RELEASED BY:Lt Col. Greg Hapgood

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER
OFFICE:   (515) 252-4582
CELL:       (515) 971-6385
HOME:     (515) 986-5725

RELEASE: IMMEDIATE

JOHNSTON, IOWA…
 

GROUNDBREAKING SET FOR NEW CAMP DODGE FACILITIES

Groundbreaking for the new Camp Dodge Armed Forces Readiness Center (AFRC) will be held Wednesday, Oct. 4, at 1:30 p.m., inside the NW 70th Ave. gate, Camp Dodge, Johnston. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend this brief event.

Consisting of more than 211,000 total square feet at an estimated cost of $33.1 million, the AFRC project was authorized by the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) commission, and is a joint project between the Iowa National Guard, the United States Army Recruiting Command (USAREC), and the Military Entrance Processing Command (MEPCOM). This project is unique among all Reserve Component BRAC actions, in that it brings the National Guard and two active duty entities together in a single project. The three-building facility is 100 percent federally-funded, and is the first construction project awarded to a National Guard organization by the 2005 BRAC commission.

The USAREC building is an approximately 11,000-square foot administration building that will accommodate the U.S. Army Recruiting Battalion Headquarters currently located in downtown Des Moines. The proposed MEPS building encompasses approximately 27,000-square feet and will replace the Military Entrance and Processing Station, which currently occupies leased space in West Des Moines. The National Guard building will consist of an approximately 173,000-square foot Readiness Center which will house and service various units with a combined authorized strength of approximately 900 personnel, currently stationed in several buildings around Camp Dodge.

The entire Camp Dodge AFRC project will be completed by October 2008. This facility is the largest facility construction project undertaken by the Iowa National Guard since World War II.

For questions concerning this news release as well as additional information about the operations, training, and activities of the Iowa Army and Air National Guard, please contact Lt. Col. Greg Hapgood, Iowa National Guard Public Affairs Officer by e-mail at gregory.hapgood@ia.ngb.army.mil or (515) 252-4582 (office), (515) 971-6385 (cell), (515) 986-5725 (home), or Master Sgt. Duff E. McFadden at duff.mcfadden@ia.ngb.army.mil or (515) 252-4666 (office) or (515) 480-7647 (cell).

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IOWA NATIONAL GUARD
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