Warrior Training Grounds Fort Indiantown Gap: Open House

SAVE THE DATE: September 6, 2014
Location: Fort Indiantown Gap
Time: 11 am - 4 pm
Theme: "Value of the Guard"

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC - FREE ADMISSION: Displays of helicopters, tanks, trucks and more. Activities for children including climbing wall and bounce house.  Live music by the USO and Air National Guard Band of the Northeast.  Mouth-watering food vendors. Historic vehicle dedication and displays.

HELP PASS THE WORD: • #ftigopenhouse14 #PNGvalue • Download the poster, share and display.For more information, call: 717-861-8829. Download the PRESS RELEASE (8/15)

Tell us you are coming!  RSVP via Facebook.

A letter from MAJOR GENERAL WESLEY E. CRAIG The Adjutant General, Pennsylvania National Guard

On behalf of everyone at Fort Indiantown Gap, the Pennsylvania National Guard, and the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, welcome to the 2014 Fort Indiantown Gap Open House. Today, you will have a chance to experience the National Guard, which has evolved greatly since the active-duty Army withdrew its presence from this installation 16 years ago.

The theme of this event is “The Value of the Pennsylvania National Guard.” We chose this theme to highlight two things—our capabilities, and our cost-effectiveness—which combined, make the National Guard both a strong and budget-friendly part of our national defense strategy and state emergency plan.

In today’s military, the National Guard performs the same federal missions as our active-duty counterparts. This has been demonstrated repeatedly by Pennsylvania, which has deployed over 40,000 Guardsmen and women in support of overseas operations since Sept. 11, 2001.

In tomorrow’s military, however, the National Guard could play an even bigger role thanks to the cost-effective nature of how we operate. Studies have shown that the National Guard can cost as little as one-third as much as the active duty, yet we perform to the same standard on the battlefield and can also be called upon to serve our citizens here at home.

And we are called upon frequently to do just that. Since 9/11, Pennsylvania National Guard Soldiers and Airmen have spent a collective 1.5 million hours helping citizens recover from flooding, blizzards and earthquakes and also providing security for large public events.

As our nation’s military prepares itself for the future, the National Guard will continue to be an accessible, adaptable and affordable force. We will continue to live up to our motto: “Always Ready, Always There!”