The 254th Regiment celebrated the ribbon-cutting for their new Regional Training Institute on the National Guard Training Center, Sea Girt, N.J., Aug. 2017. The RTI facility features state-of-the-art classrooms, an auditorium, billeting, and offices for instructors. Classes that will be taught at the new facility include 68W Combat Medic, Squad Designated Marksman, Officer Candidate School, and the Infantry Advanced Leadership Course.
A few dozen Soldiers march in unison. Dress uniforms pressed and stiff, with brass buckles and black shoes shining as brightly as the horns they carry. The Iowa National Guard’s 34th Army Band, based in Fairfield, Iowa, plays a mix of traditional patriotic marching tunes. Bystanders rise, place their hands on their hearts and some paradegoers wave American flags.
