Photo By Staff Sgt. Christina Dion | The 81st Readiness Division hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for a new U.S. Army...... read more read more
STARKVILLE, Miss. – The 81st Readiness Division hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for its new Army Reserve center at the Cornerstone Industrial Complex in Starkville, Jan. 24, 2020 at 10:30 a.m.
Units from the existing facility will transfer to the new one upon completion and include a quartermaster company, several human resources units and an Army Reserve drill sergeant company.
Leadership from the 81st RD, as well as state Congressional representatives and Starkville Mayor attended the ceremony, along with other local Soldiers and an Air Force chaplain.
“I’m very delighted to have you guys invest in the city of Starkville,” said Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill. “You all have been here for a very long time and I am so pleased that you have chosen to remain here and be a major part of our community.”
The new facility allows the Army Reserve to adapt or expand its mission to meet operational demands and provides modern infrastructure, while allowing for lower utility costs because the new centers are built energy efficient and ecologically friendly, according to U.S. Army Reserve leadership.
“The Army Reserve had a significant presence here for about the last 60 years in Starkville,” said 81st RD Commanding General, Maj. Gen. Kenneth D. Jones. “This facility re-modernization reconstruction is a clear indication that we intend to be here for the next 50 to 60 years.”
He added, “It’s a tremendous investment in the community. It’s an investment by our Army, [and] the Army Reserve as one of the three components of the full-time Army. [We are] modernizing a facility so that Soldiers can come here, train, and be prepared to support what we see as future combat operations around the world.”
The 81st RD provides ready Soldiers and units that meet standards for personnel, supply, maintenance, and training; and provides installation management services to meet emerging requirements. The 81st RD consists of 10 one-star and two-star commands, 50,000 Soldiers plus families over an eight-state region, plus Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Veteran-owned business, Trans4Fed, a Purvis, Miss.-based construction services company, is building the 24,000-square-foot, $10.3 million Reserve center, which will also feature a 2,800-square-foot maintenance facility. The new center will replace the Guy II and Will Jones Memorial Army Reserve Center off Highway 12, which will more than double the size of the previous center; the Army Reserve built the older facility in 1958.
The new facility is expected to be up in running by mid-2021.
| Date Taken: | 01.24.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 01.28.2020 09:36 |
| Story ID: | 360418 |
| Location: | STARKVILLE, MISSISSIPPI, US |
| Web Views: | 574 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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