85-562: Joint Readiness Training Center (JTRC) may refer to: Fort Johnson (Vernon Parish, Louisiana), the current home of the Joint Readiness Training Center Fort Chaffee (Fort Smith, Arkansas), the home of the Joint Readiness Training Center from 1987 to 1993 Fort Lewis (Tacoma, Washington) Fort Bliss (El Paso, Texas) Topics referred to by
170-507: A New World equivalent to Oxford and Cambridge , both in England. (In his August 1856 letter to Bishop Elliott, he expounded on the secessionist motives for his university. ) Polk laid and consecrated the cornerstone for the first building on October 9, 1860. Polk's foundational legacy at Sewanee is remembered through his portrait Sword Over the Gown , painted by Eliphalet F. Andrews in 1900. After
255-419: A Confederate general. Lucius E. Polk's son Rufus King Polk was a Congressman. Polk's son, William Mecklenburg Polk , was a physician and a Confederate captain who later served as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army during World War I. He later authored his most flattering biography. William M. Polk's son, Frank Polk , served as a counselor to the U.S. Department of State through World War I and later became
340-568: A Continental Army Command (CONARC) post in July 1975 and became a Forces Command (FORSCOM) member. In the spring of 1976, the Infantry Training Center at Fort Polk closed its doors and ceased operations. The final chapter of the Vietnam War ended for Fort Polk. The Combat Engineer Battalion of the 588th lived on North Fort Polk, Louisiana. With the end of the Vietnam War, Fort Polk experienced
425-569: A basically incompetent general, Polk had the added fault of hating to take orders. Steven E. Woodworth , Jefferson Davis and His Generals In April 1862, Polk commanded the First Corps of Albert Sidney Johnston's Army of Mississippi at the Battle of Shiloh . He continued in that role for much of the year under Beauregard, who assumed command following the death of Johnston at Shiloh and then under Gen. Braxton Bragg . At various times, his command
510-859: A bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana and founder of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Confederate States of America , which separated from the Episcopal Church of the United States of America. He was a planter in Maury County, Tennessee , and a first cousin twice removed of President James K. Polk . He resigned his ecclesiastical position to become a major-general in the Confederate States Army , when he
595-519: A field commander was poor, Polk was immensely popular with his troops, and the Army of Tennessee deeply mourned his death. Polk's funeral service at Saint Paul's Church in Augusta, Georgia , was one of the most elaborate during the war. His friend Bishop Stephen Elliott of Georgia presided at the service, delivering a stirring funeral oration. He was buried in a location under the present-day altar. The church has
680-508: A massive Greek Revival home called Ashwood Hall . Polk was the largest slaveowner in the county in 1840, owning 111 slaves. (By 1850, the census recorded that Polk owned 400 slaves, but other estimates are as high as 1000.) He built a family chapel with his four brothers in Maury County, St. John's Church , at Ashwood. He also served as priest of St. Peter's Church in Columbia, Tennessee . He
765-501: A modern Post Exchange, commissary, warehouses, classrooms, athletic complexes and improved gunnery ranges. Effective 21 March 1976, the 1st Battalion 61st Infantry was reactivated and once again assigned to the 5th Division at Fort Polk. In 1993, the Joint Readiness Training Center moved from Fort Chaffee , Arkansas , to Fort Polk, and once again, the post was called on to prepare soldiers for conflict. Each year, JRTC typically conducts several rotations for units about to deploy. During
850-507: A monument to Polk near the altar, and the original grave site can be visited. In 1945, his remains and those of his wife were reinterred at Christ Church Cathedral in New Orleans . His grave can be found in the front floor sanctuary, to the right of the pulpit. Fort Polk in Louisiana was named for Polk until 2023 when it was renamed Fort Johnson . Polk's nephew, Lucius E. Polk , was also
935-631: A political necessity. Kenneth W. Noe , Perryville At the Battle of Perryville , Polk's right wing constituted the main attacking force against Maj. Gen. Don Carlos Buell 's Army of the Ohio , but Polk was reluctant to attack the small portion of Buell's army that faced him until Bragg arrived at the battlefield. One enduring legend of the Civil War is when Polk observed his subordinate, Maj. Gen. Benjamin F. Cheatham , advancing his division, and Cheatham allegedly shouted, "Give 'em hell, boys!" Polk seconded
