Volunteers breathe new life into McGregor Range Chapel

Photo By Ismael Ortega | The McGregor Range Chapel offers religious services to National Guard, Reserve and active duty Soldiers as they train at McGregor Range, N.M., Aug. 18.  

MCGREGOR RANGE, NEW MEXICO, UNITED STATES

08.25.2016

Story by Ismael Ortega 

Mobilization and Deployment, DPTMS Fort Bliss

The McGregor Range Chapel has been providing religious services and spiritual wellbeing to service members training and preparing for deployments since its construction more than 60 years ago.

Thanks to the hard work of a several volunteers from the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security, Fort Bliss Garrison, the chapel is on its way to a full revitalization for the National Guardsmen, Reservists and active duty Soldiers that mobilize, drill and train here.

“It’s a two-prong attack, (and part one is) making the chapel a place where your expectations are met, so it doesn’t feel like an office building or the barracks, but a place where you can come and worship.” said Capt. Jaime Corson, chaplain, Mobilization and Deployment, DPTMS. “The other one there is to have connectivity here and to have a presence here … so Soldiers will utilize it more and be spiritually fed there.”

Over several weeks, Soldiers from DPTMS have been steadily making improvements to the chapel under the guidance of Corson. The group has replaced the awning at the entrance of the building, repainted the inside and faux stained the windows.

The intent of all the renovations is to distinguish the chapel from the rest of the compounds and modular buildings by improving its overall atmosphere.

“We’ve been coming up with some ideas … to overhaul the looks of it,” Corson said.

The ongoing renovations started in February and the group plans to extend into next year with volunteers doing as much as they can with their collective “sweat equity.”

Before Soldiers started working on the chapel, the facility had fallen into a bit of disrepair. Tiles were coming off the floor, the common areas needed furniture and the outside needed landscaping. In addition to addressing these shortcomings, plans are in the works to add internet connectivity, acquire new furniture for the sanctuary, obtain musical equipment and establish regular office hours.

An average of 16,000 National Guardsmen and Reservists a year live and train throughout the 606,000-acre complex located about a half-hour’s drive north of Fort Bliss. Having a well-maintained place of worship is important for those who seek religious and spiritual consolation in such an isolated environment. The chapel is also where chaplains attached to deploying units can give religious services and prepare for a full-time ministry.

“The most important part of (this renovation) is the folks who support it. Right now we have some volunteers and advocates from the different shops who are actually interested in seeing this thing happen,” Corson said. “They provide a lot of momentum. It’s not just a unit ministry team endeavor; this is coming from all over the place and the more people that have an interest in it the better it will become.”

If you would like to assist with the chapel’s renovation, contact Corson at 568-5230 or [e-mail]

• Date Taken: 08.25.2016
• Date Posted: 08.25.2016 12:43
• Story ID: 208156
• Location: MCGREGOR RANGE, NEW MEXICO, US
• Hometown: FORT BLISS, TEXAS, US
• Hometown: MCGREGOR RANGE, NEW MEXICO, US