BARDSTOWN, Ky. –
A groundbreaking at the Kentucky National Guard Burlington Readiness Center ceremoniously signified the beginning of construction of a new field maintenance facility in Boone County, Nov. 18, 2024.
The facility will enhance maintenance capabilities for modern military vehicles and equipment supporting units in northern Kentucky.
Maj. Gen. Haldane B. Lamberton, Kentucky’s adjutant general, told those gathered for the ceremony that this event symbolizes the Kentucky Army National Guard’s commitment to serve the Commonwealth from those communities.
“The National Guard is the most community-centric DoD organization,” said Lamberton. “The integration that we have with the local communities--you don’t see that anywhere else in the military.”
The 25,156-square-foot facility represents a $15.8 million investment in northern Kentucky, its communities, and the units that call the area home.
Several dignitaries spoke to the audience of local officials and Guardsmen representing their affected units, including Robbin Taylor, state director, Office of Sen. Mitch McConnell. Taylor noted that the world is more turbulent now than in decades.
Taylor says that in order for the United States to maintain its strength at home and abroad, serious investments in our military installations and Service members, including the more than 7,000 who serve in the Kentucky National Guard, are required.
“Sen. McConnell has been a vocal advocate for Kentucky’s National Guard,” said Taylor. “He is proud to deliver on this much needed project to help you fulfill your mission faster and more efficiently than ever before.”
Angie Cain, Gov. Beshear’s northern Kentucky field representative, says that Kentuckians have seen firsthand the importance of the Kentucky National Guard with devastating tornadoes in western Kentucky and historic flooding in the east.
Cain says that the latest groundbreaking, and other recent projects are a testament to the Commonwealth’s commitment to deliver the best resources to Service members.
“This groundbreaking is yet another way in which our National Guard is modernizing; it is another way in which we are working to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow,” said Cain. “We are so proud of our first responders, our heroes, and all who keep us safe.”
Bob Porter, field director from Congressman Thomas Massie’s office, was also in attendance as a show of congressional support for the project.
The facility will feature wide maintenance bays, and ample storage and administrative spaces designed to enhance field maintenance operations in Northern Kentucky.
Construction is expected to begin immediately and anticipated to be complete by March 2026. When complete, the maintenance facility will serve more than 760 Soldiers from six different units serving in the cities of Burlington, Walton, and Carrolton.
The new facility will improve overall readiness by providing enhanced maintenance capabilities, and more space to provide training and maintenance operations, and it will enable units to support both state and federal missions more efficiently at the local level.