On Monday morning, officials with the Mississippi Army National Guard signed documents officially terminating their lease of five acres of city-owned property on South Cossar Avenue in Charleston on which stands an armory.
With those few strokes of a pen, the Guard’s roughly 63-year history of maintaining a full-time presence in the city quietly drew to a close.
There was no fanfare, no formal ceremony. Fewer than 20 people were on hand, most of them military personnel and city officials, some of whom reminisced briefly about the storied history of the local Guard unit.
The 19,207-square-foot armory, for over six decades home to the Guard’s Charleston Readiness Center, has been a fixture in our community.
In addition to providing some local employment opportunities, the facility has offered space for many community events over the years.
After numerous natural disasters, including tornadoes, ice storms and more, the local Guard unit has aided the city of Charleston by providing heavy equipment and soldiers to help clear the streets of fallen tree limbs and other debris.
This is only the tip of the iceberg when recounting the many contributions of the local armory, whose members have served overseas with bravery and honor during several military deployments, most often as Company C, 223rd Engineer Battalion, but in recent years as Detachment 1, Company F, 106th Brigade Support Battalion, which provides logistics and medical support for the 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team.
In the Charleston armory, the city is assuming control of an extremely nice, modern-looking facility. The armory underwent a major renovation less than a decade ago, and the mayor and members of the Board of Commissioners have voiced excitement over the possibilities for the massive brick building and its spacious grounds.
Mayor Sedrick Smith said Monday that while he and the city board would be discussing potential uses for the complex perhaps as early as this week’s Feb. 5 board meeting, community input will be solicited and welcomed, as well.
A state Guard consolidation and restationing plan led to the armory’s closure, but we cannot help feeling a bit nostalgic about the history of the Charleston armory. In that light, we view Monday’s handoff as nothing short of bittersweet.
