Better facilities, better future: Statewide Cal Guard armory-upgrade programs take conservation-minded approach

Photo By Joint Force Headquarters Califonia National Guard | The California Army National Guard armory in Concord is one of many receiving facility upgrades under two new armory-renovation and -maintenance programs funded jointly by the state and federal governments.  

SACRAMENTO, CA, UNITED STATES

09.06.2016

Story by Brandon Honig 

California National Guard Primary   

The California Military Department (CMD) has begun unprecedented armory renovation and maintenance programs that promise upgraded, resource-efficient facilities for soldiers throughout the state for decades to come.

Last year, with the support of Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr., the CMD proposed the Sustainable Armory Renovation Program (SARP) to fund the top-to-bottom renovation of three California Army National Guard armories per year. CMD planners estimate a full-scale renovation costs $4 million to $5 million per armory, but the state government only needs to foot half that bill, as the Defense Department will match any state contributions.

SARP, which was included in Brown’s last two budgets approved by the State Legislature, creates a sustainable system for every armory to receive an appropriate overhaul every 30 years.

Soldiers who are impatient for their armory’s turn in the 30-year renovation cycle, though, will be glad to know immediate help is on the way as well.

Brown’s budget this year also included $15 million — which will be matched by the Defense Department — to conduct maintenance on about 40 armories by the end of 2017. That’s up from $5 million in state funding last year, and no funding the previous year.

“The Governor’s Office and the Department of Finance recognized that these initiatives are in the best interest of the state, not just the National Guard,” said Col. (CA) Darrin Bender, director of external affairs for the CMD. “Their support is going to enable us to improve Army readiness and morale in a fiscally and environmentally responsible way.”

The total of $30 million in state and federal maintenance money from this year’s budget will fund more than 70 projects that will make a noticeable impact on soldiers’ comfort and safety. Among the top priorities are installing women’s showers and latrines, renovating kitchens, adding security fencing and video surveillance, and updating electrical and climate-control systems.

“Most of our armories were built in the 1950s, when the National Guard was a smaller force with smaller units, and mostly men,” said Brig. Gen. (CA) Frank Emanuel, director of the CMD Facilities and Infrastructure Directorate. “We are trying to provide better facilities and make the most of our budget as we go along.”

SARP money has been allocated to renovate armories in Bakersfield, Escondido, Eureka, Ontario, San Bernardino and Santa Cruz, and separate state funding was obtained to modernize the San Diego armory. The Lodi, Santa Rosa and Torrance armories are also high on the department’s list for an overhaul.

The renovation and maintenance programs will make an immediate difference in soldiers’ quality of life, but the projects are also being undertaken with an eye to the future. Emanuel expects each SARP renovation to last up to 30 years, and every effort is being made to conserve resources such as water and energy.

In a separate maintenance project completed this month, for example, the CMD installed modern plumbing fixtures at 10 Southern California locations. The $47,000 project, which was funded through a state grant, is projected to save nearly 30 million gallons of water per year, roughly the equivalent of 45 Olympic-size swimming pools.

Armories across the state will be fitted with the same low-flow fixtures, and also will benefit from new LED lighting, which is expected to shave 30 percent off electric bills. Utility provider Pacific Gas and Electric will foot some of the bill for the lighting conversion, and about 40 armories are expected to have the new lights by year’s end, with the remainder completed in 2017.

“This [initiative] will make a big difference for the look and feel of the armories, and it will help with morale,” Emanuel said. “And the energy savings we’ll get out of these improvements will make a huge impact. You can’t even count it in dollar value.”

A conservation-minded approach is part of every CMD facilities project. Solar energy initiatives, for instance, are planned or underway at Camp Roberts, Camp San Luis Obispo, Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos and Sacramento’s Okinawa Armory. And when the Cal Guard opens its new headquarters in Sacramento, projected for 2020, it will be a zero-net-energy building.

“We have a duty to take care of our soldiers and provide them with training spaces that maximize their effectiveness,” Bender said. “With these initiatives, we’ll improve conditions for our service members while providing excellent value and long-term savings for taxpayers.”

• Date Taken: 09.06.2016
• Date Posted: 09.06.2016 15:10
• Story ID: 208909
• Location: SACRAMENTO, CA, US