Capt. Matt Molinski, public affairs officer for the Ohio National Guard, said the move gave the growing 371st more space while making way for the consolidation of several units in Kettering.
“The 371st was the only brigade-sized element that didn’t have a modern facility,” said Kettering City Councilman and Guardsman Ashley Webb.
“We loved the area and we loved the community,” said Brigade Administrator Lt. Col. Tom Haidet.
“But it’s always nice to get into a new facility,” he said.
The Kettering facility is now home to the 155th Chemical Battalion and the 637th Chemical Company along with a recruiting station and maintenance facility.
Molinski said some of the 155th came from other locations including Middletown.
“They were able to bring more people from outlying areas into that facility,” he said.
The new facility will house the sustainment brigade’s full-time staff of about 20 people and is now where the 270 members who drill one weekend a month will report.
Retired Brig. Gen. Jack Lee, director of installation management for the Ohio National Guard, said the 371st focuses on logistics management, including overseeing transportation, food and ordinance, among other duties.
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