FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. –
A new 63,000-square-foot Training Support Center opened here earlier this year, consolidating the operations previously located in six World War II-era buildings into one state-of-the-art facility.
The TSC's mission is to train, manage, maintain and provide training aids, devices, simulators and simulations (TADSS), and graphic training aids (GTAs) to National Guard, active-duty Army and Army Reserve units, entities and agencies, with a regional area of responsibility consisting of Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Northern Maryland.
“This facility makes the Pennsylvania National Guard stronger in so many ways,” said Maj. Alon Margolin, TADSS officer-in-charge. “We are much more turnkey for all the components we service. The simulators were built with an eye toward the technology of the future, so they will be easier to update as the technology evolves. We have multipurpose classrooms. The facility even has drive-up loading platforms that can support the weight of a Stryker to quickly equip our units so they get the most out of their limited training time.”
The TSC is further subdivided into functional work areas which include: TSC Logistics/Operations, Ground Simulations, Medical Simulation Training Center (MSTC), and the Asymmetric Threat Training Support Program (ATTSP).
The six World War II-era wood buildings that the TSC replaced totaled about 22,490 square feet. At 63,000 square feet, the new facility nearly triples the previous space.
The TSC also includes 48 roof-mounted photovoltaic array modules and a geothermal HVAC system, stores approximately 15,000 training devices, and contains 13 simulators.
“We have been able to reduce hundreds of man-hours within every single type of operation because we have everything centrally located,” said Margolin. “I’m proud of the personnel we have here. We are dealing with highest levels of professionalism subject matter expertise within our field. To have all those in one location really made this process feasible.”