BILLINGS — You'll likely be seeing a lot more Black Hawk helicopters in the Billings area for the next few years.
The Montana Army National Guard is working with the city of Billings to build a new army aviation training and support facility west of the Billings airport.
"The purpose of our new facility here in Billings is to be a training facility for the Montana National Guard," said Maj. Dustin Horswell, the facility commander of the Billings Army Aviation Support Facility.
The National Guard has been operating in a temporary facility for the last two years.
The new facility is set to be 50,000 square feet, cost around $50 million, and to open by December 2026. The National Guard and the city hope for the facility to bring safety and economic opportunities in the area.
"We now provide an asset for immediate response here for the community, that was previously an hour and a half flight away, and so a lot quicker response for in the case something is needed for us to go to," Horswell said,
Horswell says the only facility in the state of its kind is in Helena, making this new build vital for eastern Montana.
"So currently we're in phase one. Phase one is to build out a fully operational facility that provides everything that we need to get it up and going," he said.
"Billings is the natural place for that to happen, and we're excited for that to happen," says Billings City Council member Scott Aspenlieder.
On Monday, the City Council discussed possible concerns with the new facility regarding traffic and noise.
"There were concerns about the neighbors that I think the Montana Guard did a very good job of trying to address, and the way they lay the facility out," Aspenlieder said.
In early October, the City Council also approved an additional 80-acre expansion, making the entire future campus almost 140 acres.
It'll house 14 full-time employees and hold monthly training sessions for soldiers across the state. Aspenlieder believes it'll breathe more life into the community.
"The city of Billings is excited about this opportunity. It makes the most sense for eastern Montana," he said.
