By TONY GUERRERO
Hays Post
A new chapter of security is taking shape in Hays as the Kansas National Guard breaks ground on a facility to improve emergency response across western Kansas.
The ceremony celebrated the construction of a new readiness center Wednesday for a nearly 50,000-square-foot facility costing about $19.3 million which will replace the outdated 1963 armory. Gov. Laura Kelly said the site will serve as a mobilization hub during state and federal soldier deployments.
"The presence of a Kansas National Guard Armory in the heart of northwest Kansas is a strategic and necessary investment," Kelly said.
The two-story facility will provide long-term support for Kansas Army National Guard operations and serve as the home of the 997th Brigade Support Battalion. It will be fully equipped to accommodate individual and group training, Kelly said.
The center will accommodate 127 traditional soldiers and 20 full-time staff. It is located near the corner of 240th Avenue and W. 52nd Street, north of Interstate 70.
Several National Guard officials spoke on the facility’s significance during the ceremony, as well as Kansas U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran.
"It will change the landscape of Hays," Moran said. "The National Guard Armory has been a component of our community for as long as I can remember."
Moran said he is working to establish the Department of Defense’s Starbase program at the facility, offering students hands-on STEM education and experience.
