TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Members of the National Guard are your neighbors. They may deploy to the far side of the world, or nearby to help with local trouble like a wildfire. Now the Guard has a new home in Tucson.
National Guardsmen train for war but also stay prepared to work in their communities to help with things like recovery from natural disasters.
Now Governor Katie Hobbs has officially opened a new readiness center near Rita Ranch in Tucson.
Most of the Guardsmen live and work as your neighbors. They are citizen soldiers living civilian lives until they are called to duty.
Brigadier General Joe Murdock says the center has room for 300 soldiers and their equipment but it’s more than that. It’s set up for a broad range of services to Guard members and their families.
“We designed them with the intent of housing our readiness partners that include our family programs, our community programs, our programs that help soldiers get employment. They'll have offices here, and the resources necessary for soldiers to come in and get from this community, from this local place, from someone they know, the resources to help them get those things and help the families know where to go and who to get help from if soldiers deploy or are on missions.”
Sergeant First Class Monique Martinez has served 25 years counting regular Army and her time in the National Guard.
She sees the new center as more than a training center. It’s a home, with resources for Guard members and their families.
“Different ceremonies, welcome homes from soldiers coming back from deployments or their initial training, family readiness centers that provide opportunities for soldiers, whether that's jobs, help with paying bills. It provides comfort and security to the community just to know that we are here.”
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Craig Smith is a reporter for KGUN 9. With more than 40 years of reporting in cities like Tampa, Houston and Austin, Craig has covered more than 40 Space Shuttle launches and covered historic hurricanes like Katrina, Ivan, Andrew and Hugo. Share your story ideas and important issues with Craig by emailing craig.smith@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook and Twitter.
