New Guard armory at Gary airport to house 230 more soldiers

GARY – The Indiana National Guard has opened a new $11.5 million armory at the Gary airport.

The new armory will house aviation, infantry and military police units with about 230 soldiers.

It was built in conjunction with a $16.5 million aviation support facility that opened last year at the airport and is the base for helicopters used in air ambulance, search-and-rescue and law enforcement missions.

Indiana Adjutant General R. Martin Umbarger said during a dedication ceremony Monday that the new armory will help handle the rapid growth in the Guard’s presence in the area.

Umbarger said more than 500 soldiers are members of Guard units in northwestern Indiana, with other armories in Hammond and Gary remaining in operation.