CHARLES CITY, IA - "Well, I was the Company Commander here in 1974-75," said Dwayne Bennett looking around the newly remodeled Charles City Armory, but a lot has changed since he trained here. "There can be some place to do some of the training, and you don't have to try to improvise as we tried to improvise many years ago.”
That's because thanks to a lot of help from the government, the home of the 133rd Iowa Army National Guard has an upgrade.
“It cost $2,321,745, and it was paid for 50% with federal funds and 50% with state funds," said Lt. Col. Leon Altman, Asst. Dir. of Installation Management during Friday night’s rededication ceremony.
What does all that money bring?
It brings more than two-thousand square feet of extra space; including state-of-the-art classrooms, kitchen and shower facilities, and several other improvements.
"Iowa's soldiers are superlative,” said General Gregory Schwab, Deputy Adjutant General, IA Nat. Guard. “So it's fitting that they have fine facilities in which to gather and train.”
Along with helping the soldiers, leaders say the new facility is also helping the environment; it contains all new, energy efficient fixtures
"The Guard has always been there to secure our safety, whatever those events were," said Charles City Mayor Jim Erb.
As family, community members, and retired soldiers like Bennett are checking out the facility for the first time, they say they're glad to see the guard with a place to be proud of.
"As Col. Altman mentioned, Iowa's the leader in providing great armories for its soldiers,” said General Schwab, “and this armory is a wonderful example of this fact."
"It's great for the community and great for the soldiers,” said Bennett. “Fight, win and live, that's what it's all about."
Along with all of the changes inside, the parking lot and landscaping outside also got an upgrade.
The building itself was originally added to town in 1958, so it's been more than fifty years since it got a new look.
The National Guard 133rd, which is housed at the armory, was last deployed in Iraq until 2007, and there's a chance they could be sent to Afghanistan next year.
