Wyoming, Mich.- U .S. Senator Gary Peters stopped at the Michigan National Guard’s Grand Valley Armory in Wyoming during his annual motorcycle tour across Michigan. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Peters secured nearly $26 million in federal funding last year for the National Guard Bureau to modernize armories across Michigan to ensure they have adequate facilities for women servicemembers. National Guard armories provide spaces for servicemembers to conduct trainings and carry out missions with access to the necessary equipment and logistical resources. Many armories were designed for an all-male force, however, women servicemembers now make up nearly 18 percent of the Michigan Army National Guard.

Peters toured the armory’s facilities and received highlights on how the upgrades being made to better accommodate women servicemembers will help bolster recruitment as well as Michigan’s defense capabilities.

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Capt. Brianna Hemwall , commander of the 156 Expeditionary Signal Battalion (ESB), the unit housed in the Grand Valley Armory, explained to Peters and his team the importance the facilities upgrades would have on herself and her unit. “Having recently given birth myself, I am excited because this modernization is incredibly important for inclusivity, retention and the moral of the unit overall. We can be very proud as a state that we are doing these modernizations. We are incredibly thankful to Senator Peters Team.”

The Grand Valley Armory project maximizes existing infrastructure and reclaims space to focus on addressing shortfalls with female Soldiers’ facilities by providing adequate latrines and showers and developing a lactation room.

“The facility upgrades occurring throughout the state at Michigan Army National Guard armories represent our legislator’s dedication and commitment to our servicemembers,” said Brigadier General Scott House, Deputy Commanding General of the 46 Military Police Command and Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Construction and Facilities Management Officer. “These are significant investments in time and funding that will result in drastic improvements to our facilities which will positively impact the lives of our servicemembers and their overall readiness.”

Over the past year, the Michigan National Guard has been able to complete construction on nine separate armories and there are 16 more armories currently under construction. These modernization efforts at the armories throughout 2023 have pushed over $107 million dollars back into our local communities by employing local tradesmen to carry out construction.