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DICKINSON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs Committees, participated in the groundbreaking of the North Dakota Army National Guard Readiness Center. The new facility will support the training and operations of the 816th Military Police Company, which was activated on September 1, 2017.
“I don’t think it can be overstressed how important teamwork is on this particular project. The history of the existing facility is interesting because it is city-owned and state-leased. It is also enclosed by commercial interests, so it is not able to be altered,” said Senator Cramer. “The new facility involves an unusual funding partnership. The North Dakota Legislature helped meet the inflation-driven cost increases not covered by the federal government. Costs of everything kept rising, so I was able to get another $5.4 million authorized to cover cost of completion in the National Defense Authorization Act just passed by the Senate last week. This combination of federal and state funding is very unusual, but it was necessary to complete the project. With the increasing role our National Guard has played in national security, readiness is everything, especially during these dangerous times. Our Guardsmen are the best in the nation at protecting the homeland and when called upon, keeping freedom safe around the world.”
In this year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Senator Cramer helped authorize an additional $5.4 million to complete Dickinson’s National Guard Readiness Center, a military construction project expected to end construction in June 2025. The center will help meet current Army space requirements to house, support, and train the North Dakota Army National Guard unit, totaling 81 soldiers, 43 military vehicles and trailers, and other authorized MTOE equipment.