FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa., - If the Pennsylvania National Guard sold shares in the stock market it would definitely be a great buy for the wise investor.
The state is witnessing a construction boom unparalleled in its history.
Easily outpacing all other state Guards, there are 45 completed or ongoing military construction projects across the commonwealth - a $362 million investment.
The 56th Stryker Brigade is leading the construction bonanza. From near the Ohio border to the shores of the Delaware River, new readiness centers and refurbished armories dot the landscape.
"There is no state in the nation that comes close to Pennsylvania's construction program," said Doug Patterson, a facilities management engineer for the Army National Guard. "It is the Stryker Brigade that makes the big difference."
Stryker fielding also made an indelible mark on Fort Indiantown Gap. Home to the Joint Forces Headquarters, "the Gap" is the primary training site for Stryker and other keystone-state units.
Today new ranges, facilities and programs abound both on the ground and in the air.
Overhead around this central Pennsylvania facility, Shadow unmanned aerial vehicles share the sky with the Army's latest helicopter, the Lakota, along with Black Hawks, Chinooks and Apache helicopters.
Home to the Eastern Army National Guard Aviation Training Site - the EAATS was awarded the entire Lakota training program. This will eventually lead to some 18 Light Utility Helicopters stationed here.
On the ground, Soldiers train on state-of-the-art ranges including: sniper field fire range, multi-purpose machine gun and grenade ranges, live fire shoot house, and battalion training complex to list a few.
During the last several years, more than $150 million was allocated to new programs - easily the largest investment in the Gap since World War II.
"It took a tremendous team effort to make all these facilities and ranges a reality," said Army Maj. Gen. Jessica L. Wright, Pennsylvania National Guard commander. "These projects make Fort Indiantown Gap and our facilities across the commonwealth viable now and vital for future roles and missions. "
While it is easy to bask in the glow of the numerous ribbon-cutting ceremonies planned for the next several months, behind the scenes engineers, facility specialists, construction managers, planners, contractors, lawyers and legislative liaisons made it all happen.
"These projects have greatly enhanced our capabilities on a number of fronts," said Lt. Col. John Buffington, the Pennsylvania National Guard's construction and facilities management officer. "Future generations will look back on this period and see that it was by far the most significant construction period in our entire history."