Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is making a pitch to bring the next U.S. Coast Guard training facility to the state, proposing the former Urbana University campus as an ideal location.
In a letter sent to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Jan. 12, DeWine highlighted the strategic advantages of locating the training center in Ohio and the ready-made infrastructure available at the shuttered university campus.
"The former site of Urbana University is already well positioned to support the needs of the Coast Guard's next training center," DeWine said. "The site has readily available infrastructure, dorms, a cafeteria, an indoor swimming pool, and more that would be critical to support a training facility."
The Urbana University campus, located in the Miami Valley northeast of Dayton and west of Columbus, closed after the Spring 2020 semester. The institution had been operating as a branch of Franklin University before its closure.
In his letter, DeWine emphasized Ohio's existing military connections and infrastructure. He noted that Cleveland already serves as home to the U.S. Coast Guard Great Lakes Headquarters and highlighted the state's support for military families and veterans.
The governor pointed to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and the 88th Air Base Wing Medical Center, located 30 miles from the proposed site, as additional assets that could support Coast Guard staff and trainees.
DeWine also referenced Ohio's military-friendly policies, including the Purple Star School program, which supports military families with children in K-12 schools, and the state's offer of military spouse occupational license reciprocity.
According to the letter, Ohio has 39,000 individuals at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, 16,000 members of the Ohio National Guard, and 700,000 veterans across the state.
You can read the letter in full:
