National Guard targets 8 armories in state for closure

The Arkansas Army National Guard is proposing to shut down eight armories, most of them in the Delta, in a restructuring plan that will be handed to the governor for consideration Thursday.

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Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

A map showing the eight National Guard armories facing shutdown.

The plan calls for readiness centers, commonly called armories, to be closed in Berryville, Blytheville, Brinkley, Crossett, Helena-West Helena, Rector, Walnut Ridge and Wynne. It would decrease the number of armories in the state from 62 to 54.

No personnel would be cut because of the closures, said Arkansas National Guard spokesman Lt. Col. Joel Lynch. Currently, 320 soldiers are assigned to the eight armories, either for monthly drills or as full-time staff members. All of the guardsmen would be reassigned to other facilities.

The armory property would be donated to the cities.

The state National Guard started developing the plan in 2011 after President Barack Obama signed the Budget Control Act, which calls for $487 billion in cuts in the Defense Department over 10 years.

Closing the eight armories would save the Arkansas National Guard approximately $306,000 annually in operating costs -- the amount spent last fiscal year on utilities and routine maintenance at the eight facilities.

"We've got to cut. We've already lost money, and we're falling short this year already," Lynch said. "If we don't make the decision, someone in Washington, D.C., will make the decision for us, and it may be one we don't think is best. We know our state, we know our people, and we can make the best decision for our force and for the state of Arkansas."

If the plan is approved, the National Guard would immediately empty the armories and return equipment to the state or federal government. The facilities would be shut down by the end of September, Lynch said.

The armories up for closure were selected on the basis of their age -- those selected were constructed in the 1950s, '60s, and '70s -- and on how many people the Guard is able to recruit in those areas. The size of the force currently assigned to the locations was also taken into consideration.

The number of soldiers assigned to the selected armories range from 10 in Berryville to 77 in Walnut Ridge.

National Guard officials also looked at the distance between where the soldiers live and the armories to which they are assigned. For example, Lynch said, 10 of the 16 soldiers assigned to the armory in Helena-West Helena live at least 50 miles away.

At the Wynne armory, 35 of 51 soldiers commute more than 50 miles, Lynch said.

At the request of Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Guard staff members traveled to the eight affected towns from April 20 through May 13 and gathered feedback from community leaders.

Maj. Gen. Mark Berry, adjutant general of the Arkansas National Guard, is to present the findings to Hutchinson on Thursday. Hutchinson will then make a decision, said Ken Griffin, the governor's military and veterans liaison. It's uncertain when the decision will be made.

'Nail in the coffin'

Griffin attended the meetings in which Berry presented the plan to the communities. Reactions were split, he said.

There were some communities that were excited about obtaining the armory property. They were "like, 'Hey, we really want this facility,' and some that didn't want the armories to leave," Griffin said.

One of the communities is actively fighting against the shutdown.

Walnut Ridge Mayor Charles Snapp said he's "150 percent against closing this facility." Members of the community have written letters asking for the armory to remain open, he said, and they're in "high hopes" that the decision can be reversed.

Under the Guard's proposal, detachments of the 153rd Infantry in Walnut Ridge and Rector would be reassigned to a facility in Newport. Currently, 77 soldiers are assigned to the Walnut Ridge facility and 31 to the Rector armory.

Snapp said the armory's loss would be "another lick" to the local economy. According to an Arkansas National Guard economic impact statement, the Guard's presence meant $4 million for Lawrence County in 2012.

Snapp also said that turning the armory property over to the city would be a liability, not a benefit.

The city has a population of about 4,800 and is "not in the financial situation" to take on the maintenance costs, he said.

"We don't have the money to go in and renovate that building," he said. "Let's be realistic. Unless we could find something that could generate an extremely large income base into the area, it's not going to offset the minimum of $4 million a year they're trying to take out of the local economy."

Arkansas Rep. Joe Jett, D-Success, attended the meeting in Rector, which is in his district.

For Rector, which has a population of about 1,900, the armory's loss would be "another nail in the coffin," Jett said.

"When people come in to drill, their families come in, they eat out, go to hotels, which is a big thing in these small towns," he said. "It's going to be hard on the community of Rector. It seems like rural Arkansas is going to take the hit once again."

'Opportunity' for future

For Berryville Mayor Tim McKinney, the local armory is a valuable part of his -- and the city's -- history. He remembers his father deploying to Korea with the local National Guard unit in the 1950s, and his father's name is on a marble block outside of the armory that lists those who fought in the Korean War.

As part of the closings plan, the 142nd Fires Brigade detachment at that location would be reassigned to Bentonville. The unit, with its 10 soldiers, already conducts most of its drills at the Fort Chaffee Maneuver Training Center in Fort Smith, Lynch said.

While the potential loss of their armory is "sad," McKinney said, acquiring the property is an opportunity for something new. He said there has been discussion about transforming the building into a continuing education facility.

"I think the building and its about 2 acres could be an asset to the city in the future," McKinney said.

"It's just part of what's happening. Things change. We have to move on and look at it as an opportunity to do something good."

Crossett Mayor Scott McCormick II also said he didn't want to see his city lose its armory, but he understands the reasoning behind the potential closure.

The plan calls for the 43 soldiers assigned to the 151st Cavalry in Crossett to be moved to the Armed Forces Reserve Center in El Dorado.

McCormick said the Crossett Police Department would take over the old armory.

"We have some plans, but you still hate to see it close because of what the Guard stands for and what it means to this state and our country," McCormick said. "I think the whole town is sad to see it leave."

The National Guard's proposal would move the 153rd Infantry detachment in Brinkley, consisting of 54 soldiers, to Forrest City and another 153rd Infantry detachment in Wynne to a location in Cabot. The detachment of the 39th Brigade Support Battalion in Helena-West Helena and its 16 soldiers would be reassigned to the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Pine Bluff.

It's uncertain where the 54 soldiers in the detachment of the 1123rd Transportation Company in Blytheville would be reassigned.

The proposal could be altered after it's reviewed by Hutchinson.

Lynch reiterated Tuesday that the restructuring would not affect the National Guard's ability to respond to emergencies in all parts of the state.

"We're still going to be able to respond to every emergency that pops up," he said. "That's a huge part of our mission, and we're still going to be there."

Metro on 05/27/2015

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