Fort Knox

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This article is about the United States Army post. For other uses, see Fort Knox (disambiguation).

Fort Knox

Kentucky

Fort Knox tank.jpg

KYMap-doton-FortKnox.PNG

Location of Fort Knox in Kentucky

Coordinates 37.92°N 85.96°WCoordinates: 37.92°N 85.96°W

Type Military base

Site information

Controlled by

1861–1865: Contested

1865–present: United States

Site history

Built 1918

In use

1861–1865: Civil War

1865–1903: Settlement

1903–1918: Training Grounds

1918–1925: Camp Knox

1925–1928: National Forest

1928–1931: Camp Knox

1932–present: Fort Knox

Garrison information

Current

commander Major General John Evans Jr.[1]

Fort Knox is a United States Army post in Kentucky, south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. It is also adjacent to the United States Bullion Depository, which is used to house a large portion of the United States' official gold reserves. The 109,000 acre (170 sq mi, 441 km²) base covers parts of Bullitt, Hardin, and Meade counties. It currently holds the Army Human Resources Center of Excellence to include the Army Human Resources Command. It is named in honor of Henry Knox, Chief of Artillery in the American Revolutionary War and first United States Secretary of War.

For 60 years, Fort Knox was the home of the U.S. Army Armor Center and the U.S. Army Armor School (now moved to Fort Benning), and was used by both the Army and the Marine Corps to train crews on the American tanks of the day; the last was the M1 Abrams main battle tank. The history of the U.S. Army's Cavalry and Armored forces, and of General George S. Patton's career, is located at the General George Patton Museum[2] on the grounds of Fort Knox.

Contents

1 Bullion Depository

2 Census-designated place

3 Patton Museum

4 History

4.1 Fortification

4.2 Post war

4.3 New camp

4.4 Air Corps use

4.5 Protection of America's Founding Documents

4.6 Mechanized military unit occupation

4.7 1947 Universal Military Training Experimental Unit

4.8 1993 shooting

4.9 2013 shooting

5 Human Resources Command (HRC)

6 Fort Knox High School

7 Units

7.1 Current[20]

7.2 Previous

8 Geography

8.1 Climate

9 Demographics

10 General use

11 See also

12 References

13 External links

Bullion Depository

The U.S. Gold Bullion Depository

Main article: United States Bullion Depository

The United States Department of the Treasury has maintained the Bullion Depository on the post since 1937.

Census-designated place

Parts of the base in Hardin and Meade counties form a census-designated place (CDP), which had a population of 12,377 at the 2000 census and 10,124 at the 2010 census.

Patton Museum

The George S. Patton Museum and Center of Leadership at Fort Knox includes an exhibit highlighting leadership issues that arose from the attacks of 11 September 2001, which includes two firetrucks. One of them, designated Foam 161, was partially charred and melted in the attack upon the Pentagon. Fort Knox is also the location of the United States Army's Human Resources Command's Timothy Maude Center of Excellence, which was named in honor of Lieutenant General Timothy Maude, the highest-ranking member of the U.S. military to die in the attacks of 11 September 2001.[3]

In 2011, the U.S. Army Armor School was relocated to "The Maneuver Center of Excellence" at FT Benning, GA.1

History

Fortification

Fortifications were constructed near the site in 1861, during the Civil War when Fort Duffield was constructed. Fort Duffield was located on what was known as Muldraugh Hill on a strategic point overlooking the confluence of the Salt and Ohio Rivers and the Louisville and Nashville Turnpike. The area was contested by both Union and Confederate forces. Bands of organized guerrillas frequently raided the area during the war. John Hunt Morgan[4] and the 2nd Kentucky Cavalry Regiment of the Confederate Army raided the area before staging his famous raid across Indiana and Ohio.[5]

Post war

After the war, the area now occupied by the Army was home to various small communities. In October 1903, military maneuvers for the Regular Army and the National Guards of several states were held at West Point, Kentucky and the surrounding area.[6] In April 1918, field artillery units from Camp Zachary Taylor arrived at West Point for training. 20,000 acres (8,100 ha) near the village of Stithton were leased to the government and construction for a permanent training center was started in July 1918.

New camp

The new camp was named after Henry Knox, the Continental Army's chief of artillery during the Revolutionary War and the country's first Secretary of War. The camp was extended by the purchase of a further 40,000 acres (16,000 ha) in June 1918 and construction properly began in July 1918. The building program was reduced following the end of the war and reduced further following cuts to the army in 1921 after the National Defense Act of 1920. The camp was greatly reduced and became a semi-permanent training center for the 5th Corps Area for Reserve Officer training, the National Guard, and Citizen's Military Training Camps (CMTC). For a short while, from 1925 to 1928, the area was designated as "Camp Henry Knox National Forest."[7]

Air Corps use

The post contains an airfield, called Godman Army Airfield, that was used by the United States Army Air Corps, and its successor, the United States Army Air Forces as a training base during World War II. It was used by the Kentucky Air National Guard for several years after the war until they relocated to Standiford Field in Louisville. The airfield is still in use by the United States Army Aviation Branch.

