Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Robert Jordan | From left, senior North Carolina National Guard leaders, Army Maj. Gen. Greg Lusk, the...... read more read more
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Dirt flew as local, state and North Carolina National Guard leaders made it official with a turn of the shovel at the groundbreaking ceremony at North Carolina Army National Guard's 1st-120th Infantry Regiment Headquarters in Wilmington, Dec. 12, 2017, to celebrate the beginning of a $16 million construction project.
The over 50-year old, antiquated "Cold War Era" armory, located on 41 acres just south of the Wilmington International Airport, will be demolished to make way for a state-of-the-art 50,150 square foot Readiness Center. The facility first belonged to the Air Force and was turned over to the N.C. Guard in 1984.
"Improving facilities is a challenge we have to address and it takes long term effort to fill this need," said the NCNG's commander, Army Maj. Gen. Greg Lusk, the adjutant general of North Carolina.
Several retired NCNG leaders with long professional ties to the 120th including Army Brig. Gen. (retired) Jim Carper and Army Brig. Gen. (retired) Dan Hickman attended the ceremony. They, like Lusk, were former commanders of the NCNG's 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team, the higher headquarters of the 120th, and met with their NCNG peers. Old friends and colleagues traded handshakes, hugs and many a story of long nights on state active duty or preparation for overseas deployments.
"The 120th has always answered the call and served with distinction," said Carper.
The friends were not there just to preserve a legacy but improve it as their former unit transitions from an outdated armory to a contemporary facility. Lusk, Carper and Hickman were joined by Army Lt. Col. Rodney Newton, NCNG's director of facilities, Army Col. Robert Bumgardner, the current commander of the 30th and several other NCNG and local civic leaders invited for the formal groundbreaking.
"The National Guard is about being part of the community," said Bumgardner. “This new facility will not only benefit the 120th, it will also benefit the surrounding community and partner agencies we work with on a weekly basis.”
After remarks from NCNG past and present leaders, the construction firm, Daniels and Daniels Construction Inc., out of Goldsboro, tasked with demolishing the headquarters started up a heavy excavator, and with its massive arm and claws ripped into a corner of the building pulling down walls and part of the roof signifying work has officially begun on a new readiness center.
Each member of the official party donned a hardhat and took a shovel to a clearing soon to be the foundation of the center. To cheers of the crowd they drove the blades into the soil and with a flick of the wrist ceremonially started construction.
"The new readiness center will meet the needs of today's modern National Guard," said Army Lt. Col. Rodney Newton, NCNG's director of facilities. "The building will be environmentally friendly, cost-efficient and a great place for over 200 soldiers to train in."
Daniels and Daniels Construction Inc. expects construction to be complete by September 2019 (roughly 21 months). The project will employ over 100 workers and contractors during the construction.
| Date Taken: | 12.12.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 12.15.2017 07:27 |
| Story ID: | 258977 |
| Location: | WILMINGTON, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 321 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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