Photo By Maj. William Carraway | Brigadier General Jason Fryman, commander of the Georgia Army National Guard; Soldiers of the Battery A, 1st Battalion, 214th Field Artillery Regiment; and citizens of Hartwell, Georgia, rededicate the Hartwell armory during a ceremony April 10, 2026. see less
| View Image Page
The Georgia National Guard rededicated armories in northeast Georgia April 10, 2026, as part of an ongoing effort to renovate facilities across the state. The renovations were made possible by funding through the State Operational Asset Readiness Program, which is a state and federally funded effort to remodel, sustain and maintain Georgia National Guard facilities.
Brigadier General Jason Fryman, commander of the Georgia National Guard was the keynote speaker at ceremonies held in Toccoa and Hartwell.
“Throughout the first half of the 20th century, most of the Georgia Army National Guard units did not have dedicated armories,” Fryman observed during his comments at the Hartwell ceremony. “The reorganization of the Ga. ARNG following World War II began a statewide effort to construct statewide armories to provide greater resources for our Soldiers. Over 75 years later, our organization continues to change and evolve, and our need for upgraded facilities remains of utmost importance.”
The Georgia Army National Guard developed the SOAR program to address the challenge of modernizing its aging facilities. The Ga. ARNG operates 67 readiness centers in communities across Georgia, 54 of which are more than 50 years old. With the completion of the Hartwell armory renovation, the SOAR program is nearly halfway through its planned renovations of approximately 50 facilities. These renovations directly impact the Ga. ARNG’s ability to conduct its federal mission overseas while responding to emergencies at home such as Hurricane Helene. The newly renovated Toccoa Armory served as the hub for the Georgia National Guard’s response to Winter Storm Fern and its impact on northern Georgia counties earlier this year.
“The Georgia National Guard not only provides capabilities for our federal missions overseas, but we also answer the governor’s call, just as we did here in Toccoa in January,” said Fryman, during the rededication of the Toccoa armory.”
Both Battery A, 214th Field Artillery Regiment, the unit based at the Hartwell Armory, and the Toccoa-based 863rd and 874th Engineer Utilities Detachments have mobilized overseas and at home in response to domestic emergencies ranging from Hurricane Helene to Winter Storm Fern. Renovations at Hartwell and Toccoa included upgraded lighting and electrical systems, newly constructed training and storage space and security improvements.
Subscribe
