“We’ve been blessed with unparalleled dedication from our state, federal and local officials for many years,” Iowa National Guard Public Affairs Officer Greg Hapgood said at the groundbreaking ceremony.

The state of Iowa had earmarked $5 million in matching funds in 2003 and 2004, and the Iowa Legislature approved appropriations each year since then. Johnson County agreed to a land swap in 2001, which helped provide the space needed to build the facility and the City of Iowa City agreed to provide sewer and water capabilities.

However, the readiness center didn’t receive the green light until this spring, when Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, and Rep. Dave Loebsack, D-Iowa, helped procure $13 million in federal funds.

“I feel proud to have been able to secure these funds for the brave women and men who serve our country every day,” Harkin told members of the 109th Medical Battalion at a February press conference. “The construction of this new facility will help the Iowa National Guard complete essential mobilization and readiness training and prepare for their missions. Iowa Guard members play an integral role in strengthening our nation’s defenses, and they deserve the very best as they prepare for their duties.”

Due to the changing role of the National Guard, which has become more of an operational force since the war on terror began with the attacks of 9/11, guardsmen outgrew their current training facility. Built in 1937, the 18,000-square-foot facility served as a riding arena and stable for the Iowa cavalry, accommodating 125 men and their horses. The center currently houses training facilities for five Iowa National Guard units with nearly 400 officers. The increasing demands of the National Guard and the building’s poor conditions have required expensive repairs and renovations.

“I must compliment the Iowa National Guard for your resourcefulness in maintaining the operational

capacity of this readiness center. But at 71 years old, it does show its age, and enough is enough,” Loebsack told Guard members at the February press confernece. “It’s time for something new. The citizen soldiers who serve the Iowa National Guard deserve only the finest training facilities, and this is clearly not up to par. We have a responsibility to serve you with the same dedication that you have served us, and I believe this readiness center reflects our commitment to doing so.”

The new center will consist of more than 93,000 total square feet at an estimated cost of approximately $17.6 million, the Iowa City Readiness Center is 75 percent federally funded, and 25 percent state-funded. National Guard officials said that sustainable design is one of their priorities, so this facility is designed to meet the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver standard. More than 500 soldiers from five Iowa National Guard units will be headquartered at the new facility. It is anticipated that the project will be completed in 2010.

Representatives for Loebsack, Harkin and Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, attended Monday’s event, the Press-Citizen reported. Iowa City Mayor Regina Bailey and Johnson County Supervisor Pat Harney also came to the groundbreaking.

“I’m delighted this project is coming on line,” Bailey said.

“The response to the floods was a very visible example of the readiness level we maintain,” Iowa National Guard Public Affairs Officer Lt. Col. Greg Hapgood told the Iowa Independent during a phone interview. “The way we think about it is that readiness is our No. 1 job in the Iowa National Guard. If we are ready to go do a federal mission, which means going in to combat, we feel that we can respond to whatever is asked of us in the state of Iowa.”The Iowa National Guard, in conjunction with the governor’s office and Lt. Gov. Patty Judge, Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and many local, state and federal entities, has been providing assistance, coordination and planning, in support of flood relief operations across the state of Iowa. More than 80 of Iowa’s 99 counties have been declared state disaster areas.

Just over 4,000 Iowa guardsmen and airmen have been activated during the ongoing response to the flooding. Currently, 9,400 men and women serve in the Iowa National Guard, 1,500 of whom are currently deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and other locations outside of Iowa.

Citizen soldiers recently returning from combat duty in Iraq found themselves cast into new roles with activations at home. “This was something different for them and gave them an incredible sense of pride to help their fellow Iowans right here at home,” Hapgood said. “Those who deployed recently talked about how they were able to help people in countries far away and it was rewarding to provide these same services at home.”

These soldiers were not the only ones cast into new roles. Members of the 34th Army Band out of Fairfieldfound themselves putting their instruments aside and mobilizing north to the flooding in Iowa City and Coralville. Spc. Amy Wymore and Spc. Joshua Clayworth volunteered for deployment June 12, three days before the rest of the unit was officially activated and deployed to the Iowa City area. It was the first time either one of them had been activated since joining the Guard in December 2004.

“I was more than happy to volunteer for this duty, because when it comes down to it, we are all Iowans, and I’m proud to do whatever I can to help out,” Clayworth, who plays the guitar for the 34th, told the Iowa Independent June 16 in Coralville.

Wymore, who plays the flute and piccolo for the 34th, volunteered for duty, despite starting a new internship. “I have a lot going on right now with my new job, and I knew it would be easy to say ‘no’ and look the other way, but I really wanted to help people out in their time of need,” Wymore said. “After all, that’s the reason why I signed up for the National Guard in the first place.” She said her new employers were very supportive of her decision to volunteer for flood relief operations.

Spc. Clayworth (left) and Spc. Wymore (right) were assigned to keep civilian traffic to a minimum, diverting them away from the flooded HW 6 in Coralville and making sure boaters had a permit from the City of Coralville.