THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, November 10, 1995 TAG: 9511100563
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Short : 37 lines
The Virginia National Guard plans to close six armories around the state, including one in Chesapeake, after the first of the year in a major restructuring, Guard officials said Thursday.
Armories in Altavista, Chase City, Chesapeake, Hopewell, Tazewell and Vansant will be closed, saving the Guard $114,000 a year, said Maj. Tom Wilkinson, a Guard spokesman.
Because of cuts in Department of Defense funding, there has been a nationwide restructuring of military units. Wilkinson said the state Guard leaders used the restructuring to reposition their resources to meet future needs.
``We looked at this long and hard so that we would only have to do this once to take us into the 21st century,'' Wilkinson said.
While the national restructuring will cost the state Guard 500 positions, Wilkinson said the state restructuring was done ``with the intent that no one who wants to stay in the National Guard will be forced out.''
As part of the national restructuring, the 2nd Brigade of the 29th Infantry Division was moved from Virginia to Massachusetts and Connecticut. Wilkinson said those members of the 2nd Brigade who want to remain in the division will be transferred to the 1st Brigade, which will remain in Virginia.
In addition, the state will receive an artillery battalion to be based in the Fort Pickett area and an engineering company and truck company that will be based in the Richmond area. by CNB