Protection of America's Founding Documents

A tank driver at Fort Knox in 1942

For protection after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States and the Gettysburg Address were all moved for safekeeping to the United States Bullion Depository until Major W. C. Hatfield ordered its release after the D-Day Landings on 19 September 1944.[8]

Mechanized military unit occupation

In 1931 a small force of the mechanized cavalry was assigned to Camp Knox to use it as a training site. The camp was turned into a permanent garrison in January 1932 and renamed Fort Knox. The 1st Cavalry Regiment arrived later in the month to become the 1st Cavalry Regiment (Mechanized).

In 1936 the 1st was joined by the 13th to become the 7th Cavalry Brigade (Mechanized). The site quickly became the center for mechanization tactics and doctrine. The success of the German mechanized units at the start of World War II was a major impetus to operations at the fort. A new Armored Force was established in July 1940 with its headquarters at Fort Knox with the 7th Cavalry Brigade becoming the 1st Armored Division. The Armored Force School and the Armored Force Replacement Center were also sited at Fort Knox in October 1940, and their successors remained there until 2010, when the Armor School moved to Fort Benning, Georgia. The site was expanded to cope with its new role. By 1943, there were 3,820 buildings on 106,861 acres (43,245 ha). A third of the post has been torn down within the last ten years,[when?] with another third slated by 2010.

1947 Universal Military Training Experimental Unit

In 1947, Fort Knox hosted the Universal Military Training Experimental Unit, a six-month project that aimed to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of providing new 18-20 year-old Army recruits with basic military training that emphasized physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. This project was undertaken with the aim of persuading the public to support President Harry S. Truman's proposal to require all eligible American men to undergo universal military training. [9][10]

and Stripes (1981) have been filmed using the exterior of Fort Knox but have not shown the inside of the facility for security reasons.[11]

1993 shooting

On 18 October 1993, Arthur Hill went on a shooting rampage, killing three and wounding two before attempting suicide, shooting and severely wounding himself. The shooting occurred at Fort Knox's Training Support Center. Prior to the incident, Hill's coworkers claimed they were afraid of a mentally unstable person who was at work. Hill died on 21 October [14]

2013 shooting

On 3 April 2013, a civilian employee was shot and killed in a parking lot on post. The victim was an employee of the United States Army Human Resources Command and was transported to the Ireland Army Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. This shooting caused a temporary lock-down that was lifted around 7 p.m. on the same day.[15][16] U.S. Army Sgt. Marquinta E. Jacobs, a soldier stationed at Fort Knox, was charged on 4 April with the shooting.[17] He pleaded guilty to charges of premeditated murder and aggravated assault, and was sentenced to 30 years in prison on 10 January 2014.[18]

Human Resources Command (HRC)

Main article: United States Army Human Resources Command

The Army Human Resources Command Center re-located to Fort Knox from the Washington D.C./Virginia area beginning in 2009. New facilities are under construction throughout Fort Knox, such as the new Army Human Resource Center, the largest construction project in the history of Fort Knox. It is a $185 million, three-story, 880,000-square-foot (82,000 m2) complex of six interconnected buildings, sitting on 104 acres (42 ha).

In May 2010, The Human Resource Center of Excellence, the largest office building in the state, opened at Fort Knox. The new center employs nearly 4,300 soldiers and civilians.[19]

Fort Knox High School

Main article: Fort Knox High School

Fort Knox is one of only four Army posts (the others being Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Fort Meade, Maryland, and Fort Sam Houston, Texas) that still has a high school located on-post.[citation needed] Fort Knox High School, serving grades 9–12, was built in 1958 and has undergone only a handful of renovations since then, including a new building which was completed in 2007.

Units

Current[20]

First Army Division East[21]

4th Cavalry Brigade[22]

United States Army Human Resources Command

U.S. Army Marketing and Engagement Brigade[23]

19th Engineer Battalion[24]

1st Sustainment Command (Theater)[25]

902nd Military Intelligence Group (United States)[26]

U.S. Army Cadet Command[27] (responsible for Reserve Officers' Training Corps, senior mission command and installation commander)

Ireland Army Community Hospital MEDDAC

United States Army Recruiting Command[28]

3rd Recruiting Brigade

U S Army Medical Recruiting Brigade

100th Infantry Division (United States)[29]

Army Reserve Aviation Command[30]

84th Division (United States)[31]

83rd U.S. Army Reserve Readiness Training Center[32]

Previous

1st Armor Training Brigade

3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division (inactivated 2014)

16th Cavalry Regiment

1st Squadron

2nd Squadron

3rd Squadron

194th Armored Brigade

1st Cavalry Regiment

7th Squadron (Air)

