Army National Guard moves to local airport

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - The Indiana Army National Guard and Terre Haute officials met Tuesday afternoon to make an announcement.

The Army National Guard 81st Troop Command plans to move from Indianapolis to a facility on the property of the Terre Haute International Airport.

Its an announcement that the guard said will better serve our troops.

• Click here to view photos from the announcement

"I'm extremely happy to announce this today, I couldn't pick a better place, no place gives us more support than the community," Major General R. Martin Umbarger said.

"I'm really excited that troop command is relocating here. Hulman Field is such an exceptional facility in Terre Haute and such a wonderful community," Brigadier General Michael J. Osburn said.

In case of a disaster, this move will give the National Guard another location to operate, instead of having all three headquarters in Indianapolis.

"We've got medical folks trained, we've got our search and rescue, elements changed with a tremendous amount of equipment and then we have the capacity to decontaminate all that, that's all going to be located here," Major General Umbarger said.

This relocation will create 32 new full time jobs and 66 part-time traditional guardsman jobs, bringing in more business.

"It's such a critical function for the military and it's such an important thing for our community, from an economic development perspective and just been able to make sure that this been and this airport continues to function in a high capacity," Terre Haute Mayor Duke Bennett said.

It's a big change, giving Terre Haute the opportunity to play a bigger role for the country.

Renovation on the facility is expected to begin within the next month.