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Military Installation Celebrates Important Birthday
A large area employer that many people may not know much about aside from the fact it exists gave the public a rare opportunity to see what it's all about over the weekend.

The Rock Island Arsenal is celebrating its 150th birthday. Saturday, there was a parade and festival through Arsenal Island in the Quad Cities, which included entertainment, family events, building tours, and other things.

Penny Kroul is one of the organizers of the event, and tells WGIL the open house of sorts is rare, but also a source of great pride.

"We really are showcasing what the Arsenal does in the community and how we support our soldiers worldwide," Kroul said. "We're really just excited. Folks can come on the island and participate with us."

Kroul tells WGIL people may not realize just how crucial the Arsenal is to the region.

"We're the largest employer. We have ties to the community," Kroul said. "Even if we're not employing folks here on the island, there are businesses that are working in conjunction with us. So that's more employment opportunity in the community."

As many as 8,000 are employed by the Arsenal, some of which come from Galesburg.

In recent years some parts of the Arsenal have been made available to the public -- most recently, among others, the golf course.

PHOTOS FROM THE ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL PARADE:














(WGIL News Story and Photos by Will Stevenson.)
07 08 12 by Newsroom
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