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#17328520544701020-473: A severe loss. It was not that Polk had been a spectacular corps officer. His deficiencies as a commander and his personal traits of stubbornness and childishness had played no small role in several of the army's disasters in earlier times. The loss was one of morale and experience. Polk was the army's most beloved general, a representative of that intangible identification of the army with Tennessee. — Thomas L. Connelly , Autumn of Glory My pen and ability
1105-530: A transition from an installation focused on basic and advanced individual training to that of the home of the reactivated 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized). Activated in September 1975, the division called Fort Polk home until it was inactivated in November 1992. The date of this inactivation, 24 November 1992, was exactly 75 years from the date of the original activation of the division on 24 November 1917. The division
1190-562: Is based on each participating organization's mission essential tasks list and many of exercises are mission rehearsals for actual operations the organization is scheduled to conduct. JRTC scenarios allow complete integration of Air Force and other military services as well as host-nation and civilian role players. The exercise scenarios replicate many of the unique situations and challenges a unit may face to include host national officials and citizens, insurgents and terrorists, news media coverage and non-governmental organizations. The mission of
1275-647: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Fort Johnson 31°04′21″N 93°04′50″W / 31.072638°N 93.080635°W / 31.072638; -93.080635 Fort Johnson , formerly Fort Polk , is a United States Army installation located in Vernon Parish , Louisiana , about 10 miles (15 km) east of Leesville and 30 miles (50 km) north of DeRidder in Beauregard Parish . Named after New York soldier William Henry Johnson ,
1360-467: Is filled with dense, jungle-like vegetation, so this, along with Louisiana's heat, humidity and precipitation (similar to southeast Asia) helped commanders acclimatize new infantry soldiers in preparation for combat in Vietnam . This training area became known as Tigerland . For the next 12 years, more soldiers were shipped to Vietnam from Fort Polk than from any other American training base. For many, Fort Polk
1445-449: Is inadequate to the task of doing his memory justice. Every private soldier loved him. Second to Stonewall Jackson , his loss was the greatest the South ever sustained. When I saw him there dead, I felt that I had lost a friend whom I had ever loved and respected, and that the South had lost one of her best and greatest Generals. — Private Sam Watkins , Co. Aytch Although his record as
1530-401: Is proposed" , but in 2005 there were concerns of the post being "at risk", with a proposal to look at land expansion. In 2008 Fort Johnson began a land expansion plan. The plan calls for the acquisition of 100,000 acres for large JRTC maneuvers and live fire operations. This will be the largest land expansion since World War II, located south and southeast of Peason Ridge, and the first parcel
1615-594: The Afrika Korps , Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's troops who fought in North Africa. They were housed in a large fenced-in compound in the area now encompassing Honor Field, Fort Polk's parade ground. Finding themselves captured, transported across the ocean, and imprisoned in the middle of summer was made to hurt their spirits. In his book Up Front , author Bill Mauldin noted that it was more practical to ship prisoners to camps in
1700-547: The Confederate States Army . Polk was commissioned a major general on June 25, 1861, and ordered to command Department No. 2 (roughly, the area between the Mississippi River and the Tennessee River ). He committed one of the great blunders of the Civil War by dispatching troops to occupy Columbus, Kentucky , in September 1861; the governor of the critical border state of Kentucky had declared its neutrality between
1785-613: The NATO Reforger 78 and 84 Exercise in Europe and the 1989 Invasion of Panama, known as Operation Just Cause . From June to August 1987 the 95th Division (Tng) conducted basic training exercises of approximately 600 recruits. During the stay of the 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Polk experienced a major building program that included new barracks, motor pools, 1000 family housing units, chapels, and dental clinics. The Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital, named after Stanhope Bayne-Jones ,
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#17328520544701870-683: The United States and the Confederacy. Still, Polk's action prompted the Kentucky legislature to request U.S. aid to "expel the invaders", ensuring U.S. control of Kentucky for the remainder of the war. During this period, Polk argued about strategy with his subordinate, Brig. Gen. Gideon Johnson Pillow , and his superior, Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston , commander of Confederate forces in the Western Theater. Resentful that his former West Point roommate
