National Guard Armory To Close In Culbertson
The Culbertson National Guard Armory will close no later than December 2026, according to a press release from the Montana National Guard.
Leadership of the Montana Army National Guard announced last week that soldiers who are part of Detachment 1, 260th Engineer Company in Culbertson will consolidate with the rest of the unit and attend drills in Miles City or Billings no later than December 2026.
In addition, six full-time staff who work at the field maintenance shop in Culbertson will transfer to similar facilities elsewhere in the state. Field maintenance shops perform maintenance on Montana National Guard ground vehicles. The Culbertson field maintenance shop is also scheduled to close no later than December 2026.
Upon exiting the Culbertson facilities, Roosevelt County will be offered first right of refusal, upon approval by the State Board of Land Commissioners. In the event local government does not want the property, the Department of Military Affairs will work through the State Board of Land Commissioners to sell the property.
“This change is being made as part of a statewide effort to build our units’ ability to train to the next level and optimize mission sets,” Maj. Gen. J. Peter Hronek, the adjutant general for Montana, said. “Having the soldiers of Detachment 1 drill with the rest of their unit will improve the readiness of the 260th as a whole and our ability to respond to state and federal missions. I want every one of these soldiers to know that their service is valuable, and they will continue to have a home in the Montana National Guard.”
There are no job losses as part of this reorganization. All soldiers will be offered the opportunity to continue in their unit in one of the new locations or to transfer units to remain closer to home. Retraining to a new military occupational specialty will be available as needed.
“I want to assure the citizens of Culbertson that we remain ready to assist all communities across Montana if called upon, even those without an armory,” said Hronek. “I thank you for the incredible relationship that we have built with Culbertson since 1980 and look forward to continuing to work with this great community to foster recruiting opportunities and keep a strong National Guard across the state.”
