After more than 60 years, Tennessee National Guardsmen are getting a new home in Warren County.
The Tennessee Military Department is hosting a ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony for the new National Guard Readiness Center, named the Major General Terry “Max” Haston National Guard Armory, along Manchester Highway between McMinnville and Morrison, on Saturday, April 13, at 1 p.m.
The facility will be dedicated to Maj. Gen. Terry “Max” Haston, a McMinnville native who served in the military for more than 40 years and retired in 2019 as Tennessee’s 75th Adjutant General, a position he held since 2010.
“I can’t think of anyone more deserving of this honor than Haston,” said Maj. Gen. Warner Ross, Tennessee’s Adjutant General. “He was a great leader and adjutant general, and throughout his career, he did everything possible to care for Soldiers and Airmen.”
The armory, which will be the home for Troop F, 2nd Squadron, 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment, is a 33,000 square foot facility that provides modern administrative, training, supply, and storage rooms with energy-efficient equipment and other green features to reduce operating costs. It also has adequate parking for Soldiers, visitors, and the unit’s tactical equipment while supporting a 5,600 square foot vehicle maintenance building.
“This new armory will greatly improve our readiness and our ability to respond to disasters and emergencies within the community,” said Ross.
The facility replaces McMinnville’s 11,200 square foot armory, which was built in 1957, and is the oldest and smallest armory in the Tennessee National Guard. The Tennessee State Building Commission approved this project, funded entirely by the federal government, in July 2018. Design House 1411, LLC, located in Nashville, began the design in early 2019. Sain Construction of Manchester completed the project in January 2024.
The ribbon-cutting and dedication is scheduled to be held at the new armory at 5807 Manchester Highway in Morrison. Following the ceremony there will be a tour of the new facility.
