Camp Fretterd Training Center Dedicated to Fallen Soldier

By Lt. Kristofer Baumgartner

Brig. Gen. Peter Hinz, commander of the Maryland Army National Guard, hosted the dedication of the SFC Collin J. Bowen Warrior Training Center at Camp Fretterd Military Reservation in Reisterstown on March 23, 2011.

The SFC Collin J. Bowen Warrior Training Center consists of seven buildings
or locations, each hosting a training area where soldiers of the Maryland
Army National Guard hone their individual and collective soldier skills in preparation for deploy. Among the training activities conducted in these areas are combatives, military rappelling, individual and crew-served weapons simulation and combat convoy simulation.

Sgt. 1st Class Collin Bowen was deployed to Afghanistan when he was injured
by an improvised explosive device on Jan. 2, 2008. He passed away on March
14, 2008.

Prior to naming the facility for Bowen, hundreds of soldiers, including Bowen, had trained at the facility. Soldiers have trained there for virtually every possible mission from domestic operations to combat in Afghanistan and Iraq.