CONTACT: Mr. Eric Durr, 518-786-4581

FOR RELEASE: Monday, Dec 06, 2010

ON SITE: Mr. Eric Durr 518-429-5186

NIAGARA FALLS, NY (12/02/2010)-- Western New York news media representatives are invited to join the commander of the New York National Guard, Maj. Gen. Patrick Murphy, the Adjutant General, in a tour of the new quarters of the 2nd Squadron, 101st Cavalry headquarters at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station on Monday, Dec. 6. WHO: Major General Patrick Murphy, the Adjutant General; Lt. Col. Henry Petit, commander of the 2nd Squadron, 101st Cavalry, and New York Army National Guard Soldiers of the 2-101 Cavalry Headquarters and Headquarters Troop. WHAT: A walk-through tour of the Niagara Falls Armed Forces Reserve Center which the New York Army National Guard now shares with elements of the United States Army Reserve. Moving into this 21st Century facility allows both the Army Reserve and Army National Guard to provide better facilities for Soldiers while sharing costs and saving taxpayer dollars. WHEN: 11 a.m. Monday, Dec. 6. Members of the press corps should be at the front gate of the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station at 10:45 a.m. to obtain access to this secure military facility. WHERE: Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, 2026 Lockport Road (Main Gate), Niagara Falls N.Y. For Access to this Secure Military facility please contact the 107th Airlift Wing Public Affairs Office at 716-236-2394 Coverage opportunities: Interview opportunity with Major General Patrick Murphy, who leads 16,000 members of the New York Army and Air National Guard; Lt. Col. Henry Petit, the commander of the unit which has moved into new quarters; and Soldiers of the unit. Visual opportunities will include new offices, and new maintenance facilities, and exterior shots of the building. Background: Shared Army National Guard/Army Reserve facilities. The newly opened building replaces an older United States Army Reserve Facility and allows the headquarters of the 2nd Squadron 101st Cavalry to move from the Masten Avenue Armory in Buffalo, freeing up space for other elements of the squadron. The Masten Avenue Armory, built in 1932-33 to house the 65th Infantry Regiment of the New York National Guard, is not suited to the needs of a modern military headquarters unit. The federal Base Closure and Realignment Commission, known as BRAC, has urged the National Guard, a reserve force with a joint state/federal mission, to share facilities with the United States Army Reserve and other federal service only reserve elements, as a way to reduce overall defense expenditures. The New York Army National Guard is sharing facilities with the Navy and Marine Corps Reserve in Scotia, NY; with the Army Reserve in Fort Hamilton, Brooklyn; with the Army Reserve in New Windsor , NY; and with the Army, Navy and Marine Corps Reserve on Long Island at a facility which will be opened next year. Sharing facilities enables the New York Army National Guard to place troops in the most modern buildings available while reducing costs to New York taxpayers. The 2nd Squadron 101st Cavalry is sharing space in the Niagara Falls Armed Forces Reserve Center with three Army Reserve units: the 277th Quartermaster Company, the 865th Combat Surgical Hospital and the 1982nd Forward Surgical Team, which is currently deployed. Soldiers drilling at the Reserve Center can take advantage of services offered at the Air Station which include a Post Exchange, fitness center, and morale, welfare, and recreation facility Niagara Falls Armed Forces Reserve: The new 83,840 square feet facility cost of $24 million. Also included in the complex are a 16,000 square foot maintenance facility and a 4,800 square foot storage building. The 17 acre complex also includes a 12,100 square yard parking lot for military vehicles and parking for Soldiers personal vehicles. The maintenance facilities include a lighted washing pad and a vehicle loading ramp. The building is designed with integrated LAN capabilities and is designed to meet the communications needs of the Army Reserve and Army National Guard. The building took 17 months to construct. 2nd Squadron 101st Cavalry: The 2nd Squadron 101st Cavalry is the reconnaissance, target acquisition and surveillance element of the New York Army National Guard’s 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. In January 2008 the squadron mobilized and for training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina and in March 2008 the unit deployed to Afghanistan where it served as the security force for Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix, a unit with the mission of training the Afghan National Army and Police. Seven Soldiers were killed in action during the deployment and one Soldier died of wounds at Fort Brag. The squadron demobilized in 2009 and continues to train at locations in Jamestown, and Geneva.

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