MEARNG Cuts Ribbon at New Facility

On Saturday morning, the Maine Army National Guard held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the official opening of its new SMMA-designed Aviation Readiness Center in Bangor, Maine. The facility, which broke ground in June 2013, provides a consolidated home for nearly 180 servicemen and women in the 126th, 142nd, and 224th Aviation battalions.

The ceremony was attended by more than 200 public and private citizens, including Brigadier General Gerard Bolduc, Acting Adjutant General of the Maine Army National Guard; Lieutenant General Timothy Kadavy, Director of the U.S. Army National Guard; and Sen. Susan Collins, the U.S. Senator from Maine. A design-build collaboration with Gilbane Building Company, the project incorporates the latest in green-building solutions, and is anticipated to achieve LEED-NC Silver certification from the United States Green Building Council.

“In our experience designing these facilities, we have been continually inspired by the dedication of the men and women who serve our country, and with whom we work closely,” said Jen Howe, Director of SMMA’s Federal Government Studio. “For us, pursuing this project was an easy decision, because it was an opportunity to strengthen our relationship with the Department of Defense and make a commitment to excellence for the Maine Army National Guard.”

The Aviation Readiness Center is the latest successful outcome that SMMA has delivered to the U.S. Government, having also designed Armed Forces Reserve Centers in White River Junction and Rutland, Vermont, and Devens, Massachusetts, within the past decade. The careful planning and attention to detail inherent to the design of these facilities underscores the importance of the work being done by the Armed Forces members who call them home.

“The [MEARNG] units that train here are assigned crucial missions of medical evacuation, air assault, security and support, and search and rescue,” said Senator Collins. “Whether in combat zones overseas or in response to disasters at home, the men and women who train here will be better prepared to defend freedom and to save lives.”

SMMA is proud of its involvement with the Maine Army National Guard, and is honored to have been able to provide a facility reflective of the Guard’s core values and capable of supporting its noble mission of service and defense.