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Blackanthem Military News
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Last Updated:
Feb 9, 2012 - 5:06:14 PM |
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Blackanthem Military News
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| Commander of the Pennsylvania National Guard, Maj. Gen. Jessica Wright, and others cut the ribbon at the Chambersburg Readiness Center on March 11. Although many of the centers were complete before then, Chambersburg was the first to celebrate its opening after the return of the 56th Stryker Brigade from its deployment to Iraq. Photo by Sgt. Matt Jones |
FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. - If the Pennsylvania National Guard sold shares in the stock market it would definitely be a great buy for the wise investor. The state is witnessing a construction boom unparalleled in its history.
Easily outpacing all other state Guards, there are 45 completed or ongoing military construction projects across the commonwealth - a $362 million investment.
The program leading the construction bonanza is the 56th Stryker Brigade. From near the Ohio border to the shores of the Delaware River, new readiness centers and refurbished armories dot the landscape.
"There is no state in the nation that comes close to Pennsylvania's construction program," said Doug Patterson, facilities management engineer, National Guard Bureau. He added, "It is the Stryker Brigade that makes the big difference."
Stryker fielding also made an indelible mark on Fort Indiantown Gap. Home to the Joint Forces Headquarters, "the Gap" is the primary training site for Stryker and other keystone-state units. Today new ranges, facilities and programs abound both on the ground and in the air.
Overhead around this central Pennsylvania facility, Shadow unmanned aerial vehicles share the sky with the Army's latest helicopter, the Lakota, along with Black Hawks, Chinooks and Apache helicopters. Home to the Eastern Army National Guard Aviation Training Site - the EAATS was awarded the entire Lakota training program. This will eventually lead to some 18 Light Utility Helicopters stationed here.
On the ground, Soldiers train on state-of-the-art ranges including: sniper field fire range, multi-purpose machine gun and grenade ranges, live fire shoot house, and battalion training complex to list a few. During the last several years more than $150 million was allocated to new programs - easily the largest investment in the Gap since World War II.
"It took a tremendous team effort to make all these facilities and ranges a reality," said Maj. Gen. Jessica L. Wright, Pennsylvania National Guard commander. "These projects make Fort Indiantown Gap and our facilities across the commonwealth viable now and vital for future roles and missions. "
While it is easy to bask in the glow of the numerous ribbon-cutting ceremonies planned for the next several months, behind the scenes engineers, facility specialists, construction managers, planners, contractors, lawyers and legislative liaison made it all happen.
"These projects have greatly enhanced our capabilities on a number of fronts," said Lt. Col. John Buffington, the Pennsylvania National Guard's construction and facilities management officer. "Future generations will look back on this period and see that it was by far the most significant construction period in our entire history."
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS:
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| This first phase of this impressive 50-acre facility was finished in March 2008. The Combined Arms Collective Training Facility, or CACTF, consists of 11 concrete buildings that simulate an Iraqi village. Complete with a church, police station, gas station and dormitory, military personnel train to engage the enemy under numerous scenarios and all under the watchful eye of 80 cameras. Phase two is a $14 million edition that will enhance the training environment to include facility and structures units would likely encounter in Afghanistan. Construction for phase two is set to begin in 2012. Photo by Robert Smith |
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| The first All-Guard Sniper Tryouts were held in March at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa. Parts of the competition were held on the Pennsylvania National Guard's new sniper field fire range, one of its many new ranges. Photo by Pfc. Chris Kuehner |
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