Funds OK’d for National Guard armory

Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2004 | 8:51 a.m.

SUN WASHINGTON BUREAU

WASHINGTON -- The Senate on Monday tucked $12.8 million for a new National Guard armory into a military construction spending bill.

The new building also would be a "readiness center," home to the state's new weapons of mass destruction civil support team. Congress last year created similar teams in 12 states to combat terrorist threats.

Nevada lawmakers in Congress requested that a team be based in Southern Nevada because of the tourist mecca's potential appeal to terrorists.

The planned 22-member team of Army and Air National Guard members is slated to be worth $40 million in federal money for training and equipment.

The team would be available to help first responders react to an attack and provide medical and technical advice. The team would be able to set up mobile labs, decontamination centers and communication systems in less than two hours. It would be on-call to the governor around the clock.

The armory would be constructed on a 54-acre plot near Serene Avenue and Decatur Boulevard. The new building could be open within a year of construction, a congressional aide said.

There is no money for the armory in the House version of the military construction bill, but the money likely will be included in a final compromise bill, an aide to Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said. Reid is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.