1955-753: The Virginia Theological Seminary . He became an assistant to Bishop Richard Channing Moore at Monumental Church in Richmond, Virginia . Moore agreed to ordain Polk as a deacon in April 1830; however, on a visit to Raleigh in March, it was discovered that he had never been confirmed as an Episcopalian. To remedy the fact, before his ordination, he was hastily confirmed at St. John's Episcopal Church in Fayetteville, NC. He
2040-442: The 115th Combat Support Hospital include: general surgery, orthopaedics, podiatry, and physical therapy. Additional support for clinical operations is provided through a pharmacy, X-ray services, clinical laboratories, anaesthesia, and operative services. The 115th Combat Support Hospital is also staffed to provide medical command management and administrative support through an organic medical headquarters. During peacetime operations
2125-459: The 115th Field Hospital trains at the JRTC and Fort Johnson. As a deployable medical systems hospital with the most modern equipment available, the unit is capable of being deployed in an area of operations during a contingency, war or national emergency. U.S. Army Garrison provides installation support for all tenant units as well as JRTC rotational units. The Fort Johnson medical facility comprises
2210-688: The 1990s and the 1st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade , and the 162nd Infantry Brigade in the 2000s. Fort Johnson is now home to the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC), the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division , 115th Combat Support Hospital , U.S. Army Garrison and Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital. The land that is now Fort Johnson is part of a region of cultural resources, including archaeological sites, historic houses and structures, and other sites of historical value. The U.S. Army has spent considerable time, effort, and money to find and inventory thousands of archaeological sites on Fort Johnson and
2295-477: The 1990s, Fort Polk based soldiers deployed to Haiti , Southwest Asia , Suriname , Panama , Bosnia , and other locations. Weather support for the exercise is completed by the units participating in the exercise in conjunction with the 26th Operational Weather Squadron . The 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment arrived at Fort Polk in 1993 as the armored cavalry regiment of the XVIII Airborne Corps. Elements of
2380-461: The 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment would be transformed into an Infantry-based Stryker Brigade and move to Fort Lewis, Washington. The transfer of the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment from Fort Polk to Fort Lewis was completed in 2006. The 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment was later moved to Vilseck , Germany. The Joint Readiness Training Center is focused on improving unit readiness by providing highly realistic, stressful, joint and combined arms training across
2465-584: The 3rd Infantry Division from Fort Benning. Upon completion of Operation Sagebrush, Polk was declared a permanent installation and the 1st Armored Division was reassigned from Fort Hood to the newly renamed Fort Polk to continue to test mobility and combat strategies for the nuclear age. The 1st Armored Division, with its modern M-48 Patton Tanks and new helicopters, remained at Fort Polk until June 1959, before returning to Fort Hood. In 1962, Fort Polk began converting to both basic training and an advanced individual training (AIT) center. A small portion of Fort Polk
2550-557: The Army and the United States Congress to keep troop strength at full capacity despite looming defense cuts. Fort Johnson began as a base for the Louisiana Maneuvers in the 1940s. It served the 1st Armored Division in the 1950s, and became a basic training post during Vietnam War years of the 1960s and '70s. It hosted the 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized) in the 1970s-1980s, and the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment in
2635-547: The Army of Tennessee withdrew into the mountains of northwestern Georgia with the Army of the Cumberland in hot pursuit. Bragg planned to attack and destroy at least one of Rosecrans' corps, advancing separately over mountainous roads. He was infuriated when Polk's division under Maj. Gen. Thomas C. Hindman failed to attack an isolated U.S. Army corps at Davis's Cross Roads as ordered on September 11. Two days later, Polk disregarded orders from Bragg to attack another isolated corps,
