Officials on Wednesday showed off renovations and expansion at the Nebraska National Guard's Penterman Armory.
GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
The Nebraska National Guard's Penterman Armory was recently renovated, including six individual readiness rooms for medical exams.
GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
Visitors to the Nebraska National Guard's Penterman Armory view a display case with items belonging to Brig. Gen. Donald Penterman on Wednesday. The armory was recently renovated.
GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
Nebraska Lt. Gov. Mike Foley speaks at the ribbon-cutting for the renovated Nebraska National Guard's Penterman Armory on Wednesday.
GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
Nebraska Army National Guard Sgt. First Class Andrew Singaas (right) leads a tour of the renovated Penterman Armory on Wednesday.
GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
Nebraska Army National Guard Sgt. First Class Andrew Singaas leads a tour of the renovated Penterman Armory on Wednesday.
GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
The Nebraska National Guard's Penterman Armory was recently renovated, including this dental care area.
GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
Kayla Broadhurst takes a picture of the dedication plaque for the renovated Nebraska National Guard's Penterman Armory on Wednesday.
When it opened in 1994, the Penterman Armory served as the one-stop shop for the medical needs of the Nebraska National Guard.
But as the United States has continued to lean on the National Guard to defend its national security interests, the limitations of the Penterman Armory quickly began to show themselves.
Instead of five-year medical checkups, the National Guard began screening soldiers and airmen on an annual basis to maintain readiness for its next mission, whether that be overseas or right here at home.
The armory's limited space required medical professionals to find space where they could and for the men and women of the Guard to put up with cramped and less-than-private areas.
"Our demands on our clinics and all the medical professionals and support staff -- everything it takes to ensure that we have a readiness force grew," said Maj. Gen. Daryl Bohac. "And our ability to move soldiers and airmen through became quite constrained."
On Wednesday, the Nebraska National Guard celebrated the opening of a $2.7 million renovation and expansion of the Penterman Armory Medical Annex, which officials said will serve the Guard's needs into the future.
The project included renovation of more than 8,500 square feet of space in the existing armory and more than 6,300 square feet of new construction paid for through a 75-25 split between the federal and state governments.
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Col. Brent Flachsbart, the Nebraska National Guard's state construction and facilities manager, said the project was designed to ease flow for soldiers and airmen making their way through the clinic.
By increasing "throughput," Flachsbart said the men and women of the Guard can spend less time in the clinic and more time training or attending to their normal jobs on base.
Col. Kevin Reichmuth, a pulmonologist who also serves as the state surgeon, said the motto of the Medical Readiness Detachment is to "conserve the fighting strength."
"To be able to conserve that fighting strength, we really did need the facility," Reichmuth said.
The armory's namesake -- Brig. Gen. Donald G. Penterman -- joined the Nebraska Army National Guard in 1935 and served in the Medical Administrative Corps in campaigns in Africa and Europe during World War II, where he was awarded the Bronze Star.
After the war, Penterman was instrumental in transitioning the National Guard from a reserve unit for the U.S. Army to a unit capable of providing nonmilitary aid in service to the state.
Penterman also co-authored several books on emergency medical systems and helped develop the nationwide 911 emergency telephone system.
Visitors to the Nebraska National Guard's Penterman Armory view a display case with items belonging to Brig. Gen. Donald Penterman on Wednesday. The armory was recently renovated.