The Iowa Army National Guard's new facility is all about keeping soldiers sharp. The state-of-the-art Davenport Readiness Center is triple the size of their old space on Brady St.
"It gives us the ability to go out and exercise that in a space that's not necessarily so constrained by the environment," Officer in Charge Major Kiel Archer says.
The center can store extra vehicles and equipment outside at their motor pool. Inside, there's now room to work on everything onsite in their maintenance bay.
"Not having to drive our semi-trucks out on the interstates in the middle of town is definitely a big difference," Soldier Jacob Hobbs says.
There's also room to use their route clearance technology for practice diffusing bombs, new classrooms and a range rooms for shooting practice. The extra space means an easier day at work for Hobbs.
"We're not fighting over classroom space and we obviously have state of the art rooms and equipment to use," he says.
Major Archer says the larger facility for training is important for soldiers to hone their skills to serve when needed.
"(It) helps us be in strategic areas where we see a lot of state activity duty, like flooding and the derecho," he says.
The center continues the Iowa Army National Guard's nearly 150-year history in the Quad Cities. Their first facility in Davenport opened in 1872.
The Davenport Readiness Center has the capacity for about 700 soldiers during drill weekends.