Tiffin armory to host public

If you see a group of soldiers with backpacks and assault rifles marching down your neighborhood street, don’t be alarmed. The Army National Guard’s 1-148 Infantry Regiment, or Charlie Company, hosts a drill in Tiffin two days out of every month and it wants the citizens of the city to get to know it better. The community has that opportunity now and is being invited to an open house from noon-2 p.m. Sept. 12 at the armory, 500 Riverside Drive. The event will be hosted by the Family Readiness Group. Capt. Jim Field, the commander of the regiment, said he is excited about the event and appreciates what the FRG does for soldiers in the company. “The FRG is an organization within the Ohio National Guard. Its mission is to take care of the families and support the unit,” said Field. Wendy Shellhouse, who has two sons in the military, has been working for the organization for three months and she encouraged the public to come and get to know some of the members of the company. Shellhouse also has realized a troubling fact in her time with the organization. “There are a lot of people in Tiffin who don’t even know there are soldiers here,” Shellhouse said. The first armory open house, which Shellhouse plans to host annually, will feature all the weapons systems used by the company. People of all ages are welcome to come and handle an M-4, automatic weapon or heavy machine gun. Anything that an infantryman would carry on the battlefield will be featured at the event. Army vehicles also will be featured during the event. Field said attendees will have the opportunity to experience what food soldiers eat to sustain themselves when they are on the battlefield. “We eat what we call MREs, or meals ready to eat. People are always interested to see what [MREs] are like,” Field said. The open house will have booths from area organizations. Shellhouse said Tiffin police, Tiffin Fire Rescue Division, United Service Organizations and the Red Cross will be present. Shellhouse and the FRG also will be grilling hot dogs and serving popcorn. They can be purchased with donations. All of the proceeds collected at the event will go to the soldiers and their families. Shellhouse said the FRG does not have any funding. “All of the donations go to the guys in the unit. This money will go to school supplies for everyone in the unit who has kids, while it also helps pay for events like the Christmas party and family picnics,” said Field. Field said he feels comfortable in Tiffin but sees this event as an opportunity to build an even closer relationship with the community. Field, a native of Jacksontown, recalled a story that reminds him that Tiffin is another home to him and to his company. “Tiffin is just a good salt-of-the-earth town,” said Field. “We lost a member of our battalion in a car wreck, and we went to visit his family. When we pulled up to the driveway, his grandpa was outside cutting the grass. To me, that’s exactly what my grandpa’s reaction would be. I thought that was a very humble response because he’s probably grieving, but he knew he was going to host a lot of people and he wants the grass to look good.” Staff Sgt. Jerud Getz said he and others in the company feel close to the community, but he also looks forward to getting know more people and showing citizens more about the company. “Essentially, our armory, we feel like a part of this neighborhood, all the houses are right there. When we are out utilizing the softball fields, we are embedded in the neighborhood. It’ll be nice to open our doors and let everyone in to see what we’re all about,” he said.