maintenance, environmental management system,
stakeholder involvement and education (PKS 2011).
Community Involvement
As Citizen Soldiers, the ARNG also recognizes
effective communication need to extend outside its
organization into our communities. Community In-
volvement (CI) involves two-way communications
between the ARNG and diverse range of community
stakeholders. The key to sustainability for the ARNG
is to always stay grounded in our communities and
ensure our communities understand our goal to be a
force for freedom while also being good stewards of
the environment.
The operating environment for the ARNG has
changed dramatically over the past 20 years. The
overall OPTEMPO increased from a force-in-reserve
to a fully integrated operational combat force con-
tinuously mobilized during an era of persistent con-
flict. Keeping our forces trained and ready requires
sustainable training sites. In today’s world, sustain-
ability means much more than keeping our training
sites and other installations well-maintained and fully
functional to equip and train our forces to defend us at
home and abroad. Sustainability also means we must
build and maintain interrelationships that support our
mission, environment, and community (IMS 2009).
By engaging the community, our training sites
and other installations gain greater appreciation and
understanding from the community for its training
activities, including noise effects and vehicle traffic.
Additionally, awareness and involvement with com-
munity activities such as development, planning, and
zoning helps the ARNG work with community lead-
ers early and often to minimize or avoid encroachment