Florida Army National Guard Has Arrived In Flagler

The Guard is leasing the CAPT facility from the Flagler County Airport for $15,185 a year while they wait for funding for the planned Readiness Center nearby.

Palm Coast, FL – October 22, 2014 – The Florida National Guard has arrived at Flagler County’s Airport. They are leasing the CAPT facility from the Flagler County Airport for $15,185 a year.

Major General Emmett Titshaw, The Adjutant General for the Florida National Guard responding to a question from the public as to when the Guard might arrive in Flagler County said, “We are already here.”

The Major General and his staff gave a presentation to the public and elected officials on Monday at the Government Services Building. The Guard is leasing at the Flagler County Airport while waiting for Congressional funding for construction of a $18.5 million, 83,000 square foot Readiness Center shown in the rendering to the right.

The plans call for a staff of approximately 30 full time soldiers at the center on a regular basis and on the weekend as many as 225 soldiers for training. Meanwhile they are already moving into the 19,100 square foot, CAPT building. Improvements are being made to accommodate the entire staff and will be complete in December.

Major General Titshaw gave the public an overview of the funding process and complimented Flagler County for their assistance in the getting the site ready for the construction. “We are ready to go, we are anxious to build, it is our number 1 project and it is shovel ready,” the Major General said.

The unit moving into the leased space is the 1st Battalion 265 Air Defense Unit that is headquartered in Orlando and currently operating in Daytona Beach. Army Avenger vehicles and support vehicles are already moving to the Airport facility.

Members of the Flagler County Commission welcomed the Major General and members of his staff into Flagler County by presenting him with a Flagler County pin, a beach towel, a sand bucket and shovel. The Major General held up the toy shovel and said “I am ready for the ground breaking ceremony.”

“This is a great success for Flagler County,” Flagler County Administrator Craig Coffey said. “Leasing the facility will help our airport and the relocation of the Florida National Guard is an amazing asset to the community.”