The Kansas National Guard armories in Garden City and Kingman will be closed

in the next few days. The ceremony closing the Garden City armory, 405 S.

Main, will be Friday, Feb. 19, beginning at 4 p.m. The Kingman armory closing

ceremony will be Sunday, Feb. 21, beginning at 1 p.m. at the armory, 111 S.

Main St.

The closings were announced Dec. 11, 2009, as part of a budget reduction

measure precipitated by state budget shortfalls. Eighteen armories across the

state will be closed over the next few months.

Maj. Gen. Tod Bunting, the adjutant general, will attend the ceremony in

Garden City. Brig. Gen. John Davoren, assistant adjutant general – Army and

commander of the Kansas National Guard – Land Component, will attend the

Kingman ceremony. Local city and county officials have been invited to both

events and the public is cordially invited, as well.

“It is always a solemn occasion when we move out of a community and no longer

have a physical presence there,” said Bunting. “However, we want to assure

the community that the Kansas National Guard will always be there whenever

we’re needed.”

Detachment 1, Battery A (-), 1st Battalion, 161st Artillery, which currently

drills at the Garden City armory, will be transferred to the Dodge City

armory. Battery C (-), 1st Battalion, 161st Field Artillery, Kingman, will be

transferred to the Hutchinson armory.

The armories in Kingman and Garden City are among two of the oldest in the

state. The Kingman armory was constructed in 1939 and the Garden City armory

was built in 1958.