Photo By William Couch | Volunteers from Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center stand in...... read more read more
Teams of volunteers from Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center (NAVFAC EXWC) worked to restore degraded facilities and trail conditions at a visitor center in the Los Padres National Forest throughout May and June 2024.
The Wheeler Gorge Visitor Center, the first visitor center constructed in the 100-year history of the national forest, needed help with fixing and improving building interiors and exteriors, cleaning up grounds areas, and building a section of rock wall to address a water drainage issue near the building.
“I am incredibly proud of the exceptional volunteer work our civilian and military organization recently undertook at the Wheelers Gorge Visitors Center,” said NAVFAC EXWC Commanding Officer Capt. Scott Raymond. “Our team demonstrated outstanding dedication and skill in various tasks, significantly enhancing the facility's functionality and appearance.”
“I’m very proud of our volunteers for the great work they did to help our local community,” said volunteer coordinator David Rich, who is NAVFAC EXWC’s high risk safety manager. “This was a great opportunity for us here at EXWC to say thank you to the Los Padres Forest Association, a wonderful organization that does so much for our local community and youth programs.”
The Wheelers Gorge Visitors Center had not had proper maintenance because of severe rains, road closures, wild fires, and COVID over the past several years, according to Terry Wright, a volunteer who works for the Wheelers Gorge Visitors Center.
“David came here to the visitors center one day and said, ‘What do you need done?’” said Wright. “I said, ‘Come with me,’ and we started walking and talking about projects. He set up three Saturdays in May and June with groups of people from EXWC to come and work on various projects. We’re very grateful to have had them.”
Projects included installing a new butcher block counter top and sink in the kitchen area, a new toilet in the bathroom, building four new log benches outside, painting of much of the facility, clearing brush around the buildings, and building a new rock wall outside the building.
“This comprehensive effort is a testament to our commitment to serving our community beyond our civilian and military duties,” said Raymond. “Each member of our organization played a vital role in these projects, and their hard work and dedication have made a lasting impact. I am honored to lead such a capable and selfless team, and their contributions to the Wheelers Gorge Visitor Center will be appreciated by the community for years to come.”
NAVFAC EXWC Command Master Chief Martin Laurie said, “It’s just great to give back and make things better than we found.”
Established in 2012, NAVFAC EXWC is headquartered at Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme, California, whose more than 1,000 dedicated federal civilian employees, contractors, and military personnel provide research, development, test, and evaluation, and in-service engineering to deliver specialized facility and expeditionary solutions to the warfighter. As NAVFAC’s only warfare center, our engineers, scientists, analysts, logisticians, contract specialists, and other professional personnel provide technology and unique, agile solutions for the warfighter that specifically focus on expeditionary, oceans, and shore needs from enduring bases to forward deployed expeditionary locations.
| Date Taken: | 07.02.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 07.02.2024 14:33 |
| Story ID: | 475426 |
| Location: | OJAI, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 98 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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