Being environmentally friendly is no longer a way of life that is limited to families and conservation organizations. These days, even the army is becoming aware of the permanent effects that their carbon footprint has on the environment. As a result, the Butte Armed Forces Reserve Center that was constructed in Montana recently, consists of numerous environmentally friendly features that would not usually be associated with a military base.
Raising the Flag for the First Time
Sgt. Katie Carlson, who is a squad leader with the 592nd Ordnance Company, and 6 other soldiers, raised the U.S. flag for the first time during the facility’s opening ceremony. The doors were officially opened for the first time on 22 September 2013 to welcome the first batch of new recruits. This military training facility is currently the only one of its kind in the country and all energy-saving measures have been taken into consideration during the design and construction process.
A Range of Energy Saving Devices
The center has included a wide range of energy saving devices and measures into their infrastructure. A high efficiency, low energy consumption heating system ensures that heating bills are kept to a minimum while integrated rainwater diversion and low maintenance landscaping designs reduce water consumption requirements substantially. The latest technology in efficient lighting systems allows as much natural light as possible to enter the building while ensuring that motion sensors only turn lights on when it is absolutely necessary.
New Standard for Military Training Facilities
Work spaces in the new training facility have been ergonomically designed in order to ensure maximum comfort. The building itself has been constructed from a variety of recycled as well as locally-manufactured materials to assist with reducing costs. Air conditioning systems have been chosen for their efficiency ratings in order to ensure that cooling bills are kept to a minimum during the hot summer months. All of these measures will go a long way in helping to reduce the army’s carbon footprint as well as their operating costs. Future construction of new training units will more than likely follow the same protocol.
Ideal for Training Exercises
According to Sgt. Carlson, the new facilities have been specially designed with physical training exercises in mind. This will go a long way in helping to develop and improve leadership skills in the recruits, because the facilities are large enough to carry out tactical training exercises and land navigation training in comfort. Facilities such as this one will help ensure that military recruits receive the very best training possible in their field.
Now that the military has taken environmental conservation into consideration while building their latest training facility, only time will tell whether other defense departments will be keen to follow suit or not. In the long term, it will not only save a considerable amount of taxpayer dollars if they do; it will also go a long way in helping to raise awareness about sensitive environmental issues among government and defense employees.
Image Source: Flickr/isafmedia
