Earlier this summer, the Ohio National Guard completed repairs to facilities at Rickenbacker International Airport in Columbus. The repairs were funded entirely through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), which provided $970,000 to replace the roof on Building 918, one of the two Army National Guard flight facilities serving Ohio.
Old membrane roofs, like the one on Building 918, were black, which absorbs more heat, resulting in more energy use for climate control within the building. The new white roof, made possible through the stimulus funds, reflects more of the heat, resulting in energy savings. Furthermore, the deterioration of the old roof placed the facility and its equipment at risk of environmental damage. The new roof restored the structural integrity of the facility, stopping leaks and protecting critical resources.
In addition, the completion of this project will contribute to the safety of Ohioans by helping to keep the Guard ready to respond to emergencies. According to Major General Gregory L. Wayt, the Adjutant General of Ohio, "The physical integrity of our facilities is a critical factor for the continued maintenance and readiness of our equipment. Projects such as the roof replacement on building 918 contribute directly to the ability of the National Guard to respond when called."
As the Army National Guard flight facility in Columbus, Building 918 is home to all of Ohio's Blackhawk helicopters. The building includes the hangar where the Guard performs storage and maintenance on its Blackhawks, and where all of the flight administration and operations are carried out.
The Ohio National Guard and the helicopters from Rickenbacker have demonstrated their importance on many occasions. In 2005, Blackhawks from Rickenbacker were deployed to New Orleans to provide assistance in the wake of hurricane Katrina. Again in 2007 an Ohio National Guard Blackhawk was deployed to retrieve a Columbus Police helicopter that had crashed in the Scioto River. In December of 2008, Soldiers from the Ohio Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 137th Aviation Regiment, including the Blackhawk helicopters from Rickenbacker, were deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
General Wayt emphasized the important service the Ohio National Guard performs both for Ohio and the nation. "Our Blackhawks and about 350 of our Soldiers are in Iraq right now, and they are an important component of our ability to support not only the Global War on Terror but also to support Ohioans in case of domestic emergencies here in Ohio."
The roof replacement project at Rickenbacker is one of over twenty Ohio National Guard projects totaling over $8.5 million in stimulus funding, and is the first of these projects to be completed. The contract to replace the roof on Building 918 was awarded to Damschroder Construction, based in Fremont, Ohio. The contract allowed the company to preserve the jobs of fifteen Ohio construction workers who carried out the roof replacement.
For more information on the Ohio National Guard's stimulus projects, please visit: www.ong.ohio.gov/ARRA_index.html