Guard copter base nears completion
By Kari Petrie •
kpetrie@stcloudtimes.com • January 12, 2009
The sprawling Minnesota National Guard helicopter maintenance base in St. Cloud is inching closer to completion.
The 140,000-square-foot building and hangar is set to be done in March. Blackhawk and Chinook helicopters will be maintained and repaired at the facility. Training also will take place at the base, which is near St. Cloud Regional Airport.
National Guard Maj. Shawn Manke said almost 60 National Guard members will work there, along with building maintenance and security staff.
Manke, who is the facility commander, said it will be able to provide support to local law enforcement, such as assisting in searches and helping put out large wildfires.
“Our intent is to be neighborly,” he said.
St. Cloud was chosen because it is relatively near Camp Ripley, making it easier to get the helicopters to the base for training exercises.
All Guard helicopters used to be kept in St. Paul.
The 85,000-square-foot hangar will hold six Chinook helicopters and six Blackhawk helicopters. The facility, however, won’t have all its helicopters until early fall because some are in Iraq with deployed units, Manke said.
Inside the main building is a series of rooms where everything from painting the helicopters to working on electronics is done.
Crews continue to work on the floor of the hangar and office furniture is being placed.
The facility is budgeted at $34 million, and there is room to add a hangar in the future.