Although the commander, Lt. Col. Brian Patterson, has been mobilized at Fort Knox for the past four years, most of his staffers received orders to mobilize effective May 1. So his cadre have been working together for slightly more than one month.
“Drill sergeants have to go through a rigorous certification process,” explained Capt. Keith Bester, the battalion adjutant, “but they are all ready to go. Col. Patterson and Command Sgt. Maj. (Donald) Siler were already mobilized, so they anchored the team.”
Courtesy Fort Knox Turret
During the activation ceremony, the 5th Battalion,46th Infantry colors were unfurled.
Acclimation may be a literal issue for some of the newly mobilized reservists. The battalion’s four companies hail from across the continental U.S. Company A is from Las Vegas, Nev., Company B is from Eugene, Ore., Company C is from Corbin, Ky. while Company D is from Long Island, N.Y.
Familiar with Fort Knox, Patterson said he is eager to begin his new mission.
“I was a one-man show until my staff arrived,” he said with a laugh. “The reservists with the 100th Division always train at Knox, so they are familiar with the installation, but those from further away may still be learning their way around.”
Maj. Michael Catron, the battalion executive officer, said he doesn’t anticipate any problems associated with the staff coming from different parent units.
In his welcome speech, Col. David Hubner, the commander of the 194th Training Brigade, told the new unit, “You are joining the best environment, the best training brigade in the Army. I look forward to working with you this summer, and I’m confident in your ability to turn civilians into Soldiers.”
Originally constituted in May 1917, the 5/46 was formally activated at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Ind., from elements of the 10th Infantry Regiment. During World War II, the 46th became an armored infantry battalion. The 5/46 won five battle streamers for its participation in European combat. It was deactivated after the war, but reactivated for engagement in the Vietnam War, where another nine battle streamers were added.
Activation ceremonies serve two purposes, according to Bester’s welcome remarks. Primarily, they allow a commander to assess his staff’s readiness and discipline and secondly, provide a definite point in time to uncase the unit’s colors and review its history.
Patterson added that his cadre had only one month to train and certify, but he’s confident that his Soldiers are ready for their mission. The unit receives its first cycle of Soldiers-in-training tomorrow.
“(The reservists) bring their Soldier skills as well as those gained in their civilian lives,” Patterson said. “These guys train hard to maintain their skills even when they’re not on active duty. This is a prime example of the Army Reserve and active Army working hand in hand, side by side.”