Oregon National Guard, U.S. Navy Break Ground on $12 Million Machine Gun Range in Boardman
The $12 million range will become the first and only Army Standard crew-served weapons range in Oregon, allowing soldiers to qualify on the M240, M2, and MK19 in-state rather than traveling to facilities in Yakima, Washington, or Boise, Idaho.
"That travel costs time, costs money, and it pulls our soldiers away from being available here at home when the state needs them most," said Brig. Gen. Alan R. Gronewold, The Adjutant General, Oregon. "This range changes that."
The project traces back to a license agreement signed in August 2004 between the Departments of the Army, Navy, and the Oregon Military Department. Since then, it has appeared repeatedly on the military's Future Years Development Plan in 2007, 2015, 2025, and 2026, before finally reaching groundbreaking. The effort required a six-and-a-half-year environmental impact statement spanning more than 1,400 pages and coordination across U.S. Pacific Fleet, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, the National Guard Bureau and the Oregon Military Department.
"Twenty-two years ago, someone signed a piece of paper that made a promise, a promise that Oregon soldiers would someday train on their own ground for their own state," Gronewold said. "Today, we break ground on keeping that promise, and when this range opens, it won't just serve the soldiers standing here today; it will serve the generations of Oregon's citizen-soldiers who come after them."
Gronewold tied the project to the Guard's leadership framework, telling attendees the range reflects the standard he asks of every member of the organization: to be connected, competent and committed. He noted the facility also positions the Guard for the Army's Next Generation Squad Weapon and its 6.8mm round, which soldiers will need to qualify on in coming years.
Cmdr. Joshua Overn, Executive Officer of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island and the Northwest Training Range Complex, delivered remarks on behalf of Capt. Nathan Gammache, the air station's commanding officer, who was traveling and unable to attend.
"Today, we aren't just turning dirt; we are laying the foundation for the future of our tactical readiness," Overn said, calling proficiency with crew-served weapons "a cornerstone of ground combat." He said the range will help ensure that when Oregon forces deploy, "they are fully qualified, confident and lethal in the field."
Overn said the partnership between the Navy and the Oregon Military Department has helped advocate for and protect military interests across the Northwest while balancing compatible land and air use in the region. He added that a ribbon-cutting ceremony is expected within the coming year as construction wraps up.
Maj. Gen. (ret.) Raymond F. Rees, a former Adjutant General of Oregon, attended the ceremony. Also on hand were Boardman City Manager Brandon Hammond, Morrow and Umatilla County commissioners, local fire and police representatives, and field representatives for Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley.
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