By Airman 1st Class Matthew Arachikavitz
92nd Air Refueling Wing
SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. -- Fairchild Air Force Base, Spokane County and community representatives officially open the Spokane County Sheriff Regional Training Center that benefits members of the armed forces and local law enforcement in Spokane October 19, 2023.This ceremony marks the completion of construction on the first-of-its-kind facility shared between the Air Force and local law enforcement agencies, which highlights the partnership between Fairchild, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, and the Spokane County Board of Commissioners.
“The significance of this partnership and success, dedication and commitment by the people who championed it to completion cannot be overstated,” said ToniAnn Fischer, Director of Community Partnership and Mission Sustainment for the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Energy, Installations, and Environment. “The Air Force Community Partnership Program encourages installation leaders to consider all the tools in the toolkit to enable requirements and solve challenges.”
Construction of this first-of-its-kind facility began on April 13, 2022, but the vision for a facility that would ensure mission readiness for both U.S. Air Force Airmen and local law enforcement began in 2007. “This project has been a long time coming,” said John Nowels, Spokane County Sherrif. “This building signifies and symbolizes this community’s and our elected officials’ commitment to excellence in policing and excellence in supporting the men and women of the armed forces who keep us safe.”
The mission of the Spokane County Sheriff Regional Training Center is to ensure mission readiness for both Spokane County Sheriffs and U.S. Air Force members.
“I see a symbol of partnership that is more powerful than the tools that the facility provides our airmen or our law enforcement professionals in Spokane County,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Chesley Dycus, Fairchild AFB 92nd Air Refueling Wing commander. Dycus commended all those who have been involved with the project along the way. “Thank you for refusing to say no and bringing this to fruition for our airmen and our law enforcement professionals.”
The brand-new facility consists of a 21-lane indoor small arms range, eight classrooms, three conference rooms, a virtual training simulator, a defensive tactics room, armories for both law enforcement and military partners, a canine training area, a tactical shoot house and a 50 foot tall helicopter training tower with a repelling wall.
The Spokane County Sheriff Regional Training Center is located at 13033 W. Medical Lake Road in Airway Heights, just minutes from Fairchild’s front gates. The facility is also being used for Fairchild Security Forces training and houses Fairchild’s Combat Arms Training unit where all airmen will train and qualify.