Logan Armory Reopens after Yearlong Remodel

By Lt. Col. Hank McIntire

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LOGAN, Utah — Logan Armory was formally reopened Jan. 12 in a ribbon-cutting ceremony following nearly a year of remodeling the building.

Dignitaries at the event included Randy Watts, mayor of Logan; Col. Val Peterson, Land Component Commander for the Utah National Guard; Lt. Col. Matt Price, director of facilities for the Utah Guard; and the commanders of the two units based at the armory, Maj. James Helco, of Delta Company, 142^nd Military Intelligence Battalion; and Capt. Chris Kroeber, of Alpha Battery, 1-145^th Field Artillery.

 

Logan Mayor Randy Watts, center, is joined by leaders of the Utah National Guardto cut
the ribbon, officially reopening the Logan Armory Jan. 12. Photo by Lt. Col. Hank McIntire.

Originally completed in 1969, the $1.1-million remodeling project included the following improvements:

     ·  New paint, carpet, floor and ceiling tile and landscaping
     ·  New electrical wiring
     ·  Heating and cooling system upgrades
     ·  Lighting and energy-efficient improvements that will reduce electricity 
        costs by 20 percent
     ·  New doors and windows
     ·  Communication and data-system infrastructure

“This is more than a building,” said Lt. Col. Matt Price at the ceremony. “It’s a wonderful place for soldiers to come train and prepare for deployments in response to domestic and overseas emergencies. It does send a message to our soldiers that we care about them and expect them to be professional.”

“Our soldiers are the citizens here,” said Col. Val Peterson. “Many of them are students or work here and create the fabric of our community. When we look at this facility we think, ‘What a tremendous asset.’ It creates a place to train our soldiers and prepare for the unexpected.”

 “We hope that it will be a resource that the community uses,” added Peterson, drawing attention to the many improvements, including a brand-new basketball floor.

Logan mayor Randy Watts praised soldiers for the good they do for the community.

“The beauty of this valley is one thing, but we are really blessed with the quality of people we have,” he said. “I give my gratitude to those of you who serve. It’s a huge sacrifice.”

“I hope this remodeled facility will continue to train you for the unknown obstacles this world has,” concluded Watts.

A number of veterans of Korea, Vietnam and more recent conflicts were also in attendance, swapping stories and memories of the old days at the armory.

Veterans of previous conflicts were present for the Logan Armory
ribbon-cutting Jan. 12. Photo by Lt. Col. Hank McIntire

Still-serving Command Sgt. Maj. Victor Gonzalez, of the 142^nd Military Intelligence Battalion, began his career in 1991 in Logan Armory.

“I lived in Rexburg, Idaho, and I would come down for drill and stay in the armory for the weekend,” reminisced Gonzalez. “After 22 years [in the military] I’ve been all over the world, but it still feels like coming back home. It was emotional when I drove up today.”

Les Patterson retired a few years ago after spending decades at Logan Armory as a soldier in Bravo Battery, 1-148^th Field Artillery, the predecessor to Alpha Battery, 1-145^th.

“It’s cool to come back and see this place; I spent several years here,” he said. “It’s good to see some of the vets from Vietnam here and how they still give back to the vets of today. I’m all right being done [with my military career], but I still love it.”