Idaho Army National Guard will honor former Gov. Kempthorne in new readiness center dedication

BOISE (Idaho Capital Sun) — The late Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne will be honored in a dedication ceremony for the newly completed Jerome County Regional Readiness Center and Vehicle Maintenance Facility on Monday the Idaho Army National Guard announced this week.

The recently finished readiness center will be home base for Idaho Army National Guard’s 145th Light Support Battalion and its Vehicle Maintenance Facility, which is currently based in Lewiston.

Over $24 million went into the 55,000-square-foot facility, which includes a learning center, company orderly rooms, and modern classrooms. The center received $17.8 million in federal funding and $6.3 million in state funding.

A press release from the Idaho Army National Guard called Gov. Kempthorne, who died this April after battling colon cancer, “an avid supporter of the Idaho National Guard and Idaho’s service members.” He was 74.

Kempthorne had a storied career as a public servant, serving as Boise mayor, U.S. senator, Idaho governor and later U.S. secretary of the Interior under President George W. Bush.

As Idaho’s 30th governor, Kempthorne was the commander-in-chief of the Idaho National Guard from 1999 to 2006. Kempthorne oversaw the force’s largest mobilization in history in 2004, when the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team was deployed to Kirkuk, Iraq.

The 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team was deactivated earlier this month.

Monday will not be the first time Kempthorne is honored by American troops. Earlier this year, a plaque bearing the former governor’s name was attached to the engine room of the USS Idaho — the newest U.S. nuclear-powered submarine. Kempthorne had previously served as chairman of the commissioning advisory committee for the USS Idaho.

The dedication will take place at 1 p.m. Monday, at 611 Liberty Ave. in Jerome, Idaho. Former first lady Patricia Kempthorne and Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke will be present, according to the press release.