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2720-695: The Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital, the Wellness and Readiness Center, the Department of Behavioral Health and the United States Army Air Ambulance Detachment. The hospital is named in honour of Brigadier General Stanhope Bayne-Jones, a native of New Orleans, Louisiana. A bacteriologist and preventive medicine specialist, he achieved worldwide acclaim as the individual responsible for the control of typhus in Europe at
2805-570: The Episcopal Church and was baptized in the Academy Chapel by Chaplain Charles P. McIlvaine , who later became the Episcopal Bishop of Ohio. Polk had an impressive academic record, excelling in rhetoric and moral philosophy. He graduated eighth of 38 cadets on July 1, 1827, and was appointed a brevet second lieutenant in the artillery. Polk resigned his commission on December 1, 1827, to enter
2890-537: The Korean War. During the Korean War the 45th Infantry Division suffered 4,004 casualties; 834 killed in action and 3,170 wounded in action The division was awarded four campaign streamers and one Presidential Unit Citation. Most of the units who rotated through Camp Polk during 1952-54 were trained for combat by the 37th Infantry Division of the Ohio Army National Guard . Although the 37th Division itself
2975-535: The Mississippi River. The maneuvers gave Army leadership the chance to test a new doctrine that stressed the need for both mass and mobility. Sixteen armored divisions sprang up during World War II after the lessons learned during the Louisiana Maneuvers were considered. These divisions specialized in moving huge combined-arms mechanized units long distances in combat. On the defensive front, U.S. doctrine
3060-703: The Mississippi Valley, Confederate president Jefferson Davis commissioned his elevation to a high military position regardless of his lack of prior combat experience. He commanded troops in the Battle of Shiloh , the Battle of Perryville , the Battle of Stones River , the Tullahoma Campaign , the Battle of Chickamauga , the Chattanooga Campaign , and the Atlanta Campaign . He is remembered for his bitter disagreements with his immediate superior,
3145-519: The North African, European and Pacific fronts. Soldiers at Polk participated in the Louisiana Maneuvers , which were designed to test U.S. troops preparing for World War II. Until 1939, the Army had mostly been an infantry force with supporting artillery, engineer, and cavalry units. Few units had been motorized or mechanized. As U.S. involvement in World War II became more likely, the Army recognized
3230-589: The Opposing Force is handled by the 1st Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment (1-509th IR) . It is the job of the 1-509th IR to conduct combat operations as a dedicated, capabilities-based Opposing Force (OPFOR) to provide realistic, stressful, and challenging combat conditions for JRTC rotational units. The 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 36th Infantry Division was officially activated at Fort Polk in February 2014 as 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division , utilizing
3315-519: The Secretary of War and demanded a court of inquiry, he was not restored to his position. Davis once again retained Bragg in army command, despite the protestations of several of his subordinate generals. President Davis transferred his friend Polk to command the Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana (December 23, 1863 – January 28, 1864) and then the Department of Alabama and East Mississippi (January 28 – May 4, 1864), giving him effective command of
3400-572: The Third Corps of the Army of Tennessee on May 4. His command remained commonly known as the " Army of Mississippi ". Polk brought more than 20,000 men with him to Georgia. Because of his elevated rank, he became the army's second in command under Johnston. By using successive flanking maneuvers, Sherman forced Johnston to withdraw his army from strong defensive positions to protect the Confederate line of communication. This forced Johnston ever closer to
3485-453: The U.S. IV Corps , and ordered him to fire upon them. Battery I of the 1st Ohio Light Artillery , commanded by Capt. Hubert Dilger , obeyed the order within minutes. The first round from the battery came close and a second came even closer, causing the men to disperse. The third shell struck Polk's left arm, went through his chest, and exited, hitting his right arm, then exploded against a tree; it nearly cut Polk in two. The army had suffered
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3570-514: The U.S. in fall 2011. From 2016 to 2019, the "Patriot Brigade", as they are known, became part of the 36th Infantry Division ( Army National Guard ) as part of the Army's Associated Unit Pilot. The "Patriot Brigade" was the only Regular Army unit assigned to the 36th ID but returned to the 10th Mountain Division when the Army's Associated Unit Pilot ended. The 115th Combat Support Hospital traces its origin to Evacuation Hospital #15, originally organized at Fort Riley, Kansas on 21 March 1918. At
