Posted on Aug 30, 2014
Do you know the military history of your basic training unit?
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I'm watching GLORY right now and reminiscing about my basic training unit. (NO, I did NOT serve during the Civil War!!!) I went to basic at Fort Benning, GA back in early 1990. We were the Echo "Gladiators" of 2/54 INF. Basic training units are RICH in history. The 54th Massachusetts was the first all black unit (Infantry) that our nation created to help turn the tide of the Civil War. What was your basic training unit? Bonus points if you know the history of it.
Edited >1 y ago
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 62
C Company 13th Battalion 4th Regiment. As for the history of someone's Basic Training Unit, that would also depend upon the era that you are talking about. For mine, it was a Training Unit only and was never a combat unit as units are once again using for linage purposes today as they also did before my time. Some individuals can claim a 101st Airborne Division Unit as a Basic Training Unit, if you have someone from the appropriate period asked the question.
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I did OSUT at Ft Sill B Btry 1/31. I have no idea what its battle history is. I was too worried about surviving long enough to graduation.
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SSG Lloyd Becker BSBA-HCM, MBA
I been have at Ft. Sill three times. Â Once for AIT, Service Battery Ammo Section, 2/2 FA, then B Battery Chemical Section, 1/17th FA. Â I took over the Ammo Section when they lost their Chief to PCS. Â I worked the S-3 Chemical slot until they could figure out what they were going to do with the Chemical NCO they had. Â Ft. Sill/Lawton is a good duty station, but if you like tornados, extreme ice and snow, it is a good place to retire to. Â I almost did.
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PO1 Samuel Cook
I went to Fort Sill in 1989. I did 18 months there, 1st basic in A BTRY 2/80, then AIT in C BTRY 2/80. 18 months with drill sergeants. I was glad to get out alive, some of us didn't. I think we had 3 suicides, and training round went off course and killed a bunch of others. Death Merchants - Oooh Shaah! I'll never forget Drill Sergeants : Brown, Gaskin, Trimpey, & one other whose name eludes me - my battle buddy was certain he was the devil.
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I was in A Co/11/4 at Fort Knox. It was located in the "Temporary Barracks" off of Gold Vault Blvd. July 71-Sep 71. I have no idea of the history.
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SPC Don Stacks
I was in E/15/4 at Fort Knox in the "new" barracks" at the same time. Did AIT at Knox from Sep 71 to Nov 71 and then the rest of my enlistment in the DC suburbs and then downtown DC.
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Oh...... history, now lets see. I went to 1/33 FA. Alpha Battery Wolfpack FT. Sill, OK September 1995 and honestly I don't know much of the unit's history. Sad, because I am insterested in history. Went to Delta Battery 2/80 FA for AIT also FT. Sill, OK.
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SFC Mark Merino
I never went to Fort Sill. Is it as bad as I have been lead to believe SFC (Join to see) ?
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SFC (Join to see)
Ft.Sill, Ok.....oh,boy. Well for me is it was home. It was where I started then returned and finished my military career. Short career it seemed. I loved being deployed. I got to see the world and then there is Ft. Sill. Half of it is training units Basic, AIT PLDC(then) BNOC, ANOC Officer schools and so on. Then the other half is mechanized Field Artillery and firing ranges. Then add good old fashoined prairie lands of Oklahoma. I was wounded by enemy fire after recovery I was sent to Sill to instruct 13A's FA officers and medical boarded. Thank you U.S. Army board come back Med. Retirement. Too bad though, I really enjoyed teaching. But to answer NO not that bad!
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PO1 Samuel Cook
SFC Mark Merino - While I was at Fort Sill, from 1988-1989, We had an incident where a round went off course killing 28 on 27 SEP 1989, we also had an incident at the grenade range where an itty-bitty private threw the pin and dropped the grenade. Lucky for a bunch of us the Drill Sergeant caught the grenade & threw it in time. It blew up overhead and shrapnel peppered the concrete bunker we ducked behind. I lost half my hearing. I told stories about Fort Sill years later to Army guys from other places & they thought I was lying. How they had us dig up poison ivy bushes and replant them in other places, rappelling down cliffs covered in rattle snakes, and sleeping with the millions of tarantulas in the field. Good times - good times.
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I went through C Co, 3/61 Inf BN out of Ft. Jackson, SC in 1987. I know nothing else about them!
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