The renovated RFSC building combines elements of the Michigan National Guard's headquarters formerly located on Washington Avenue with the U.S. Property and Fiscal Office formerly located on St. Joseph St. The three-story facility, financed by a federal-state funding effort ($13,135,164 - $122,671, respectively) houses the USPFO; the state and federal Human Resource Offices; state and federal Facilities Management Office; a distance learning classroom with full video teleconference abilities; Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Homeland Security Office; Military Support for Civil Authorities; Environmental Office; Safety and Occupational Health; State Financial Office; Michigan Army National Guard Recruiting and Retention Command; the 46th Military Police Command; and Company C/24th Marine Reserve. The facility holds approximately 185 full-time employees and approximately 150 part-time Guard members.

"It is a rare accomplishment when a project brings in over 13 million federal dollars to the state, more specifically to the city of Lansing, with a relatively small state contribution," said Col. Dwight Mickelson, Director of the Guard Facilities Management Office referring to the $13,135,164 federal versus $122,671 state contribution. "It was one of the most difficult projects we have done considering the consolidation of the various locations and the number of people involved," he added. "But we were on time and within budget. It is a project I am particularly proud of."

Mickelson explained that the completion of the RFSC brought phase one of reconstruction to a finishing point. Phase two, the warehouse and supply function for the combined facility is scheduled for completion in 2009.

The RFSC is also the Michigan Guard's biggest effort to date at being green-meaning approximately 90 percent of the building's demolition products were recycled. The facility has increased insulation in the walls and decking, and a revolving door that maintains a continuous seal to the outside air while allowing a constant flow of in-and-outbound foot traffic. The windows are blast resistant, and the building has the highest possible 'R' value relative to the overall insulation factor.

The 143,518 square foot, $24 million CSMS maintenance facility that is adjacent to the RFSC was completed in the summer of 2004, and the 106,245 square foot, $15.8 million National Guard Headquarters building or MURC located directly behind the RFSC was completed in the summer of 2005. The three buildings are part of a consolidation project for the Michigan National Guard and the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.

Just a day after the RFSC ribbon cutting, a second National Guard ribbon cutting will be celebrated at the Army Aviation Support Facility at Selfridge Air Base near Detroit. Selfridge is one of the busiest, most diverse military installations in the United States. As a base of operations for five military branches of service, Selfridge encompasses some 680 buildings, 9,000 and 4,870 foot runways, over a million square yards of taxiway and paved aircraft parking ramps, 39 miles of paved roads and seven miles of railroad track.

Many Soldiers and Airmen from these facilities have been or currently are deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Today, approximately 1,800 Michigan National Guard Soldiers and Airmen from around the state are deployed across the globe in support of the global war on terrorism; however, as the Michigan Guard serves the nation abroad, more than 85 percent of the force is available, trained and ready to respond to state and federal emergencies such as the recent participation in hurricane Ike food delivery mission. Guard Citizen-Soldiers are "Always Ready - Always There" to defend and protect the American way of life.

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