BRAC: National Armor and Cavalry Museum Moves to Fort Benning

When Congress passed the Base Realignment and Closure Act (BRAC) in 2005, it directed the transfer of the U. S. Army Armor School from Fort Knox, Kentucky, to Fort Benning, Georgia. Because the study of the evolution of armor and cavalry equipment is an important part of training new soldiers and leaders at the Armor School, the museum’s collection was included in this directed move. The U. S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Chief of Museums, Dr. Charles H. Cureton, and the Center for Military History recognized the opportunity this presented to the Army and its effort to inform soldiers, Marines, and the public about the history and lineage of our military. The new National Infantry Museum at Fort Benning was already under construction; if the new Armor and Cavalry Museum could be located nearby, it would provide a unique opportunity to combine two of the world’s premier collections of military artifacts. First, a project had to be developed and funded. Dr. Cureton worked with Mr. Ken Holloway, Fort Benning Master Plans Division, to develop the estimated size and cost for construction of the facility, which resulted in construction being programmed for FY10. The initial design of the new facility began in the spring of 2008; the Patton Museum staff was interviewed and all of the museum’s support facilities were toured to determine requirements. The new storage facility design will include a huge open-bay space to house the large armored vehicles currently in the armor collection at Fort Knox. This includes those pieces of equipment on display in the Patton Museum, stored in the landing ship tank (LST) building off of Eisenhower Avenue, and inside and outside of Richardson Motor Pool, a total of more than 190 “macro-artifacts,” such as tanks and other armor vehicles. The facility will also include space for archives, administrative offices, secure storage for smaller artifacts, an arms room for weapons storage, a workshop for building displays, and a separate maintenance facility. However, classrooms, auditorium, gift shop, and exterior design features (upgrading the grounds, monuments, and displays) are not included in the new facility. The U. S. Army Armor Association recognized this need and established the National Armor and Cavalry Museum Foundation, headed by Major General (Retired) George Harmeyer. The foundation plans to take on the responsibility to fund these additions, as well as additions to the maintenance facility, which supports the restoration of the armor collection. Any additions made to the new facility will occur after the completion of the military construction (MILCON) phase and will not interfere with the relocation of the armor collection. This April marks the end of the design phase as a request for proposal (RFP) to elicit bids from prospective contractors will be issued. Once this process meets all regulated requirements and a contract is awarded, construction can begin. The Move The transfer of the Armor Center from Fort Knox to Fort Benning is on schedule according to BRAC timelines. A major part of the Armor School’s relocation includes the transfer of its historic museum collection, which encompasses the history and technical development of the American armored force. The Patton Museum of Cavalry and Armor was dedicated in honor of General George S. Patton in May 1949, and has remained a critical element in the education of soldiers, Marines, foreign officers, and public visitors for 60 years. BRAC: National Armor and Cavalry Museum Moves to Fort Benning An M4A1 Sherman Flame Tank currently stored inside the historic LST building on Eisenhower Avenue, along with the 20 other vehicles ‘mothballed’ in this facility, will be on display at the new facility at Fort Benning. by Len Dyer and Daniel Nelson 46 —

A plan has been developed to separate the current Patton Museum into two main elements. The first element, the Armor School’s museum, the new National Armor and Cavalry Museum, which contains 75 percent of the museum’s collection, will move to Fort Benning. This museum will be located right outside Fort Benning’s main gate and will be located adjacent to the National Infantry Museum. Jointly, this museum “campus” will become the largest military museum complex in the southeastern United States. Apart of the collection, which contains many of Patton’s personal items, a selection of military vehicles that covers his military career, and the Patton series of tanks, will remain at Fort Knox with the “General George S. Patton Museum,” which will focus on leadership in the Army. The vacant space within the museum will be used by newly arrived units to Fort Knox, including the U. S. Army Accessions Command and Human Resources Command, as well as other military units assigned to Fort Knox. Included in remaining artifacts will be armored vehicles on display at main gates and specific traffic locations at Fort Knox. The packing and movement plan for the Armor School’s collection will begin once construction of the new facility begins at Fort Benning, which is estimated to begin in March 2010 and be completed in September 2011. During this period, the galleries at Fort Knox that house the Armor School’s collection will be completely closed to the public to allow the museum’s staff to dismantle the galleries and exhibits, inventory the collection, and begin packing the artifacts. Once the new facility is completed at Fort Benning, the armor collection will be moved “door to door.” During the move, the Patton Gallery, auditorium, and gift shop at the museum will remain open to the public, however, the museum staff will be busy with preparations for the move and will not be available to answer questions, provide guided tours, or assist in research. Once the Armor School’s collection has been moved, the museum will continue its tradition of training future armor soldiers and Marines. It will also develop new educational programs for students from public schools, focused on the history, physics, math, and science of armored vehicles and their development. Len Dyer is currently serving as director, Patton Museum of Cavalry and Armor, U. S. Army Armor School, Fort Knox, KY. He enlisted in the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve as an artilleryman. He received a B. A. from Oklahoma State University and an M. A. from University of Central Oklahoma. He was commissioned by the U. S. Marine Corps and assigned as a Marine armor officer. His military education includes Amphibious Warfare School, the Armor Officer Basic Course, Armor Officer Advanced Course, and the Cavalry Leaders Course. He has held numerous platoon and company command positions, with a wide-ranging experience level in armor. Prior to his assignment to the Patton Museum, he served as curator, 2d U. S. Cavalry Museum, Fort Lewis, WA. Mr. Daniel C. Nelson is an associate with Booz Allen Hamilton serving as a strategic planner for the U. S. Army Armor Center and School BRAC relocation and transformation task. He is responsible for project planning, design review, and construction oversight of facilities being built at Fort Benning in support of the Armor School move. In 2006, he retired from U. S. Army Corps of Engineer as a lieutenant colonel. The T28 U. S. Super Heavy Assault tank currently sits outside the Patton Museum. This tank’s new home will be inside the National Armor and Cavalry Museum at Fort Benning. In addition to relocating artifacts, displays will be disassembled, packed, shipped, and reassembled at the new facility at Fort Benning. A display work room, adjacent to the main storage bay, is planned for the new facility. The work room will be soundproofed to permit display work to continue during regular hours of operation. — 47