PHOAKULOA TRAINING AREA, Hawaii  –   More than 30 Oklahoma Army National Guard engineers assigned to the 3120th Engineer Company, 120th Engineer Battalion, 90th Troop Command, arrived at Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii, June 11, where for the next few weeks they will be renovating the Girl Scouts of Hawaii’s Camp Kilohana.

Capt. Ryne Webster, commander of the 3120th and an Oklahoma City resident, said Camp Kilohana includes several cabins, outbuildings, and a main lodge that the Oklahoma National Guard members will be renovating.

“We’re here supporting the Innovative Readiness Training [program] and our community partner is the Girl Scouts of Hawaii. It’s an austere area in need of remodel,” Webster said. “This is one of the rare things we’re able to do that’s not on a military post. [Our community partners] pay for the materials and my engineers get the specialty training we can’t find anywhere else."

The Innovative Readiness Training program is an initiative that fosters collaboration between military units and local communities to generate substantial value and cost savings for all participants.

Under this program, community partners provide necessary materials and basic services, such as facilities, while military units contribute highly trained personnel and essential training resources.

The Oklahoma Army National Guard engineers bring a wealth of experience and expertise to this mission. Their specialized training in construction and engineering will allow them to execute the designated projects at Camp Kilohaha with precision and efficiency.

By partnering with the Girl Scouts of Hawaii, these dedicated Citizen-Soldiers aim to provide an improved and enriched environment for the young campers who attend Camp Kilohaha and their efforts will focus on enhancing the camp's infrastructure, improving recreational areas, and creating a safe and enjoyable environment for the campers.

Spc. Alexander Guthrie, a Broken Arrow, Oklahoma resident who serves as a carpentry and masonry specialist in the 3120th ESC, said this is his first annual training with his unit and he’s excited to start this mission in Hawaii, adding this is the first time he’s traveled outside of the continental United States.

“This mission makes me feel great. It makes it seem like everything we learned in basic and Advanced Individual Training is worth it,” Guthrie said.