Guard To Open New Barracks at Camp Butner Friday Morning

RALEIGH, NC (04/28/2011)(readMedia)-- The North Carolina National Guard will cut the ribbon on a new barracks building at the Camp Butner Regional Training Site Friday, April 29, at 11 a.m.

The dedication of the new 50-bed barracks is a continued effort in the development of Camp Butner's 67-acre, 750-personnel troop Operational Readiness Training Center (ORTC) and brings it one step closer to reaching Combat Training Center status. The new barracks features 6,500 square feet, four open-bay squad rooms and a four-person command room.

U.S. Congressman Brad Miller helped secure $1.4 million in federal military construction funds needed to build the barracks, and he will join Guard officials for the ribbon cutting ceremony.

The new barracks is the second facility of its kind in a series of dedicated billeting structures at Camp Butner, a training facility that has seen its usage quadruple in the past five years. When construction is complete, the ORTC will boast 14 barracks buildings for housing Soldiers training there, two dining facilities, four company-level administrative work areas and a headquarters building. Camp Butner offers logistical support capabilities not only for the North Carolina National Guard but for active-duty units and the training needs of state and local law enforcement agencies.

Camp Butner features 10 live-fire weapons ranges, a medical examination center, obstacle course, rappelling tower, land navigation course, nuclear, biological and chemical training area, prisoner of war training area, unit camp sites, enemy engagement trainers, convoy training areas and multipurpose classrooms.