3655-460: The U.S. on otherwise empty troop ships returning from the ETO, housing and feeding them in the U.S. where escape was far less likely, rather than further burdening outbound cargo ships with provisions for prisoners in camps based in Europe. He added that American GIs resented the fact that German POWs were allowed to breathe the air in the U.S. while GIs were on the battlegrounds of a devastated Europe through
3740-479: The United States aboard the "S.S. America" and was demobilized at Camp Lewis, Washington on 28 June 1919. Evacuation Hospital #15 was reconstituted as the 15th Evacuation Hospital in 1936, after having been organized as an inactive unit of the Regular Army on 1 October 1933. 115th Combat Support Hospital is a deployable medical unit that provides medical specialities to the battlefield. Medical specialties provided by
3825-710: The assets of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division , which was inactivated. As part of the Army's transformation initiative, this organization was designed to create a highly mobile, lethal, and flexible combat unit to support the rapid buildup of combat power wherever needed across the globe. The structure of the brigade is modular and provides for organic infantry, cavalry, field artillery, maintenance, logistic and support capabilities. While stilled flagged as 4th Brigade, it deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom from 2006 to 2007 then again for Operation Iraqi Freedom from December 2007 to January 2009. The brigade deployed to Afghanistan in fall 2010 and returned to
3910-431: The blame entirely on one of his subordinates, Maj. Gen. D. H. Hill . Bragg wrote to President Davis, "Gen'l Polk by education and habit is unfit for executing the plans of others. He will convince himself his own are better and follow them without reflecting on the consequences." Bragg relieved Polk of his command and ordered him to Atlanta to await further orders. Although Polk protested the "arbitrary and unlawful order" to
3995-436: The cheer while retaining the sensibility of a clergyman: "Give it to 'em, boys; give 'em what General Cheatham says!" After Perryville, Polk began a year-long campaign to get Bragg relieved of command, hoping to use his close relationship with President Davis to accomplish his goal. Despite the failure of his Kentucky campaign, Bragg was retained in command, but this did nothing to reduce the enmity between Polk and Bragg. Polk
4080-420: The conclusion of World War II. The Louisiana Army National Guard maintains a maintenance facility on Fort Johnson which services its major units such as the 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and 225th Engineer Brigade . There have been several times when Fort Johnson was at risk of closing. In 2002 the Army stated a position of "No acquisition of land through purchase or withdrawal of public domain lands
4165-465: The critically important city of Atlanta. On June 14, 1864, Polk was scouting enemy positions near Marietta, Georgia , with his staff when he was killed in action by a U.S. 3-inch (76 mm) shell at Pine Mountain . The artillery fire was initiated when Sherman spotted a cluster of Confederate generals — Polk, William J. Hardee , and Johnston, with their staffs — in an exposed area. He pointed them out to Maj. Gen. Oliver Otis Howard , commander of
4250-482: The duration of the war, but they understood the logic of keeping the POWs in the U.S. rather than in Europe. The POWs picked cotton, cut rice, and cut lumber. They also helped sandbag the raging Red River in the summer of 1944. Prisoners were not forced to work, and some refused. Those who worked earned scrip for their labor, with which they could buy such necessities as toothpaste or snacks at their own Post Exchange. From
4335-608: The end of World War II until the early 1960s, the post was closed and reopened numerous times. During much of this time, it was open only in the summers to support reserve component training. Soldiers were stationed there temporarily during the Korean War and the Berlin Crisis . In August 1950, the 45th Infantry Division of the Oklahoma Army National Guard became the first unit to train at Fort Polk in preparation for
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#17328520544704420-496: The first Under Secretary of State . A brother of Polk, Lucius Junius Polk , married a grand-niece of Rachel Jackson , wife of U.S. President Andrew Jackson . U.S. President James K. Polk was Polk's first cousin twice removed. Polk's portrait, done by Cornelius Hankins , was donated to Christ Church Cathedral in Nashville, Tennessee, by his grandson W. Dudley Gate, in 1963. Military historian Steven E. Woodworth described
