FARMINGDALE, NY (08/17/2011)(readMedia)-- Members of the New York Army National Guard, Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, and Marine Corps Reserve on Long Island now have one place to call home.

On Tuesday, August 17; Major General Patrick Murphy, the Adjutant General of New York - joined by representatives of the Army Reserve, Navy Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve--officially opened the $92 million Farmingdale Armed Forces Reserve Center that centralizes the operations of all these reserve components in one location.

The new state-of-the art facility allows the New York Army National Guard to close down five 50-year old armories, and the Army Reserve to close two older Reserve Centers, one of which they share with the United States Marine Corps Reserve.

The consolidation of Reserve Component operations on Long Island was recommended by the Base Re-Alignment and Closure Commission as a way to save money.

The plan also called for consolidating Army National Guard and Army Reserve operations in the Hudson Valley, the Albany are, New York City, and the Niagara Falls area as well. Those consolidations have already taken place.

The four-story, 212,000 square-foot facility includes maintenance bays, supply rooms, arms rooms, communications repair facilities, a kitchen and dining facility, drill shed, gym, as well as modern and roomy office spaces. Space for Family Readiness activities are built into the facility as well.

More than 1,500 traditional Guardsmen and Reservists will train at the site and more than 150 full-time Army Guard, Army Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, and Navy Reserve members will work there.

The new building is "magnificent"; Murphy told a crowd of local and state political leaders and service members who gathered for the ribbon cutting ceremony. Over the past five years the New York Army National Guard has been moving Soldiers out of old armories and into modern reserve and readiness centers whenever possible. The New York Army National Guard now shares space with the Army Reserve and Navy and Marine Corps Reserve across the state, Murphy said.

Army Reserve Brig. Gen. John Cornelius, the commander of the 800th Military Police Battalion, which will be headquartered in the new building, pointed out how important it is that the Army National Guard and Army Reserve are working together.

"If you think back ten years ago you'd never see the National Guard and the Army Reserve in the same room because our organizations had no affiliation," Cornelius said. "Those days are gone forever."

"We now realize that the security of the United States of America depends heavily on our formations and it is a great thing that we have finally gotten together so we can do more training, at reduced costs, so we can protect our citizens even more," he added.

The new building will house three companies of the New York Army National Guard's 1st Battalion 69th Infantry which were previously based at five armories spread across Long Island, the 187th Signal Company and E Company of the 3rd Battalion 142nd Aviation Regiment. The Farmingdale Armed Forces Reserve Center will also house the New York Army National Guard's Field Maintenance Site 14.

About 430 members of the New York Army National Guard will be assigned there.

The Army Reserve will move 560 Soldiers into the facility. They are assigned to the 800th Military Police Brigade, the 310th and 306th Military Police Battalions, the 306th Engineer Company and the 455th Military Police Detachment and the 455th Engineer Detachment.

About 160 members of the United States Marine Corps Reserve's A Company, 6th Communication Battalion, will be assigned at the Reserve Center. The Navy Reserve will assign 220 members who belong to the Navy Reserve Operational Support Unit, Navy Security Forces, Navy Reserve COMSUB Group Protection Detachment, and Navy Reserve Expeditionary Training Command to the facility.

The building was designed with integral force-protection features and also provides protection in the event of a hurricane. New York National Guard plans for responding to a hurricane on Long Island call for pre-positioning troops a the Farmingdale Center to "ride out" a storm and then immediately begin assisting local authorities.

Photo Cutline:

Major General Patrick Murphy (center) the Adjutant General of New York is joined by (to his left) Major General William D. Razz Waff, Commander of the Army Reserves 99th Regional Support Command; Brig Gen. John Cornelius, Commander of the Army Reserves 800th Military Police Brigade; Navy Reserve Captain Ken Skaggs; Marine Corps Lt. Col. Richard J. Bordonaro; and a number of local and state elected leaders in a ceremonial ribbon cutting opening the new $92 million Farmingdale Armed Forces Reserve Center on Tuesday, August 16. The building will serve as the headquarters for more than 1500 members of the New York Army National Guard, the Army Reserve, the Navy Reserve and the Marine Corps Reserve on Long Island. This will allow seven older armories and reserve centers to close.

Posted Wednesday August 17, 2011 at 01:21 pm by New York State Division of Military & Naval Affairs
Last Updated Wednesday August 17, 2011 at 04:35 pm