‘Duke Brigade’ begins arriving at Fort Knox
Posted On: Tuesday, Oct. 27 2009 03:02 PM
The Associated Press
FORT KNOX, Ky. — Fort Knox reached a milestone as part of the military's base realignment with the partial arrival of its first active brigade available for combat deployment since the mid-1990s.
The arrival of the first wave of troops from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, nicknamed "Duke Brigade" is part of a transition expected to add about 11,500 residents — soldiers, civilians and their families — in the Fort Knox and surrounding areas in the next two years, The Courier-Journal of Louisville reported.
The brigade of about 3,400 troops is moving from Fort Hood. About 1,000 brigade soldiers are now stationed at Fort Knox, and an additional 2,400 troops are scheduled to arrive by summer 2010.
Brigade commander Col. Chris Toner said about half of his troops are veterans of recent operations in Afghanistan. The other half includes new soldiers or those from of other units, he said.
At a recent ceremony at Fort Knox, the Army recognized the six battalions for their work in Afghanistan, which included building hospitals, schools and roads along with fighting the Taliban. Red roses, delivered on horseback, were given to the families of soldiers who died in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"This is a great day, an historical day — not only for Fort Knox, but for our surrounding communities and the state of Kentucky," said Maj. Gen. James M. Milano, commander of the post's Armor Center.
The brigadewas formed in 1917 and saw its first action in France during World War I. The unit has served in World War II, Vietnam, the Middle East, the Balkans and the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The 1st Infantry is headquartered at Fort Riley, Kan., and the division is also known as the "Big Red One."
The military's Base Realignment and Closure effort, or BRAC, started in 2005 and must be finished in 2011. Besides the arrival of the Duke Brigade and other smaller troop movements, the Army's Human Resources Command will relocate to the Fort Knox in central Kentucky.
As a result of the changes, officials expect about 5,000 new military, civilian and contracting jobs, including 3,100 mostly civilian positions in the Army's Human Resources Command.
In preparation for the growth, Fort Knox has completed $218 million in new construction, including a dining hall, brigade headquarters and two complexes that house about 1,440 soldiers.
Toner said about 300 brigade families live off post — some as far away as southern Indiana. Most families live in Elizabethtown and Radcliff, he said.
Col. Jeff Ogden, Fort Knox's deputy garrison commander for transformation, said Army officials are working to ensure there's enough housing off Fort Knox.
Meanwhile, schools are already experiencing the impact.
When classes began at Fort Knox High School in August, the school showcased an $18 million renovation with 71,500 square feet. Since Aug. 3, the number of students has climbed steadily, said Jerry Leitzell, public affairs officer for Fort Knox School Community Schools.
Enrollment across the system was 2,339 as of Oct. 1 — its highest in three years, Leitzell said.
"We attribute most of the student enrollment increases to the BRAC moves," he said.
Within the last year, Hardin County Public Schools added more than 350 students, bringing its total enrollment to 14,484, spokesman Dick Thornton said.
"We've grown by an elementary school — you can look at it that way," he said.
Hardin school officials are using $6.7 million in state-backed bond money to begin renovations at Radcliff Middle School, which will move its current students to a new middle school in January, Thornton said.
Elsewhere, officials are scrambling to build roads, schools and expand sewer and water services to fit the coming boom.
Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear announced earlier this year that $100 million in bonds would be spent on more than a dozen projects in Meade and Hardin counties.
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Information from: The Courier-Journal,
http://www.courier-journal.com