4505-698: The fort was renamed to honor William Henry Johnson , a World War I veteran from the New York National Guard unit known as the " Harlem Hellfighters ". It was previously named for Leonidas Polk , a Confederate general. Johnson was one of the first Americans to receive the French " Croix de Guerre ". He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, the Distinguished Service Cross, and the Medal of Honor. It
4590-582: The full spectrum of conflict. The JRTC is one of the Army's three "Dirt" Combat Training Centers resourced to train infantry brigade task forces and their subordinate elements in the Joint Contemporary Operational Environment. With great emphasis on realism, the JRTC Operations Group provides rotational units with the opportunity to conduct joint operations which emphasize contingency force missions. The JRTC training scenario
4675-434: The genial but pompous and often incompetent Bishop Polk. Bragg considered Polk "an old woman, utterly worthless", especially at disciplining men. Unfortunately for Bragg and for the Confederacy as a whole, Polk remained a great favorite of Jefferson Davis despite carefully couched hints from Bragg, which protected the irritatingly self-righteous Polk from the increasingly sycophantic Bragg and made his appointment to wing command
4760-527: The likewise-controversial General Braxton Bragg of the Army of Tennessee , and for his general lack of success in combat. While serving under the command of General Joseph E. Johnston , he was killed in action in 1864 during the Atlanta Campaign . Leonidas Polk was born in Raleigh, North Carolina , to Colonel William and Sarah ( née Hawkins) Polk. William was a Revolutionary War veteran and prosperous planter. He
4845-536: The loss of these hours, "our independence might have been won." Chickamauga was a great tactical victory for Bragg. Still, instead of pursuing and destroying the U.S. army as it retreated, he laid siege to it in Chattanooga, concentrating his effort against the enemies inside his army instead of his enemies from the North. Bragg demanded an explanation from Polk on his failure to attack in time on September 20, and Polk placed
4930-626: The need to modernize the service. It also needed large-scale maneuvers to test a fast-growing, inexperienced force. That is where Fort Polk and the Louisiana Maneuvers came in. The maneuvers involved half a million soldiers in 19 Army divisions, and took place over 3,400 square miles (8,800 km ) in August and September 1941. The troops were divided into equal armies of two notional countries: Kotmk (Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Kentucky) and Almat (Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee). These countries were fighting over navigation rights in
5015-525: The onset of hostilities during World War I, the unit sailed aboard the "S.S. Mataika", departing the United States on 22 August 1918, and arriving in France 3 September 1918. Evacuation Hospital #15 earned a battle streamer for its participation in the Meuse-Argonne Forest offensive from 26 September 1918 through 11 November 1918. The hospital, having served honorably and proud during World War I, returned to
5100-460: The original was vandalized in 1998, a copy by Connie Erickson was unveiled on June 1, 2003. The title refers to the answer given by Polk "when asked in Richmond if he was putting off the gown of an Episcopal bishop to take up the sword of a Confederate general, to which he replied, 'No, Sir, I am buckling the sword over the gown,'" indicating that he saw it was his duty as a bishop to take up arms. At
5185-621: The outbreak of the Civil War, Polk pulled the Louisiana Convention out of the Episcopal Church of the United States to form the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Confederate States of America . Although he hoped that secession would result in a peaceful separation of the slave states from the United States and suggested that he was reluctant to take up arms personally, he did not hesitate to write to his friend and former classmate at West Point, Jefferson Davis , offering his services in
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#17328520544705270-568: The penetration. Tank destroyers employed aggressive, high-speed hit-and-run tactics. The conclusion drawn was that tank destroyer battalions should be raised. Immediately after the war, the battalions were disbanded and the anti-tank role was taken over by the Infantry, Engineer, and Armor branches. While primarily a training facility, Camp Polk also served as a military prison for Germans captured during World War II. The first prisoners of war (POWs), who began arriving in Louisiana in July 1943, were from
