‘First shot’ fired for expansion at National Guard training center

NEWTON FALLS, Ohio (WKBN) – A first-of-its-kind gun range opened Tuesday at Camp James A. Garfield Joint Training Center.

The facility sits in portions of Newton Falls and Ravenna.

Brigadier General Matthew Woodruff flew up from Columbus to take part in the ceremonial “first shot” event. He said the $7.5 million expansion will allow Ohio Guard members to train closer to home.

“What you’d find in Ohio soldiers traveling to Indiana or Michigan or Kentucky or West Virginia to conduct things that we could do here,” Woodruff said.

It meant an extra expense for those in the Guard who needed to get their yearly firearms qualification and training.

“As a lifelong Ohio soldier, I always hated going to Camp Grayling, Michigan or Pennsylvania or other places to train when I could train here in my home state,” said Lieutenant Colonel Shaun Robinson.

The new range, which can handle several different weapons, will now be available to all 90 of the Guard units across the state.

“That’s 10,000 soldiers pushing through this to use this facility, and then if you take other state capacities, it could be a phenomenal boost,” Woodruff said.

Those in charge say as more missions are assigned to this camp, more federal will be spent there to invest in future expansions. It also means more money into the local economy with soldiers staying in hotels and eating at local restaurants while they are training.

“The more attractive it makes us and makes us a destination, people are willing to travel here to train,” Robinsons said.

Making it even more valuable to the National Guard.

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