Standing Guard: National Guard To Make Their Home On Long Island

When most of us think of Farmingdale, we think of Route 110, the 56th Fighter Group, the former location of Polytechnic Institute, and a whole host of stores that weren’t necessarily there when WE were growing up.

Now, in addition to the coffee shops, shopping stops and movie theaters, Farmingdale
may also be welcoming a National Guard facility to the neighborhood.

According to officials the $86-million facility would be part of readying the New York National Guard and Reserve forces on The Island to respond to emergencies such as nor’easters, floods, and even potential (terrorist) attacks.

The facility is slated for completion by 2010 and the structure is being tauted as one of the larges for the National Guard and joint reserve units in the United States.

Officials go on to say, that the measure is extremely significant for New York, not only in terms of economics, but also in terms of national security, placing over 1,200 uniformed personnel in the heart of a local community.

They add that combining reserve divisions in a single location was spurred by economic factors and considerations as part of national military base realignment, which also helps improve and increase planning and communications.

However, experts suggest that even so, there may be some challenges should our area be hit with a Category 3 Hurricane. Still, they remain confident and optimistic, especially with having all divisions collaborating under one rood.

And, they are also expecting the facility to be a boon to Long Island.