5355-401: The post encompasses about 198,000 acres (309 sq mi). Some 100,000 acres (160 sq mi) are owned by the Department of the Army and 98,125 acres (153.320 sq mi) by the U.S. Forest Service , mostly in the Kisatchie National Forest . In 2013, there were 10,877 troops stationed at Fort Johnson, which generated an annual payroll of $ 980 million. Louisiana officials lobbied
5440-407: The post has been designated Fort Johnson-Vernon Wildlife Management Area . An estimated 700 to 750 feral horses roam training lands on and around Fort Johnson. The fate of the horses has been the subject of debate since the Army started removing them in 2017. Leonidas Polk Lieutenant-General Leonidas Polk (April 10, 1806 – June 14, 1864) was an American Confederate military officer,
5525-496: The property owned by the U.S. Forest Service where the Army trains. Originally named after Confederate general Leonidas Polk , Fort Polk became Fort Johnson during a re-designation ceremony on June 13, 2023 in honor of Sgt. William Henry Johnson, a World War I Medal of Honor recipient from North Carolina who served in the 369th U.S. Infantry Regiment. Construction of Camp Polk began in 1941. Thousands of wooden barracks sprang up quickly to support an Army preparing to do battle on
5610-406: The regiment deployed to Haiti in 1995 in support of Operation Uphold Democracy and to Bosnia in 1996 in support of Operation Joint Endeavor . The 2nd ACR deployed to Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and Djibouti in 2002 to in support of Operation Enduring Freedom , and then deployed in Iraq in 2003 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (now known as Operation New Dawn). The Army announced on 14 May 2004, that
5695-459: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Joint Readiness Training Center . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Joint_Readiness_Training_Center&oldid=1223368235 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
5780-405: The second failed opportunity. At the Battle of Chickamauga , Polk was given command of the Right Wing and the responsibility for initiating the attack on the second day of battle (September 20). He failed to inform his subordinates of the plan, and his wing was late in attacking, allowing the U.S. defenders time to complete their field fortifications. Bragg wrote after the war that if it were not for
5865-406: The state of Mississippi following the departure of Gen. Joseph E. Johnston to replace Bragg in command of the Army of Tennessee. Polk unsuccessfully attempted to oppose Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman 's raid against Meridian, Mississippi , in February 1864. In May, he was ordered to take his forces and join Johnston in resisting Sherman's advance in the Atlanta Campaign . He assumed command of
5950-401: Was appointed Missionary Bishop of the Southwest in September 1838 and was elected first Bishop of Louisiana in October 1841. In 1848, he performed the marriage of his niece, Mary Bayard Devereux , to Major William John Clarke. Polk was the leading founder of the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee , which he envisioned as a national university for the Southern United States and
6035-402: Was based on two needs: the ability to defeat Blitzkrieg tactics; and how to deal with large numbers of German tanks attacking relatively narrow areas. As such, the maneuvers also tested the concept of the tank destroyer . In this concept, highly mobile guns were held in reserve until friendly forces were attacked by enemy tanks. Then the tank destroyers would be rapidly deployed to the flanks of
6120-429: Was built around the 1st Armored Division and an opposing force was built around the 82nd Airborne Division . U.S. Air Force bombers and fighter planes also participated in this exercise with powerful aircraft operating in the sky, stirring great interest among the citizens of the region. Also participating as part of the provisional army was the 15th Infantry Regiment (actually designated as 15th Infantry Combat Command) of
6205-452: Was called " Sewanee 's Fighting Bishop". His official portrait at the University of the South depicts him as a bishop with his army uniform hanging nearby. He is often erroneously referred to as "Leonidas K. Polk" but he had no middle name and never signed any documents as such. Polk was one of the war's more notable, yet controversial, political generals . Recognizing his familiarity with
6290-460: Was considered a corps and, at other times, the "Right Wing" of the army. In the fall, during the invasion of Kentucky by Bragg and Maj. Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith , Polk was in temporary command of the Army of Mississippi while Bragg visited Frankfort to preside over the inauguration of a Confederate governor for the state. Polk disregarded an order from Bragg to attack the flank of the pursuing U.S. army near Frankfort. Bragg thoroughly despised ...
