Reserve to get new center

Local Army reservists will move into a $31 million consolidated center at Fairchild Air Force Base in just three years.

The federal government is poised to begin building the $31 million Armed Forces Reserve Center and Organizational Maintenance Shop next year as part of the 2006 Base Realignment and Closure process.

The news was announced Tuesday by U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris.

“The new mission of the military is moving in the direction of joint facilities,” said McMorris, a member of the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee.

Spokane-area Army Reserve units are currently housed in two aging facilities – the Mann Hall Army Reserve Center in Hillyard and the Walker Army Reserve Center in Spokane Valley.

“We are very excited when new construction is funded for Fairchild,” said Col. Lyle Powell, 92nd Air Refueling Wing commander. “The opportunity to expand the mission and to help secure the future of the base is always welcome news. We appreciate the hard work of our elected leaders in supporting Fairchild Air Force Base.”

According to Fairchild spokeswoman Maj. Carol Gering, the new facility will be built near the commercial entrance gate on Rambo Road.

In March, McMorris wrote to Assistant Secretary of the Army Keith Eastin to ask when a planned revitalization of the Mann Center would take place. McMorris had taken Eastin on a tour of the Reserve facilities in September, pointing out the need for improvements.

He wrote back saying the project was canceled because of the consolidation effort at Fairchild.

McMorris credits funding for the new center to the combined efforts of elected officials and members of the Spokane Area Chamber of Commerce’s Forward Fairchild team.