OKLAHOMA CITY - It all started on a scrap piece of paper.

Members of the Oklahoma Legislature, Oklahoma National Guard, Oklahoma Military Department gathered alongside Flintco Construction at the Oklahoma City Military Complex, Wednesday, August 14, 2024, to break ground on the OKNG’s Wellness Center.

While the ceremony marked the official start of construction of the 32,000 square-foot facility, the Wellness Center began as a hand-drawn sketch on scrap paper during a conversation between Lt. Col. Montana Dugger, deputy for the OKNG's Construction and Facilities Maintenance Office, and Maj. Gen. Thomas H. Mancino, adjutant general for Oklahoma, about building a place to bring all of the OKNG's resources that support Guardsmen's mental and physical health together under one roof.

“I asked [Dugger] for the paper so I can frame it and post it in the facility with the caption, ‘It all started with innovation and vision,’” said Col. Lindy White, joint resiliency director for the Oklahoma National Guard.

White and her OKNG Health and Wellness team were included from the concept of design and will be involved through completion of the project. This allowed subject matter experts to provide input and feedback on the facility’s design, ensuring Oklahoma Guardsmen have access to a comfortable and safe space where they can focus on improving their physical and mental health.

“It felt like a team effort,” White said. “We were welcomed and encouraged to provide feedback throughout the process.”

The physical readiness center portion of the building will incorporate a fully-equipped workout space for resistance and agility training, and physical therapy spaces, while the other portion will include indoor and outdoor meditation spaces, a chapel for religious and non-religious persons, conference rooms, classrooms, a teaching kitchen, a coffee bar, and offices for OKNG Health and Wellness programs and services.

“With the availability of a chapel, classrooms, and individual office spaces, we have the opportunity for our Service Members and their families to access many more resources,” White said.

For the first time, these OKNG programs and services will be under one roof, including Behavioral Health, Chaplain, Equal Employment Opportunity, Family Programs, Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F), Integrated Primary Prevention, Resilience, Suicide Prevention, Substance Abuse Prevention and Risk Reduction, and Sexual Assault Prevention and Response.

“All these services will finally have a home,” White said. “We want to focus on optimal performance and building optimal performers to improve individual readiness.”

In order to maintain a trained and ready force, OKNG leadership recognized that mental health is as important as physical health. Building the wellness center and housing OKNG resources that support these efforts in one location ensures Guardsmen can find the tools needed to continue supporting our state and nation.

“The new wellness center provides much-needed protective factors for Oklahoma Guardsmen to access critical services,” said Brittney Criswell, integrated primary prevention manager for the Oklahoma National Guard. “As the space was designed, Guardsmen were the number one priority in assuring that the physical space provided accessibility and comfortability that all could utilize.”

According to Criswell, having multiple agencies housed under one roof is an emerging practice, and that Oklahoma is leading the way in this effort.

“(Oklahoma) will be able to truly live out the idea that there is ‘no wrong door’ in seeking services and support from the community,” Criswell said. “This will allow the helping agencies to better communicate and collaborate on important wellness and prevention measures and meet the needs of our service members.”

Aligning with components of wellness, the building was designed according to the WELL Building Standard, incorporating features across various concepts that address not only the building’s design and operations but also their influence on human behavior, health and well-being.

“[WELL] takes into account daylight, artificial light, air quality–so many different factors, so many different functions,” said Capt. EJ Johnson, Holistic Health and Fitness state coordinator for the OKNG. “There are stringent regulations and a minimum threshold that has to be met in order to be qualified for . So, the building itself will serve as a health component, as well as the individuals and teams inside.”

“Having a biophilic design helps impact the mental health and overall well-being for people who come to the facility and for those who work there by giving a feel of connectedness with nature and calm,” White said. “We want to create an environment that is inviting and welcoming whether you are coming to workout, access one of our critical services, or attend a class.”

During the ceremony, Mancino thanked attendees and supporters of the wellness center, including Oklahoma Senators Roger Thompson, Brenda Stanley and Chuck Hall, and Oklahoma Representatives Jason Lowe and Josh West, who garnered support for the facility and helped break ground, officially kickstarting the construction.

Members of the Oklahoma National Guard, Oklahoma Military Department employees, law enforcement and first responders can look forward to the facility’s completion in late 2025.

“It means a great deal to witness reaching this milestone,” White said about officially breaking ground. “We are incredibly appreciative for the support of our Oklahoma legislatures and senior leaders who placed emphasis on supporting our Guardsmen’s health and wellness.

“It all started with an idea pitched on a scrap piece of paper and now, through teamwork and collaboration and the groundbreaking, we will witness that dream come to reality,” White said.