2007 Visit

 2007 Visit 

In March 2007 Carl Erickson visited the 1st Bn at the invitation of LTC Knapp, C.O.  The invitation was to deliver a speech with slide show on the history of the 48th Infantry Regiment.  Arriving the day before, he was shown about the Battalion area and post.  To accomplish the Bn's mission of gender integrated Basic Combat Training (BCT) in nine weeks, training is provided by companies which are each filled with new soldiers on a phased basis.  When a new solider arrives, he or she will be assigned to one company with all the other new soldiers arriving at that time, and stay with that company until graduation nine weeks later if all requirements are completed.  If a soldier does not complete all requirements they do not graduate and are reassigned to a newer company to repeat the training. 

After dinner at the consolidated Bn. dining hall with 
LTC Knapp, Carl attended a welcoming briefing given by LTC Knap to a new company on their second day in the Army .  There he explained the Army Values and the Warrior Ethos, the  principles by which every American soldier will live.  

 That night LTC Knapp took me to the Rite of Passage ceremony for a company which had just completed their training by passing theVictory Forge, a 72-hour field exercise that climaxes Army basic training. It was a very impressive torchlight ceremony where again the commander spoke and shook hands with each and
 every soldier.

The following morning we visited the hand grenade range where every soldier practiced with a battle buddy, who provides suppressing fire while the thrower throws a practice grenade.  Practicing completed, each soldier threw two live grenades. 

Returning to post, we witnessed a we saw a  live fire and maneuver exercise consisting of two soldiers alternately firing and advancing across a range strewn with simulated building fronts, automobile wrecks, and silhouette targets.

That evening was the "Dining In", the first for 1-48 at Ft. Wood.  The Dining In is a formal dinner  providing an occasion for unit leaders to meet socially at a formal military function.  The purpose of the dining-in is to recognize individual and/or unit achievements or any events that are effective in guiding and maintaining esprit de corps. Steeped in tradition, it is carefully orchestrated, but a lot of fun for all those participating.  

Returning to post, we witnessed a we saw a  live fire and maneuver exercise consisting of two soldiers alternately firing and advancing across a range strewn with simulated building fronts, automobile wrecks, and silhouette targets.

That evening was the "Dining In", the first for 1-48 at Ft. Wood.  The Dining In is a formal dinner  providing an occasion for unit leaders to meet socially at a formal military function.  The purpose of the dining-in is to recognize individual and/or unit achievements or any events that are effective in guiding and maintaining esprit de corps. Steeped in tradition, it is carefully orchestrated, but a lot of fun for all those participating.  

 Events included presentation of the colors, filling of a punch or grog bowl with assorted liquids representing the history of the Regiment, short humorous skits by each company, and the key note speech.  

Carl left extremely impressed by the quality of officers and NCOs in the unit today, the quality of the training provided new soldiers to prepare them for deployment, and the very positive nature of the training not only in military skills, but also the Army Values and Warrior Ethos.  We can all be proud of the 48th today as well as in the past.