OnBase: Fort Carson
Mountain Post Molds 'Heroes Proved'By Julie Dawson
Fall 2006
The Army post of Fort Carson, Colo., is shadowed by picturesque Pike's Peak, the view from which inspired Katharine Lee Bates to write her patriotic hymn, "America the Beautiful."
Natural beauty still abounds here, even while the population grows steadily as more people seek their fortunes in nearby Colorado Springs - which traces its beginnings from other fortune seekers: gold miners. The Army is a relative newcomer to town, but Fort Carson likely will be staying awhile as soldiers continue to train for victory on the battlefield.
Colorado Springs, then a small mountain town, was selected as the site of a new Army camp in January 1942, barely a month after the attack on Pearl Harbor. A month later, it was named after frontiersman and Brigadier General "Kit" Carson, and training activity began immediately. Camp Carson was designated an Army fort in 1954, but was slated for closure in 1961 as various divisions transferred or were reorganized.
The Cuban missile crisis and Berlin blockade saved Fort Carson by justifying the reactivation of more divisions. Additional land was acquired in the 1960s, reaching the current size of 138,523 acres. The 43rd Area Support Group was activated in 1966, which has grown today to include Headquarters, 759th Military Police, 10th Combat Support Hospital and the 68th Corps Support Battalion.
The 4th Infantry Division transferred to Fort Carson, as the Vietnam War brought increased training. During the 1970s, the Department of Defense chose Fort Carson as a site of initial tests for the modern volunteer Army concept. Many of the benefits today's military personnel enjoy were placed into action during those tests: Facilities were modernized, programs created, living conditions improved, pay increased and training grew more relevant.
The 7th Infantry Division (Light) was reactivated at Fort Carson in 1999, creating the first Army division composed of a combination of active and reserve units. Though headquartered at Fort Carson, reserve brigades based in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Oregon fall under the command and train separately for a unified deployment.
Another historic change took place in 2005, when the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division arrived at Fort Carson after being located in South Korea for 50 years. The 2nd Brigade returned from Iraq, its first deployment in five decades, and brought more than 3,700 troops, their families and the equipment necessary to make Fort Carson its new home. This personnel shift is considered a favorable indication that there are no plans to close Fort Carson in the near future.
Among the other commands calling Fort Carson home are the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team (under the 4th Infantry Division), the 10th Special Forces Group and the 13th Air Support Operations Squadron. The 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment had been a major player at Fort Carson since 1996, but it moved to Fort Hood, Tex., in June 2006.
Training Soldiers, Building Leaders
Since the majority of the training is focused on infantry ground operations, plenty of maintenance facilities are available for wheeled and tracked vehicles, some involved in testing and improving Army vehicle performance and safety. When the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment deployed to Iraq in 2005, its vehicles were the first to go with improved armor. Even before Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld was publicly questioned about it, work was underway to retrofit the Regiment's vehicles.
Unfortunately, the extra armor has not helped enough. Fort Carson has lost a higher ratio of soldiers in Iraq than any other Army post: nine out of every thousand assigned to the post. While Fort Hood has lost more in numbers, it boasts twice the population of Fort Carson.
In response, training has been improved and security measures increased, including practice searches and raids in mock villages using costumed U.S. soldiers who fight with the tactics used recently against them in Iraq. While the insurgency in Iraq has increased over time, the U.S. troop death rate has remained largely the same, perhaps a testament to some of these improvements and to the growing ability of military medical personnel to save lives on the battlefield.
Despite the challenges - or perhaps because of them - Fort Carson sports remarkably high numbers of re-enlistments. In May 2006, 640 soldiers in the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment again took the military oath, agreeing to place themselves in harm's way once more. For many, there is unfinished business in Iraq, with deaths to avenge and duty to fulfill.
For those staying on, Colorado Springs tends to be a very friendly place for military personnel to live - and not just Army. The U.S. Air Force Academy, Peterson Air Force Base, Schreiver Air Force Base (a satellite control facility) and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) are all nearby.
The area is popular not only for military but also for athletics. Many world-class athletes choose to live and train in Colorado Springs, taking advantage of the altitude, climate and the U.S. Olympic Training Center Complex there. The Army bases the World Class Athlete Program at Fort Carson, though some athletes are allowed to train elsewhere. Since its inception in 1948, 541 soldier-athletes have brought home 131 Olympic medals, and many more have competed and won awards at all levels of athletic competition.
When Katharine Lee Bates wrote "O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties, Above the fruited plain!" her eyes may well have gazed on the place Fort Carson now occupies. Though time and progress have changed the landscape, her words later in the song apply to those who serve at Fort Carson as much now as ever: "O beautiful for heroes proved, In liberating strife; Who more than self their country loved, And mercy more than life!"
# # #
Julie Dawson is an editor for WordCrafters and teaches the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society's "Budget for Baby" program at the Mountain Warfare Training Center, Bridgeport, CA.
# # #
Fort Carson At A Glance
Schools: Twenty-six public school districts serve the Ft. Carson region, including three elementary and one middle school on post. Numerous private schools are available locally.
Higher Education: Colorado State University at Pueblo, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Pike's Peak Community College, and various other community colleges, vocational and technical schools are nearby. Additional opportunities also are in Denver, about an hour north. Colorado offers a very favorable in-state residency policy for active-duty military and their dependents.
Medical: Evans Army Community Hospital on post has inpatient beds and a broad range of outpatient services. Dental care is available to active duty; family dental care can be obtained off-post.
Employment: The greater Colorado Springs area is home to more than 500,000 people, and its strong growth has boosted employment opportunities in technology and industry as well as almost every sector of the economy.
Housing: Additional housing units have been built in recent years, but waiting periods remain common for on-post housing. Off-post housing is available to rent or buy at prices that fall in the middle of a national average comparison scale, though the local cost of living is rising. Start the housing search early by contacting the Housing Referral Office on-post, as apartments sometimes prove scarce.
Recreation: On-post facilities include a library, pools, golf, bowling, a well-used woodcraft shop, craft center, auto center and more. The Army maintains Turkey Creek Ranch just south of Fort Carson, which offers pony and stagecoach rides, pack trips, stables and a taste of the old West. Year-round outdoor recreation is plentiful in Colorado Springs, which boasts more than 300 days of sunshine a year. Artistic, cultural and sporting events are held locally, and all the fun Denver has to offer is about an hour away.
Climate: Located 6,035 feet above sea level, Colorado Springs' dry, thin air intensifies the summer temperatures, but that same air cools quickly after the sun goes down. Winters are more moderate than might be expected, with most of the snowfall typically coming in March and April but melting quickly.
Web:
Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce
Army World Class Sports Program
Related articles:
OnBase: La Maddalena
OnBase: Nellis Air Force Base
OnBase: Mountain Warfare Training Center
OnBase: Fort Knox
OnBase: San Antonio
OnBase: Guantanamo Bay
OnBase: Fort Bragg
On Base: Fort Stewart
OnBase: Camp Pendleton
On Base: Lajes Field
OnBase: Guam
