Rick Briggs is in his element.

The retired Air Force major has just spent the better part of the afternoon chatting with a steady stream of military veterans and their families, all of whom have come to get a closer look at Camp Liberty, a rehab facility of sorts designed to help wounded soldiers and those suffering from brain trauma.

Scheduled to be completed by the end of the year, Briggs and his friend Allan Lutes' full vision for Camp Liberty is within reach.

With the help of volunteer crews, Lutes and Briggs are overseeing one of the last steps of the project, the construction of a 2,880 square-foot, handicapped accessible lodge that has taken shape over the past five months. Upon completion, the three-bedroom, two-bathroom structure will allow injured veterans and their families to lengthen their stay and take advantage of all of the outdoor activities the massive site has to offer.

An ambitious project like this doesn’t just happen, of course. The financial barriers would be too daunting for most people, even if they were smart enough to come up with such a unique vision. Briggs, Lutes, and the Camp Liberty team have raised close to $300,000 toward their building projects and have recruited a slew of volunteers to help with completing the site’s projects.

The primary contributor, said Lutes, has been the Eisenhower Center, the country’s leading brain injury facility, which has donated over $200,000 to the project. Among a bevy of donors, Atlas Roofing Corporation has provided almost $30,000 in building products for the construction of the program facility, including the ThermalStar Radiant Comfort in-floor heat panels that will regulate heating within the complex, ThermalStar  LCI-SS insulated structural sheathing, AC Foam Crossvent Insulation roofing product, WeatherMaster Ice and Water Shield, Gorilla Guard Underlayment and Pinnacle Pristine Shingles featuring Scotchgard Protector in Green.

ThermalStar Radiant Comfort floor panels are precision molded from expanded polystyrene with a distinct orange color. The insulation panels form a firm base for water-heated floors, with two models available for new construction and retrofit projects. These panels have a groove pattern that allow plastic tubing to be easily installed for even heat transfer and energy efficiency.

ThermalStar LCi-SS has been designed specifically to provide continuous exterior insulated structural sheathing in single family, multi-family and light commercial construction. The integrated sheet of 7/16-inch span rated OSB and nailing system allows uncompromised code prescriptive structural design.

The ACFoam CrossVent insulation board consists of a closed-cell polyiso core with vent spacer strips. The spacer strips on the insulation board allow for constant airflow; this provides thermal resistance through the air space by helping to dissipate heat buildup beneath the OSB.  

Atlas put its innovative product knowledge and industry expertise to work to create the Gorilla Guard line of engineered roof underlayment. Gorilla Guard was designed to outperform traditional felt roof underlayment by adding a specially developed formulation of additives to the glass fibers. In third party independent testing, this engineered underlayment from Atlas had stronger tear resistance and was still lighter when compared to traditional felt underlayment.

By choosing Pinnacle Pristine shingles featuring Scotchgard Protector, Camp Liberty will not have to worry about ugly black streaks caused by algae.  There is simply no greater algae resistance than Scotchgard Protector. Atlas incorporates regular independent third-party laboratory testing that validates even spread of copper granules to ensure maximum algae resistance is built into every roofing shingle.  Simply put, once you choose Pinnacle Pristine featuring Scotchgard Protector, you will never need to worry about algae growth on your roof ever again.

Lutes and Briggs have their eye on January 1, 2016, when they hope Camp Liberty will be fully operational and ready to host families of wounded veterans. It’s nearly impossible to not come away impressed by what has happened in this remote area in southeastern Michigan.

Now, Briggs and Lutes are just antsy to get the construction completed. While they enjoy bringing attention to Camp Liberty, raising funds, and chatting with the press, they’re eager for the property to begin hosting those who need it the most.