Reed Breaks Ground on New Rhode Island National Guard Joint Force Headquarters
RING’s new $25 million Joint Force Headquarters building will be an 81,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility that will serve as a command & control center
EAST GREENWICH, RI – In an effort to enhance Rhode Island’s security and modernize the state’s infrastructure, U.S. Senator Jack Reed, a senior member of both the Armed Services Committee and the Appropriations Committee, who helped include $20 million to build a new, state-of-the-art National Guard Readiness Center in East Greenwich, today joined Governor Gina M. Raimondo and members of the Rhode Island National Guard (RING) for a Joint Force Headquarters (JFHQ) construction ground breaking ceremony.
“This new facility will help our citizen soldiers train for their mission, whether it is overseas or responding to major disasters here at home. I am pleased to help deliver federal resources to create an improved environment for our soldiers and the community here in East Greenwich,” said Senator Reed.
The Rhode Island National Guard’s new Joint Force Headquarters building will be an 81,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility that will serve as a command and control center and support training, administrative, and logistical requirements for the Army and Air National Guard. The building also includes space to support interagency operations with state and federal partners, and may act as a joint headquarters for national-level response efforts during contingency operations.
Upon completion, the new RING Joint Force Headquarters is projected to support 220 full-time Soldiers and Airmen and the 3,000 men and women of the Rhode Island National Guard.
This facility will enable the Command to provide cohesive training events and mobilization/demobilization services. The new facility will accommodate space for personnel who are currently located at two locations, thereby improving efficiency, communication, and coordination throughout the Command. The current Command Readiness Center lacks adequate administrative space, classrooms, locked storage space, and an assembly hall for unit formations – all of which adversely affect the Command’s ability to meet readiness, retention, and training objectives.
“I salute our National Guardsmen and women for the sacrifices they make and the risks they take to keep us safe. We have an obligation to support them and ensure they have the resources they need to effectively carry out their critical missions and come home safely, and this new facility is part of keeping that commitment,” said Senator Reed, who secured federal funding to build the facility in the fiscal year 2017 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill. “This new headquarters will be an important asset for the members of the Rhode Island National Guard. This building will help improve efficiency within the Command and enhance readiness by improving the quality of training for our soldiers and airmen.”
The facility is designed to LEED Silver energy standards. The State of Rhode Island contributed about $5 million cost share for the facility, bringing the total cost to approximately $25 million.