[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 61 (Monday, April 28, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E605]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      THE DALLES READINESS CENTER

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. GREG WALDEN

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 28, 2014

  Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to take the opportunity to 
recognize the newly completed Fort Dalles Readiness Center in The 
Dalles, Oregon. For the past fifteen years, the Oregon Military 
Department, Columbia Gorge Community College, The Dalles Outreach Team, 
and other local, state, and federal officials have worked tirelessly to 
bring this innovative project to life. The Readiness Center will be 
home to the Oregon National Guard's Alpha Company, 3-116 Cavalry and 
replaces the original unit armory built in 1951. What makes this 
building so unique is its dual-use capability and its state-of-the-art 
construction. Situated on the campus of the Columbia Gorge Community 
College, the Readiness Center complex will host not only the unit's 150 
soldiers during regular monthly drills, but also share a large portion 
of its nearly 63,000 square foot space with the college for use as a 
lecture hall and workforce training center for students, and flexible 
rental space for the community at large. The Readiness Center is likely 
the first armory in the country to achieve ``net zero'' energy 
consumption, meaning it will produce as much energy on site as it uses, 
and will serve as an example of efficiency for Oregon Military 
Department's future armory projects. The building's solar panels, sod 
roof, and geo-thermal heat pump system also will serve as a working 
classroom for the college's Renewable Energy Program.
  I would be remiss to not point out the Center's special relationship 
with Columbia Gorge Community College. Throughout his tenure as college 
president, Dr. Frank Toda, a 30-year veteran of the Air Force, has 
maintained his commitment to his fellow veterans and the local citizen-
soldiers of the Oregon National Guard. This dedication was reflected in 
Columbia Gorge Community College being recognized as among the top 
fifteen percent of schools nationwide in helping returning veterans 
acquire needed job skills.
  The Fort Dalles Readiness Center will be officially dedicated to the 
public on April 17, 2014. While I cannot be there to help the community 
celebrate its success, I believe it fitting to recognize the years of 
hard work and steadfast devotion by all of those involved.

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