Spc. Jonathan Castillo grabbed the Scotch broom plant and pulled. It didn't move. Undeterred, he tugged harder, and this time the plant exploded out of the ground, showering the area with dirt.

"That's done," said Castillo as he began to cut through a tangle of Himalayan blackberries. "But there's a lot more work to do here."

Approximately 40 soldiers assigned to C B, 1st Battalion, 94th Field Artillery, 17th Fires Brigade, volunteered to work April 17 at Stadium High School to clear off a steep hillside on the south end of the Stadium Bowl.

The brigade's community service project coincides with the Tacoma School District's preparation for the bowl's 100th anniversary later this year.

Designed by Frederick Heath, the Stadium Bowl (originally called the Tacoma Stadium) opened on July 10, 1910.

Described by local historian Murray Morgan as "a poem in masonry ... a great athletic field set in the midst of superb natural scenery," the bowl has a commanding view of Commencement Bay and Puget Sound.

During its century of existence, the stadium has hosted concerts and events featuring musician Louis Armstrong, World War I hero Gen. John Pershing, baseball great Babe Ruth, three-time presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan, and Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson and Warren Harding.

The bowl's beauty and setting are still of note. ESPN recently chose the stadium as one of the best high school football stadiums in the United States.

That said, the bowl has faced its challenges.

One of its biggest happened in October 1981. A water main above the bowl broke, triggering a massive landslide that buried the football field and portions of the road beneath the field. In order to stabilize the hillside and to prevent further erosion, grounds personnel planted cotoneaster, a small evergreen shrub with red berries.

"It's a hardy plant," explained Phil Hertzog, a biology teacher at the high school.   "Cotoneaster holds the soil very well; it helps to prevent erosion.  But it is threatened with the growth of invasive plants.

Small trees, broom, blackberries, and ivy were choking out the sunlight needed for growth.

At this point, Lt. William Walton, the company's executive officer, contacted Hertzog.

"We were looking for what needs to be done in the community," said Walton as he looked up the hillside moments before beginning to work. "I contacted the school, met with Mr. Hertzog, and here we are today cleaning off this hillside."

Nearby as Sgt. Jose Benigno raked off cut raspberry stems, Sgt. 1st Class Bronson Etse, Spc. Jonathan Castillo, Sgt. Tim Davis, Sgt. Clay Isaias, and Spc. Randy Keasling cut down and removed broom and small trees.

As the invasive vegetation - and numerous tennis balls and one football - came down off the hillside, Tacoma Public Schools Building and Grounds staff loaded it into large containers for disposal.

"It's really great that these soldiers came out today to help us," said Mike Kanuss, a grounds maintenance supervisor. "It's nice to see another side of the folks who keep us safe."