NORWICH – A Chenango County coalition of planning and human service agencies, working in conjunction with Southern Tier East Regional Planning and Development and the United States Department of Defense, is hammering out details of a large-scale military training exercise that may bring no-cost health services to thousands of local residents as early as next summer.

An application to the DOD was filed by Southern Tier East in November with hopes of bringing an Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) site to Chenango County. Having been officially selected as a possible IRT site earlier this year, plans are now underway to make the proposal a reality as early as July, 2015.

If plans go accordingly, the IRT site in Chenango would bring an estimated 80-100 military personnel to the Chenango County Fairgrounds in Norwich for training in health services encompassing basic clinical, dental and veterinary needs to local residents free of charge. Plans are to utilize the Norwich City high school and middle school for clinic locations, and the fairgrounds for veterinary services and additional set-up.

Other possible services, including a vision center and mental health clinic, are also being explored.