GREEN RIVER — Last week, 34 troops from the 133rd Unit of the Wyoming Army National Guard were in Green River to work on runway projects at the Green River Intergalactic Spaceport.
The Wyoming National Guard’s Department of Defense has a program called Innovative Readiness Training (IRT), in which military units can apply their skills and resources to benefit local communities during their scheduled training periods.
“One of the missions of the Wyoming Army National Guard is to build runways in war zones, and our runway needed the kind of grading work that they do,” Green River Public Works Director Mark Westenskow said.
In 2015, Green River adopted its current Airport Master Plan, which identified several deficiencies in the grading and drainage of the existing runway. Westenskow said they also found the ends of the runway are lower than the midpoint, and the cross-section of the runway is inverted instead of crowned.
“While the master plan laid out broader improvements to strive for in the future, the lack of proper sight lines and proper drainage contributed to real challenges that impacted today’s users of the runway,” Westenskow said.
A near-sighted goal for the city is to make the runways safe a viable for pilots who want to use it. In 2019, the City of Green River installed edge markers on the runway to improve safety, which was paid for by a grant from the state and installed by city crews.
With the Wyoming National Guard’s program, the city discovered a way they could further improvements without a large cost to the city. If the city had contracted the project, the project would have been an estimated $2.5 million for the city, according to the Wyoming National Guard.
“It seemed like a perfect match, so the city applied to the IRT program for the assistance. This is a project that has been in the works for years, with contributions from Mayor Pete Rust, former Mayor Hank Castillon, former Senator John Hastert, the City’s Airport Advisory Board, and many others,” Westenskow said.
Photos by Steve Core 
During the grading project, the Wyoming National Guard worked on moving 10,000 cubic yards of dirt over 6,300 feet of runway. The project turned out to be an ideal for training for the Guard.
“The runway grading project in Green River is as close to a real world mission as they could ask for, so the National Guard is very pleased with the opportunity to be here conducting their training,” Westenskow. “They have also been trying for years to arrange training exercises that would give back to local communities within the State.”
During the National Guard’s time in Green River, Two Star General Greg Porter was flown from Cheyenne to the Spaceport on a Blackhawk helicopter to visit with the troops. Mayor Pete Rust presented General Porter with the key to the city, which Mayor Rust said is the first time in his six years as mayor that he has awarded the key to the city.
General Porter then presented Rust with a challenge coin in return.
General Porter arriving on the Blackhawk. 
Mayor Rust presents General Porter with the key to the city. Photos by Steve Core 
General Porter presents Mayor Rust with a challenge coin.
The project ended up being beneficial to both parties and the National Guard has already expressed interest in coming back to the community to complete more projects for training.
“The current airport grading project is truly a win-win for the City of Green River and the Wyoming Army National Guard. The Guard is getting real world training to prepare their soldiers for future missions, and the community receives tangible improvements to a public facility to make it safer and more viable for current and future users,” Westenskow said. “The City of Green River is grateful not only to receive this valuable earthwork, but also to provide a venue for training the soldiers who serve and defend our nation.”
