City of Grayling and Camp Grayling Partnership

City of Grayling and Camp Grayling Partnership. The partnership between the City of Grayling and Camp Grayling remains strong after a hundred years. Established on May 2, 1913, under Michigan Public Act 172, Camp Grayling exists because of the generosity of Rasmus Hanson, a Grayling resident who donated 14,000 acres to serve as a permanent military camping ground for the Michigan National Guard, The first major expansion of the post took place in 1917. Which included a power plant, water reservoir, hospital, warehouse, administration building, and sixty mess halls were constructed at that time. Rasmus Hanson had the Officer's Club built and presented it as a gift to the Michigan National Guard. As a token of gratitude, Portage Lake was renamed in honor of Mrs. Margrethe Hanson., The dawn of military aviation in the area began in 1927. Grayling Army Air Base was constructed near the town of Grayling over the remnants of the lumber industry at a location known as 'Tee Town'. The early runways were short and made of dirt. The first fight arrived on the short, dirt runway on August 5, 1927. Twelve officers and sixty-six enlisted service members made up the Air Corps contingent the first year., 1948 saw another major expansion at Camp Grayling, as the Michigan military received 49,661 acres of land in Crawford County and 4,539 acres of land in Otsego Country from the State Conservation Commission. At this time, the first tanks arrived and fired at Camp Grayling., A new round of construction projects took place at Camp Grayling and the Grayling Army Airfield in 1957. Construction of a new Annual Field Training Equipment Site, immediately south of the airfield, facilitated the movement of tank maintenance and storage operations from the main post to the airfield., A new Manuever Ares Training Equipment Site (MATES) facility was dedicated on December 12, 1987. The new facility, located on North Down River Road, replaced the old facility located on the Grayling Army Airfield. The new facility added greater storage capacity, lift capability and twenty-one new work bays. Its proximity to the tank range complex eliminated the twelve mile drive through populated areas., With an increased demand on National Guard forces for the Global War on Terror, came an increase in funding to support National Guard facilities. Camp Grayling saw an unprecedented level of support for major military construction projects, Global War on Terror projects and Economic Stimulus projects, for which over $85 million was spent at Camp Grayling between 2008 and 2012., Camp Grayling's successes would not be possible without the support of the City of Grayling. We look forward to another hundred years of partnership.