Open House at Saranac Lake Armory on Saturday, Oct. 17 as National Guard Soldiers conduct tactical training

SARANAC LAKE , NY (10/15/2015)(readMedia)-- Members of the public are invited to visit the Saranac Lake Armory on Saturday, Oct. 17 as 100 members of the New York Army National Guard's Company B, 2nd Battalion 108th Infantry conduct tactical training.

The Soldiers will be firing blank ammunition as they conduct tactical drills on the armory's 30 acres of property. The Soldiers will be training on armory property but hikers on trails nearby my see the Soldiers and hear explosions. The Soldiers will also be training on Sunday.

Visitors will be able to examine New York Army National Guard equipment and vehicles and speak to Citizen Soldiers about the National Guard. New York Army National Guard recruiters will be on hand to talk about the benefits of Army National Guard service, which include a good part-time job, training, and money to help pay for college.

The armory will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Soldiers are stationed at armories in Ogdensburg and Morrisonville, as well as at Saranac Lake, said Sgt. 1st Class Benjaman Katzman, the units training sergeant. Gathering at the Saranac Lake location allows the Soldiers to work together as a unit, he explained.

The Company B Soldiers, along with the 3,500 other members of the New York Army National Guard's 27th Infantry Brigade Combat team are preparing to deploy to Fort Polk, Louisiana next summer for a major three-week training exercise.

The Soldiers will train at the Joint Readiness Training Center, one of the Army's two major maneuver training areas in which units exercise the same skills they would need in a combat zone.