For fiscal year 2022, Fort Indiantown Gap again led the nation as the largest National Guard training facility, with approximately 655,336 military training days.
This is the Gap’s third year in a row, and sixth time in the last eight years, as the busiest National Guard training center in the country. Fiscal year 2022 ended for the Gap on Sept. 30.
The military training days figure includes training by Army National Guard, Army Reserve, and Air National Guard personnel.
Fort Pickett in Virginia had a higher number of total training days than the Gap – 1,051,377 compared to 688,833 – because last year more than 600,000 “Non-DOD/Non-Government” training days were provided due to Fort Pickett’s mission of housing Afghan refugees.
In terms of military training days, the Gap beat out Fort Stewart in Georgia, which had 526,397 military training days in fiscal year 2022, as well as Camp Ripley in Minnesota, which had the third highest total with 479,026 military training days.
“I’m extremely proud of the Soldiers and Airmen of the Pennsylvania National Guard and the employees of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs for their steadfast commitment, service and support to Fort Indiantown Gap,” said Pennsylvania Adjutant General Major Gen. Mark Schindler in a press release. “That commitment is especially apparent as it’s once again among the busiest National Guard training centers in the country.
“Together, we serve to ensure that Fort Indiantown Gap provides not only the Pennsylvania National Guard, but also our state and federal partners with a premier, state-of-the-art training environment that meets their operational needs.”
The Gap is the only Level II National Guard training center in the northeast United States, which the Guard defines as having billeting for a brigade, maneuver acreage for a company-plus, individual and crew-served weapons ranges, and squad and team collective ranges.
Fort Indiantown Gap covers 17,000 acres in northern Lebanon and Dauphin counties. It is home to several major schools, including the Eastern Army National Guard Aviation Training Site, the 166th Regiment Regional Training Institute, the Regional Equipment Operators Training Site, the Lightning Force Academy and the Northeast Counter Drug Training Center.
“It’s not surprising that Fort Indiantown Gap was once again one of the busiest National Guard training centers in the country,” Lt. Col. Kevin Potts, Fort Indiantown Gap’s garrison commander, said in the release, adding that the base is located within a two-day convoy of 50% of the country’s population.
“The variety of ranges, facilities and simulators we offer here provide invaluable training to not only the Pennsylvania National Guard, but to all branches of the military as well as our federal, state and local partners.”
Potts said that Fort Indiantown Gap also has excellent customer service, making it popular among units and agencies for training.
“We constantly hear that our customer service is among the best,” Potts said.
“The men and women on our team work tirelessly to ensure every unit that trains here has the support and resources they need to successfully meet all their objectives.”
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