Photo By Staff Sgt. Toshiko Gregg | The 313th Army Band from Birmingham Ala., played during the ceremony.... read more read more
WILMINGTON, N.C. – Approximately 300 Army Reserve soldiers and 190 Navy sailors will be assigned to the Armed Forces Reserve Center - Wilmington. The Army Reserve’s 650th Transportation Company and the 1151st Transportation Company have a new place they can call home.
The 81st Regional Support Command, based at Fort Jackson, S.C., hosted the ribbon-cutting ceremony Dec. 10, which brought representatives from throughout the Wilmington community, the Army Reserve and Naval Reserve.
Maj. Gen. Gill P. Beck, commander for the 81st RSC and several community leaders participated in the ceremony. This new facility is leading the way for a new 44, 670 square feet training building, a maintenance facility totaling 6,760 square feet and a 1,520 square feet storage facility on an 11-acre site.
Gill welcomed the guests and spoke about the state of our Army after ten years of war and how our great Army transformed a challenge into this great building. Pointing at the 650th Trans while they were standing in formation, “These soldiers are stronger and more experienced, they are combat-seasoned,” said Gill. “They’ve been, they’ve served our nation overseas. Today what we find is that we are stronger as an Army then we were before 9/11.”
After the ribbon was cut and each soldier walked into their new facility with a sense of pride, the 650th commander gave a tour of his new facility.
“With this new facility it gives an opportunity to provide more additional training”, said Capt. Christopher W. McKinnon, commander of the 650th Transportation Company. “The extra showers for PT. When they come in [personal hygiene] doesn’t take as long so it doesn’t cut into our training time.” The additional classrooms and computer room assist in providing their distance learning.
“The facility will enhance different areas over all just by getting the training these soldiers need so that they are ready to deploy,” said McKinnon. “Having been in an old reserve facility this is well appreciated.”
The new facility will be shared with a U.S. Navy Operations Support Center which is manned by 12 full time support staff and six other Navy Reserve units.
| Date Taken: | 12.10.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 12.12.2011 14:58 |
| Story ID: | 81249 |
| Location: | WILMINGTON, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 659 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, New Armed Forces Reserve Center opens in Wilmington, by SFC Joel Quebec, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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