A spokesman for the Iowa National Guard says the Armory in Corning (at 1925 210th St.) will be closing next year, and the unit will move to Camp Dodge in Johnston. Col Greg Hapgood said in a press release Monday, that the closure is a result of force structure and stationing study findings. The unit currently assigned to the Corning armory, Detachment 1, Company B, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry, will move to Camp Dodge in 2016 and consolidate with the main body of Company B. Approximately 80 Soldiers are affected by the closure and move.

Col Hapgood says the Iowa National Guard has a long history in Corning dating back to 1892 with the initial stationing of Company K, 3rd Regiment. Soldiers from the Corning armory have fought in the Spanish-American War, World War I, and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Constructed in 1993, the 20,598-square foot Corning armory is the 13th armory to be closed in Iowa as the result of a state-wide consolidation and facilities upgrade program initiated in 2000 by the Iowa National Guard.

The armory will be offered to the public for sale in the near future. Maj. Gen. Tim Orr, Adjutant General for the Iowa National Guard, said “It was a very difficult decision to make as an organization, but with the fiscally-constrained environment all Department of Defense entities face today, consolidating this unit and closing the Corning armory was the best course of action for responsible stewardship of taxpayer resources and for future readiness of our Soldiers. We are incredibly grateful for the strong support of the Corning community for nearly 125 years.”

Since 2000, as part of the Iowa National Guard plan to relocate military units into higher demographic areas, close outdated armories, consolidate units on a regional concept to better utilize training resources, and upgrade existing facilities through renovation and new construction, the Iowa National Guard has consolidated units and closed armories in Sioux Center, Villisca, Mapleton, Atlantic, Clarinda, Glenwood, Hampton, Jefferson, Chariton, Newton, Eagle Grove and Centerville.