Recruit Sustainment Program gives back to the environment
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”1425″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css_animation=”fadeIn” css=”.vc_custom_1500399036328{margin: 0px !important;border-width: 0px !important;padding: 0px !important;}”][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeIn” css=”.vc_custom_1500398270878{margin: 0px !important;border-width: 0px !important;padding: 0px !important;}”]Photos by Sgt. 1st Class Charles Zach, Maryland Army National Guard Recruiting and Retention Battalion[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeIn”]The Maryland Army National Guard recently helped call attention to the need to protect the environment during a drill weekend at Camp Fretterd Military Reservation near Reisterstown, Md.
Members of the MDARNG’s Recruit Sustainment Program, a program for Soldiers who have not yet completed their military specialty training, planted trees on the state-owned grounds on Sunday, Oct. 24, 2010, as part of a nationwide Guard the Environment effort encouraged by the National Guard Bureau.
“Our graduating Gold Phase recruits were successful in planting 10 trees on Camp Fretterd in an environment regeneration area ,” said Capt. Matthew Deener, commander of one of the Recruit Sustainment Program companies. “The trees will help stabilize a slope of land on base previously responsible for harmful run-off.”
Guard the Environment is a grass roots effort for states to showcase National Guard members proactively participating in environmentally friendly activities to both impact and give back to their local communities.
The Soldiers also removed pine needles and debris from the rain gutters in the roads so that they could drain properly and keep sap from entering the post’s watershed and negatively affecting plant and animal life .
“The recruits were motivated during the duration of the event,” said Lt. Col. Jeffrey Knepshield, commander of the Recruiting and Retention Battalion. “Many of them made comments about giving back to the environment where they had trained in the months leading up to their graduation from the RSP.”
Every Soldier who participated in the event received a commemorative Guard the Environment t-shirt in appreciation of their involvement.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]