NEW ULM — Gov. Tim Walz on Monday joined Minnesota National Guard leadership for a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the completion of the New Ulm National Guard Readiness Center.
“This readiness center is more than a building. It’s where Guard members maintain the skills needed to protect our communities and respond wherever they’re called,” stated Walz in a news release.
“I served out of the old site myself and know this upgrade was much needed,” the governor continued. “The men and women of the 125th will be better equipped to respond, and this facility ensures they’re ready for whatever comes next.”
Construction on the 40,374-square-foot facility began in April 2024. The readiness center will support training, readiness, and state and federal missions for the 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery Regiment.
The center will house about 20 full-time staff and 240 traditional drilling soldiers, serving as a hub for training, coordination and emergency response.
The battalion has a distinguished history of federal service spanning more than a century, the release said, including deployments in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, Operation Enduring Freedom and a long record of state active duty responding to natural disasters and emergencies across Minnesota.