81st Readiness Division Opens New ECS

CAMP SHELBY, Missi.- The U.S. Army Reserve 81st Readiness Division, in coordination with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for its new Equipment Concentration Site (ECS) June 16, 2026 at Camp Shelby, Miss.

This $24 million dollar project, which was initiated back in 2020, consolidates three geographically dispersed maintenance sites in Mississippi - the Gulfport ECS, the Area Support Maintenance Activity in Laurel, and the Branch Maintenance Activity in Brookhaven - into a single, modernized hub.

“This facility will serve as a vital hub, housing equipment that units are unable to maintain or store at their local Army Reserve Centers”, said Brig. Gen. Vivek Kshetrapal, Deputy Commanding General (Operations), 81st Readiness Division.

“Between the current MEP footprint and potential future expansions, this site has the capacity to secure more than 2,000 pieces of rolling stock. Furthermore, with all 31 direct labor positions fully staffed, we possess the capability to systematically service and repair every single one of those vehicles annually,” Kshetrapal added.

Speaking at the event were Lt. Gen. Robert D. Harter, Commanding General of the U.S. Army Reserve Command, along with Maj. Gen. Bobby Ginn, Jr., the adjutant general of Mississippi. “This building represents a whole lot more than just a shiny new place to store our vehicles and get them ready for training and combat”, stated Harter.

“This building represents the teamwork we put in to get here and the teamwork we will rely on in the way forward”, Harter added.

The new ECS location improves maintenance efficiency, reduces overhead, and enhances equipment accountability. Consolidation also allows the Army Reserve to divest aging facilities, eliminate redundant infrastructure, reduce sustainment costs, and reinvest savings into higher‑impact readiness capabilities.