QUEENSBURY, NY (08/17/2009)(readMedia)-- The New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs will cut the ribbon on its newest Army National Guard Readiness Center on Wednesday, August 19 at the Queensbury Industrial Park.

WHAT: Ribbon cutting ceremony for the $11.52 million Queensbury Readiness Center.

WHO: Denise O'Donnell, New York State Deputy Secretary for Public Safety, Major General Joseph Taluto, the Adjutant General and Commander of the New York Army National Guard, Soldiers of the 466th Area Medical Support Company and the 1427th Medium Truck Company which will be housed at the Readiness Center.

WHEN: 11. a.m. Wednesday, August 19, 2009.

WHERE: Queensbury Industrial Park, Queensbury Avenue ( north of Route 32), Queensbury

Coverage Opportunities:

Ribbon cutting ceremony, tour of new state-of-the-art facility, and opportunities to interview New York Army National Guard leaders and soldiers.

Background:

Queensbury Readiness Center:

The contracts to construct the Queensbury Readiness Center were awarded in September 2007 to Bunkoff General Contractors Inc. of Latham, the general contractor; John V. Warren Inc. of Rensselaer, the heating ventilation and air conditioning contractor, and Schenectady Hardware and Electric, the electrical contractor.

The $11.52 million building -funded almost totally with federal dollars--boasts 51,960 square feet of space, which includes 16,480 square feet of storage space. The building includes offices and instruction space, along with a dining facility, locker rooms, showers, and a digital library room to accommodate the needs of about 200 National Guard Soldiers. The energy efficient design will reduce heating and cooling costs in compliance with United States Army Corps of Engineer requirements.

The building's offices incorporate room for the latest in data and LAN technology and includes common areas for Soldiers use.

Two units, the 1427th Medium Truck Company, currently housed at the Whitehall Armory, and the 466th Area Medical Support Company, housed in the Glens Falls Armory, will move into the new building, along with the region's Army National Guard recruiting force.

1427th Medium Truck Company:

The 1427th Transportation Company, Medium Truck was originally organized in 2003 in Rochester and officially activated in 2005 whereupon it was transferred to Glens Falls with a detachment in Whitehall. Equipped with M1088 tractor trucks and M871A3 semi-trailer flat beds, the 1427th provides critical logistical support and is always prepared to haul essential containerized cargo and equipment wherever necessary. Although a newly formed unit, the 1427th Transportation Company maintains a vital tradition of transportation from the animal-drawn wagons and railroads of the 18th and 19th centuries to the diesel-powered rigs of today. In the spirit of the US Army Transportation Corps motto, "Nothing happens until something moves," without the 1427th, things would quickly grind to a halt.

466th Area Medical Company:

New York Army National Guard's 466th Area Medical Support Company provided medical support to Coalition Forces in Iraq from October 2006 until September 2007. The 72 Soldiers of the Glens Falls-based medical company were responsible for providing immediate medical care in a region stretching from Baghdad to the Kuwait border, an area as big as the state of Pennsylvania. The 466th's primary mission was to provide medical treatment and coverage for the convoys which continually move along the main highway between Baghdad and Kuwait. Operating from four dispersed locations, and often coming under fire while treating casualties, the men and women of the 466th would treat and stabilize patients before moving them on for more advanced care elsewhere.

Posted Monday August 17, 2009 at 03:00 pm by New York State Division of Military & Naval Affairs
Last Updated Thursday August 26, 2010 at 09:29 am