Story - The Meade County Messenger


Vol. 115, No. 15	April 9, 2008

“It’s happening . . .”
BRAC changes ongoing at Fort Knox as more soldiers attest

By LARRY SEE JR.
Messenger Staff

“For those that were skeptical as to whether or not BRAC was happening, they are wrong. It’s happening,” Garrison Commander Col. Mark Needham said.

As the garrison commander, Needham is responsible for base operations and strategic planning efforts at Fort Knox.

Needham, during an interview with the Messenger, also said Fort Knox is further ahead than other installations as they used a lot of their upfront funding and have gotten a head start on the new soldier locations.

“We have a fiscal year 2006-2007 budget and used a lot of our fiscal year 2005 funding for buildings and others are just getting started,” Needham said.

The two biggest units that have arrived are the 19th Engineers and the 3rd Sustainment Command.

“The 19th have already stood up and have gone overseas and just recently arrived back,” Needham said.

The 3rd is an element from Germany, who recently arrived at Fort Knox, only to be sent overseas to assist in support missions for the troops in Iraq.

Still another unit has arrived from Fort McCoy, Wis., one of the stops area officials made during their “road show” visits last month.

The 70th Training Division (functional training) unit’s previous history included 86 consecutive days of service, the liberation of 56 towns and the taking of 668 prisoners.

They were welcomed in February.

“One thing dealing with the military is that you are always supposed to be flexible,” Needham said.

One of the last units to relocate to Fort Knox is the massive Human Resources Command, according to Needham.

A representative of that command is already in place, scoping out locations for future personnel.

The final units expected to relocate are the 100th Division and the 84th out of Fort McCoy, Needham said.

“These won’t move in until the Armor Center moves out,” he said. “And they’re not going to move out until 2010, or at least start to move at that time. I don’t think they will finish until 2011.”

Needham touched on other topics during the wide-ranging interview. Here are his comments:

BRAC ROAD TOURS:

“I thought they were terrific and very successful,” Needham said.

Local officials, including members of area Chambers of Commerce, banking, schools, county representatives and others visited places where soldiers are expected to depart from enroute to Fort Knox.

At each visit, three of which dealt with new arrivals from the Human Resources Command (Indianapolis, Ind., St. Louis, Mo., and Alexandria, Va., one for the accessions command (Fort Monroe) and one for the 84th U.S. Army Reserve Readiness Training Center (Fort McCoy). officials touted the benefits of living local.

“Two years ago when we did this we really didn’t know what to expect,” Needham recalled.

“When we started it this year we learned a lot of people are all ready to move. That has really made a difference and the people there were keying in on that,” he said.

Although it cannot be determined exactly who or when they are coming, or even where they are relocating to, Needham said during an informal survey he was shocked at the amount of people who were ready to relocate.

“They have not been issued their orders (as to where they are going yet),” Needham said. “That is up to the command structure and that has not happened yet.”

He did say it would be a while before these people relocated. They still had some time before they make their relocation decisions.

ON HIS RETIREMENT:
Friday, July 11 might not be a memorable day for some, but for Needham it is bittersweet. July 11 is expected to be his retirement, his last day at Fort Knox, the place he has called home for the last several years.

Although he doesn’t know where he is heading yet, he has started the process of downloading BRAC and other information to his successor, Col. Rick Schwartz.

In addition, the “brain drain” is in process with Col. Jeff Ogden, the deputy garrison commander for transformation.

“He will have been here for one year in June and has done a lot with me. He in is the process of getting smart.”

Needham said Schwartz will figure out all the necessary changes.

“I was here for the exciting part,” Needham said. “Now he will be able to be here through all of the changes.”

But Needham does know one thing. He’ll miss the people he has dealt with at Fort Knox.

“The people make this place special,” he said, adding he has been at other installations and they’ve not been as welcoming as they are here.

“They are always friendly,” he said. “And they make you feel like you are a part of the community.”

Needham eventually may decide to remain locally, due in part to the warm welcome he has received.

“The community has just been so super to me,” Needham said. “They have made my job a whole lot easier.”

Needham graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1982 earning a bachelor of science in engineering and a commission as an armor officer. His military schooling includes the Armor Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Airborne School, Combined Arms Services Staff School, Command and General Staff College, Joint and Combined Staff Officer School and the Army War College. He also holds a master of science in chemistry from the Pennsylvania State University.

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