Camp Ripley leaders brief commissioners on training schedule, local economic impact and construction projects

"I'm Lieutenant Colonel Steve Hall. I'm the deputy commanding officer for Camp Ripley," Hall told the board, opening the military installation's briefing and describing his role and the base's emphasis on community relations.

Hall and Major Michael Poppe described Camp Ripley as a major training center for the Minnesota National Guard and other state and local agencies and said the installation aims to keep training-related economic benefits in the surrounding community. The presenters said Camp Ripley's annual economic impact is about $83,000,000 and that the installation employs about 800 full-time staff and surges to roughly 1,000 during summer training.

Training and missions: Hall said Camp Ripley hosted about 558,000 military personnel through its gates in the past year and noted the installation is the third-busiest National Guard training center in the nation. He described changes in combat training that emphasize large-scale combat operations and winter-warfare preparedness, and he highlighted international exchanges (including a 52-year exchange with Norway) and regular academy and law-enforcement training held on post.

Construction and projects: Hall said funding is secured for a new force-protection access-control point that will replace the historic main gate; design work is underway with ground-breaking expected in late 2026 or early 2027 and construction taking about two years. He also discussed renovations to barracks and ranges and said the Minnesota Military Museum will move to a public site off post, with museum leaders targeting a 2026 summer opening.

Community outreach and public safety: Hall discussed Camp Ripley's public events (the next large open-house display is scheduled for Sept. 14, 2025) and urged board members to refer service members and families needing help to installation support contacts he provided. He also highlighted environmental and wildlife research partnerships, controlled burns on approximately 14,000 acres where feasible, and a volunteer program for disabled-veteran hunts and other community programs.

Noise and training cadence: Hall acknowledged artillery, aviation and other training noise and described factors that make noise more noticeable (frost, low cloud cover and lack of foliage). He encouraged residents to consult social media and local radio notices for heavy training schedules.

Board reaction: Commissioners asked about urban-warfare training (Hall described a 26-building mock urban site on post), the installation's plan to move from third to second busiest training center (Hall emphasized customer service and outreach), and how to request National Guard assistance during disasters (local sheriff must request support; the governor approves activation through emergency management).

The presentation closed with thanks from board members and an invitation to attend the September open house at Camp Ripley.