FORT BENNING, Ga., (June 24, 2015) -- Soldier in and out processing at Fort Benning used to take place at Soldiers Plaza, or "splinter village" as it was referred to by those who worked in the 70-year-old "temporary" buildings.

Soldiers coming to or leaving Fort Benning will now report to the Soldier Service Center at Ridgway Hall. A grand opening and ribbon cutting was held June 17 at the newly updated facility.

Ridgway Hall was originally built in the 1930s to house the U.S. Army Infantry School and post headquarters. Over the years, the three story historic building housed the staff of the Directorate of Public Works, the U.S. Army School of the Americas- renamed the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation in 2001- and post headquarters.

The hall, also known as Building 35, was named in honor of Maj. Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway in 1991. Deputy Garrison Commander George Steuber said Ridgway was at Fort Benning in the Infantry Officer Company Commander course years ago because he did not go to fight in WWI after he graduated from West Point, like General Patton and other notable generals of the time.

"He thought his career was over, and he came here and he got revitalized," Steuber said.

Ridgway made connections at Fort Benning that saw him through to become a four star general and eventually chief of staff of the U.S. Army.

"This hall has had General Marshall, General Ridgway and all these heroes who I grew up as a child admiring because they had won the world's greatest war. They are the greatest generation. And so, when you walk through here today listen to those echoes of your footsteps. Those echoes are American history. Those echoes are the leaders that have shaped America to what it is today, the greatest country in the world," Steuber said.

Steuber said when renovation began in Ridgway Hall, they found asbestos and black mold.

"Things come to a screeching halt until you find a way to pay for it, fix it and mitigate it. So, this building stood vacant for a long time as we tried to figure out how are we going to fund this," Steuber said.

Steuber said people would be amazed at what a beautiful structure Ridgway Hall still is.

"I hope I look half this good when I turn 80," Steuber said.

Brig. Gen. Scott McKean said the grand opening marked a great day for Fort Benning, Soldiers and Families.

"The opening of Ridgway Hall is truly overdue, because this is the face, this is the first time our Soldiers will see, in some cases, the Army and they see it from the face of Ridgway Hall. The significance of the history here and what this building has meant to our Army is what makes this day so special," McKean said.

McKean said it is important to remember the important civilians and Soldiers who work in the facility.

"Putting them in the proper environment so they can serve our Soldiers and Families with a sense of pride, I think that makes it better for everyone," McKean said.

Danny Wilson, chief of Military Personnel Division, Directorate of Human Resources, said Ridgway Hall is a vast improvement from Soldiers Plaza, where Soldiers, Families and employees had to walk from one building to another for services and often dealt with undesirable weather conditions like cold, rain and heat.

"We call this a safe haven, because we were always concerned about inclement weather (at Soldiers Plaza)," Wilson said.

Wilson, whose office is now housed at Ridgway Hall, said everyone working in the new facility was very excited about the move from "splinter village."

"It was pretty obvious when we came here, the smiles on everyone's faces," Wilson said. "We're one big happy Family and we're happy to be here."

Ridgway Hall currently houses the Directorate of Human Resources, Military Personnel Division, Defense Military Pay Office, Directorate of Public Works, Housing Services Office, Logistics Readiness Center Passenger Services, CWT-Sato Travel, Installation Retention Office, Installation Replacement Operations Center, Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness Program, Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Java Café, Special Operations Recruiting Battalion and DPTMS Security Division.