6375-557: Was giving him orders, he submitted a resignation letter to President Davis on November 6, but Davis rejected the request. Polk's command saw its first combat on November 7, 1861: the minor Battle of Belmont between troops under Pillow and U.S. soldiers under Brig. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant . Polk was wounded nearby on November 11 when the largest cannon in his army, nicknamed "Lady Polk" in honor of his wife, exploded during demonstration firing. The explosion stunned Polk and blew his clothes off, requiring several weeks of recovery. Besides being
6460-467: Was not sent to Korea as a unit, nearly every soldier was sent as an individual replacement. In 1955, the U.S. military conducted another large training exercise that covered a substantial portion of Louisiana. Named Operation Sagebrush, the focus of this exercise was to evaluate the effectiveness of military operations in a nuclear environment. The exercise lasted for 15 days with 85,000 troops participating. A provisional army, meant to represent U.S. forces,
6545-542: Was of Scottish And Anglo-Huguenot ancestry. Capitalizing on his position as chief surveyor of the central district of Tennessee, he acquired about 100,000 acres (400 km ) of land. Polk briefly attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill before entering the United States Military Academy at West Point . During his senior year, he left the Scottish Calvinist church. He joined
6630-594: Was one of the U.S. Army installations named for Confederate soldiers recommended for renaming by the Congressional Naming Commission . On January 5, 2023, William A. LaPlante, the US under-secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment ( USD (A&S) ), directed the full implementation of the recommendations of the Naming Commission, DoD-wide. An area covering 105,545 acres (42,713 ha) within
6715-668: Was organized with two active duty brigades and a brigade from the Louisiana National Guard. From 1972 until 1987, Fort Polk hosted the 1st Battalion, 40th Armor Regiment. During that time 1/40th Armor participated in training exercises with the Louisiana Army National Guard and 5th Infantry Division units. It was part of the Rapid Deployment Force for the operations in Grenada, but was not deployed, instead it
6800-513: Was promoted to lieutenant general on October 11, 1862, with date of rank of October 10. He became the second most senior Confederate of that rank during the war, behind James Longstreet . In November, the Army of Mississippi was renamed the Army of Tennessee and Polk commanded its First Corps until September 1863. Polk fought under Bragg at the Battle of Stones River in late 1862. Once again, Bragg's subordinates politicked to remove their army commander after an unsuccessful battle (the battle
6885-444: Was purchased in 2012. Eminent domain is an option if needed. Fort Johnson issued a press release on 5 May 2014, that 32,500 acres of the targeted 47,500, out of the 100,000 approved, has been acquired. Fifty-four landowners are involved, twenty-nine residences, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers being the Army's real estate agent. On 12 November 2014, a grand opening for a new Fort Polk Commissary took place. On 13 June 2023,
6970-625: Was reassigned to the hills nol (German Defense Plan). In 1983, the 1/40 Armor took part in the Reforger 1984 exercises in Bavaria and two deployments to the National Training Center in 1984 and 1985. The 1/40 Armor was deactivated at Fort Polk in 1987. It was reactivated as the 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry at Fort Richardson in Alaska in 2005. While at Fort Polk, the 5th Infantry Division participated in
7055-571: Was tactically inconclusive, but Bragg was unable to stop the advance of the U.S. Army of the Cumberland under Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans and Bragg withdrew his army to Tullahoma, Tennessee ). Bragg was also unsuccessful in resisting Rosecrans's advance in the Tullahoma Campaign , which began to threaten the important city of Chattanooga . In the face of Rosecrans's expert maneuvering of his army, Polk counseled Bragg to retreat rather than stand and fight in their Tullahoma fortifications. Rosecrans eventually maneuvered Bragg out of Chattanooga, and
7140-408: Was the only stateside Army post they saw before assignment overseas. Many soldiers reported to basic training at Fort Polk and stayed on post for infantry training at Tigerland before being assigned to infantry line companies in Vietnam . In October 1974, Fort Polk became the new home of the 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized), and basic training and AIT started being phased out. Fort Polk changed from
7225-423: Was then ordained a deacon as planned and a priest the following year. On May 6, 1830, Polk married Frances Ann Devereux, daughter of John Devereux and Frances Pollock; her mother was the granddaughter of Puritan theologian Jonathan Edwards . The Polks had eight children who survived to adulthood. In 1832, Polk moved his family to the vast Polk Rattle and Snap tract in Maury County, Tennessee , and constructed
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