By Amber McDownThe Louisiana National Guard officially opened its new Collective Training Barracks at Camp Minden on Tuesday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of a multi-million-dollar military construction project designed to strengthen training capabilities and improve operational readiness. “The result of those efforts is this remarkable facility that will serve to enhance soldier training and operational readiness in support of Louisiana National Guard’s federal and state missions.” Jeff Landry, Louisiana’s congressional delegation, state legislators, the Louisiana National Guard Foundation, the project’s architects, and contractors for their support. The building blends modern construction with traditional military architectural elements while providing transient Soldiers with administrative, supply, classroom, training, and billeting space. In the decades since, the Louisiana National Guard transformed the former ammunition plant into one of its primary training centers.