u201d said Spc. Pharez Telona, a plumber with the 176th Engineer Company. \u201cThis gives us hands-on experience, not only in our own specialty but also in others. I\u2019ve learned a lot about carpentry, and that\u2019s expanded my knowledge and abilities.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2023, when the city of Orting needed help with construction projects in a new park, the community of fewer than 9,000 residents nestled in the shadow of Mt. Rainier came together to find a creative solution. That solution came in the form of the Department of Defense\u2019s Innovative Readiness Training, or IRT, program.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince the summer of 2023, we\u2019ve been working closely with the 176th Engineer Company from the Washington Army National Guard to complete the paperwork for this,\u201d said Michelle Alfiere, Orting\u2019s activities and events coordinator. \u201cThe whole process was great. Working with the unit and the Guard was a smooth and positive experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

The city\u2019s project was selected and approved in 2023, allowing Guard members from the 176th Engineer Company to work at the park during their annual training in the summer of 2024 and again from June 16\u201327.<\/p>\n

IRT is a unique Department of Defense program that provides real-world training for military units while offering lasting, tangible benefits to underserved communities across the United States. These missions focus on areas such as health care, construction, transportation and cybersecurity.<\/p>\n

\u201cIRT is what allows us to be here. It starts with the city submitting a request, and that sets the process in motion, allowing funding to be allocated,\u201d said Sgt. 1st Class Al Stockner, the noncommissioned officer in charge of the project.<\/p>\n

For commanders, IRT projects offer realistic, mission-focused training that directly supports deployment readiness. For the Soldiers involved, it\u2019s also an opportunity to enhance technical skills and gain hands-on experience they wouldn\u2019t usually get outside of a real-world setting.<\/p>\n

\u201cI worked on the Rogue River project a few years ago, and without these types of projects, it would be extremely difficult for us to train effectively,\u201d Stockner said. \u201cSoldiers learn the basics in their MOS [Military Occupational Specialty] training, but projects like this expose them to real conditions and improve their craft.\u201d<\/p>\n

Civil engineering missions under the IRT umbrella include both vertical and horizontal construction. Vertical construction focuses on structures such as buildings, while horizontal work includes utilities, roadways and runway improvements. These projects also often incorporate heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), plumbing and electrical systems, offering comprehensive training across multiple trades.<\/p>\n

For the city of Orting, the project may seem like a simple public restroom in a new park, but it represents something much more significant to the community.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis bathroom project is incredibly important,\u201d said Mayor Josh Penner, who also serves as a state representative for the 31st District. \u201cThis entire area used to be what we called a \u2018problem property\u2019\u2014a place with crime and drug activity. Now, it\u2019s transforming into a new housing development and a park that will serve the community for years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

Penner praised the National Guard and IRT program for their contributions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Guard\u2019s support through the IRT program has been tremendous,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m really impressed with their professionalism, not just in their work but in meeting our timeline. Their attention to detail is second to none, and I\u2019d love to see future collaborations.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the Guard members involved, the pride in their work goes beyond training.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we\u2019re building isn\u2019t just for us, it\u2019s for our community,\u201d Telona said. \u201cIt shows that we care.\u201d<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.nationalguard.mil<\/a><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TheNationalGuard<\/a><\/p>\n

https:\/\/x.com\/USNationalGuard<\/a><\/p>\n

https:\/\/irt.defense.gov\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

1 \/ 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption \u2013 U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Zachary Williamson, right, with the 176th Engineer Company, 420th Chemical Battalion, 96th Troop Command, Washington National Guard, is instructing Soldiers in his unit about tongue and groove roof decking for the restroom facility at Charter Park, Orting, Wash, June 19, 2025. 176th […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":504086,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-504084","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/504084","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=504084"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/504084\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":504089,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/504084\/revisions\/504089"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/504086"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=504084"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=504084"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=504084"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}