The Rhode Island National Guard has begun construction of a $46 million Army Aviation Readiness Center at Quonset Point that will provide a new home for the Rhode Island Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment.
The groundbreaking took place Sept. 8 for the approximately 77,000-sq.-ft. facility, which will replace older, undersized buildings and provide purpose-built space for aviation maintenance, training, administration and equipment storage, reported WPRI.
The project will bring approximately 300 soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment together in one facility. The unit currently operates from facilities at the Quonset Point Air National Guard Base and Camp Fogarty in East Greenwich. The aviation battalion operates UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and has supported missions and deployments to Iraq, Kuwait, Syria and Kosovo during the Global War on Terror, added WPRI.
New Facility Will Modernize Aging Infrastructure
The new readiness center is designed to provide infrastructure that the battalion's existing facilities lack, including aircraft maintenance bays, administrative offices, training classrooms, upgraded locker rooms, equipment storage and a fueling station.
Several existing buildings at Quonset Point date to the 1940s and were not designed to accommodate soldiers on a long-term basis. Those structures are expected to be demolished after the new facility is completed, according to WPRI.
Rhode Island's capital budget documents describe the project as supporting the training, administrative and logistical requirements of the 1st Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment. The state's FY2024 capital budget identified approximately $46.2 million in National Guard Bureau funding, along with $3.4 million in state capital funds, for a total project authorization of approximately $49.8 million.
“This is an investment in our citizen soldiers — the courageous men and women who serve our nation and carry out difficult and dangerous missions on our behalf,” U.S. Sen. Jack Reed said, according to WPRI. “Our servicemembers deserve the best facilities, equipment and training possible so they can do their jobs effectively and come home safely to their families.”
Reed helped secure the federal funding for the project through appropriations covering fiscal years 2024-25 and 2025-26, according to WPRI.
Part of Broader Quonset Investment
The Army Aviation Readiness Center is part of a broader series of military and infrastructure projects at Quonset Point.
The site also is home to the Rhode Island Air National Guard's 143rd Airlift Wing. A separate headquarters facility for the Air National Guard was constructed at Quonset Point as part of an earlier project. The Rhode Island governor's office said that facility includes a medical facility, a 10,000-sq.-ft. dining hall and the capability to function as a 24-hour command center during emergencies.
State budget documents also show continuing federal and state investment in infrastructure at the Quonset Air National Guard facility, including runway and facility improvements. The state's 2026 capital budget, for example, identifies more than $61 million in combined federal and state funding for Quonset Airport runway reconstruction and related Air National Guard improvements.
For the Army aviation unit, the new readiness center will provide a consolidated facility intended to improve its ability to train, maintain equipment and prepare soldiers for missions.
