Bend, Oregon – Yesterday, the Oregon National Guard and the U.S. Navy held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new $12 million Multi‑Purpose Machine Gun Range at the Naval Weapons Systems Training Facility in Boardman. The range will be the first and only Army‑standard crew‑served weapons range in the state, allowing Oregon soldiers to qualify on heavy weapons without leaving home.
Local training saves time and money
Brig. Gen. Alan R. Gronewold, Oregon’s adjutant general, emphasized the practical benefits of the project. “Travel costs time, costs money and it pulls our soldiers away from being available here at home when the state needs them most,” he said. “This range changes that.”
Until now, Oregon troops have had to travel to Yakima, Washington, or Boise, Idaho, for crew‑served weapons qualifications. The new facility will support training on the M240, M2 and MK19 systems, as well as the Army’s Next Generation Squad Weapon and its 6.8 mm round when that program rolls out.
Decades of planning finally materialize
The project fulfills a license agreement signed in August 2004 between the Department of the Army, the Department of the Navy and the Oregon Military Department. After more than twenty‑two years of administrative work, including placement on the military’s Future Years Development Plan in 2007, 2015, 2025 and 2026, the range is moving forward.
A six‑and‑a‑half‑year environmental impact statement—over 1,400 pages—was completed, and coordination spanned the U.S. Pacific Fleet, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, the National Guard Bureau and the Oregon Military Department.
Military leaders praise the partnership
Cmdr. Joshua Overn, executive officer of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, spoke on behalf of Capt. Nathan Gammache, noting that proficiency with crew‑served weapons is a cornerstone of ground combat. “Today, we aren’t just turning dirt; we are laying the foundation for the future of our tactical readiness,” Overn said, adding that the range will ensure deploying forces are fully qualified, confident and lethal in the field.
The ceremony also highlighted the long‑standing partnership between the Navy and the Oregon Military Department, which has helped advocate for military interests across the Pacific Northwest while maintaining compatible land and air use in the region.
Community involvement and next steps
Dignitaries in attendance included retired Maj. Gen. Raymond F. Rees, former adjutant general of Oregon, Boardman City Manager Brandon Hammond, commissioners from Morrow and Umatilla counties, local fire and police representatives, and field representatives for U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley. Guard leaders CW5 Lenora L. Landwehr and CMSgt Brent W. Cavanias also took part.
A ribbon‑cutting ceremony is expected within the coming year as construction wraps up. When completed, the range will serve not only today’s soldiers but also future generations of Oregon’s citizen‑soldiers, fulfilling a promise made more than two decades ago.
Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.
