Watch this space during the next week and follow Maj Gen H. Michael Edwards, the Adjutant General of Colorado, while he and other leaders visit Citizen-Soldiers of the Colorado Army National Guard in communities around our state.
What is a Readiness Center?
•Readiness centers are facilities that provide administrative, training, and material storage areas for an Army National Guard unit
•The facility where Soldiers meet once a month to train on both their state and federal missions
•The location where the Army National Guard integrates with the community it supports
What does a Readiness Center bring to a community?
•Depending on size, as many as a dozen or more fulltime employees, and anywhere from 60-200 part time employees
•A location for part-time employment offering valuable job skills, experience and benefits
•A central location from which Soldiers, can support their home communities in times of emergency
•A facility that community members can utilize to hold classes, meetings and social events for a nominal fee
Why does the Colorado National Guard need new readiness centers?
•While other states are closing National Guard facilities, the Colorado Army National Guard is growing. We need to build homes for our newest unit, the 1st Battalion, 157th Infantry. At full strength this unit will have more than 800 Citizen Soldiers in six elements, bringing new jobs to Colorado. New readiness centers are needed for these Soldiers in five communities across Colorado to include Alamosa, Fort Lupton, Grand Junction, Colorado Springs and Windsor.