Troops A, B, C, D, & HHT

235th Aviation Co. (Attack Helicopter)

81st Armored Regiment

1st Battalion

2nd Battalion

3rd Battalion

15th Cavalry Regiment

5th Squadron

6th Squadron

46th Infantry Regiment

1st Battalion

2nd Battalion

34th Military Police Detachment

46th Adjutant General Battalion

100th Army Band

95th Infantry Division (United States) (moved to Fort Sill)

3rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) (moved to Fort Bragg)

113th Band

Source:[33]

Geography

Fort Knox is located at 37°54'09.96" North, 85°57'09.11" West, along the Ohio River. The depository itself is located at 37°52'59.59" North, 85°57'55.31" West.

According to the Census Bureau, the base CDP has a total area of 20.94 square miles (54.23 km2), of which 20.92 sq mi (54.18 km2) is land and 0.03 sq mi (0.08 km2)—0.14%—is water.[34] Communities near Fort Knox include Brandenburg, Elizabethtown, Hodgenville, Louisville, Radcliff, Shepherdsville, and Vine Grove, Kentucky.[35] The Meade County city of Muldraugh is completely surrounded by Fort Knox.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Fort Knox has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[36]

Demographics

As of the census[37] of 2000, there were 12,377 people, 2,748 households, and 2,596 families residing on base. The population density was 591.7 inhabitants per square mile (228.5/km2). There were 3,015 housing units at an average density of 144.1/sq mi (55.6/km2). The racial makeup of the base was 66.3% White, 23.1% African American, 0.7% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, 4.3% from other races, and 3.6% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 10.4% of the population.

There were 2,748 households out of which 77.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 86.0% were married couples living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 5.5% were non-families. 4.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 0.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.49 and the average family size was 3.60.

The age distribution was 34.9% under the age of 18, 25.5% from 18 to 24, 37.2% from 25 to 44, 2.3% from 45 to 64, and 0.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females, there were 155.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 190.3 males. These statistics are generally typical for military bases.

The median income for a household on the base was US$34,020, and the median income for a family was $33,588. Males had a median income of $26,011 versus $21,048 for females. The per capita income for the base was $12,410. About 5.8% of the population and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.6% of those under the age of 18 and 100.0% of those 65 and older.

General use

In American English, the term "Fort Knox" is used in general discussion as a synonym for a secure location.

Fort Knox area booming

Patton Museum, (at Fort Knox)

Ireland Army Community Hospital, (at Fort Knox)

Official Base information from the DOD Military Installations website[dead link]

Fort Knox Morale, Welfare, and Recreation

vte

Municipalities and communities of Bullitt County, Kentucky, United States

County seat: Shepherdsville

Cities

Fox Chase Hebron Estates Hillview Hunters Hollow Lebanon Junction Mount Washington Pioneer Village Shepherdsville

CDP

Brooks

Unincorporated

communities

Bardstown Junction Barrallton Beech Grove Belmont Brownington Cedar Grove Clermont Cupio Gap in Knob Hobbs Katharyn Lotus Salt River Scuffletown Smithville Solitude Stites Whitfield Zoneton

vte

Municipalities and communities of Hardin County, Kentucky, United States

County seat: Elizabethtown

Cities

Elizabethtown Muldraugh‡ Radcliff Sonora Upton‡ Vine Grove West Point

CDPs

Cecilia Fort Knox‡ Rineyville

Other

unincorporated

communities

Big Spring‡ Eastview Glendale Hardin Springs Howe Valley Limp Nolin Old Stephensburg Saint John Star Mills Stephensburg White Mills

Footnotes

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

vte

Municipalities and communities of Meade County, Kentucky, United States

County seat: Brandenburg

Cities

Brandenburg Ekron Muldraugh‡

CDPs

Doe Valley Fort Knox‡

Unincorporated

communities

Battletown Big Spring‡ Concordia Flaherty Garrett Guston Midway Payneville Rhodelia Rock Haven

Footnotes

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

United States Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC)

Sub-commands

Capabilities Integration Center Cadet Command Combined Arms Center Fires Center of Excellence Initial Military Training Maneuver Center of Excellence Maneuver Support Center of Excellence Accessions Command Center for Army Lessons Learned Recruiting Command Sustainment Center of Excellence

United States Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC)

Installations

Aberdeen Proving Ground Carlisle Barracks Fort Belvoir Fort Benning Fort Eustis Fort Gordon Fort Huachuca Fort Jackson Fort Knox Fort Leavenworth Fort Lee Fort Leonard Wood Fort Rucker Fort Sill Presidio of Monterey Redstone Arsenal

Schools

Air Assault School Air Defense Artillery School Airborne School Armor School Aviation School Basic Training CBRN School Sniper School Combatives School Command and General Staff College Defense Language Institute Engineer School Field Artillery School Infantry School Intelligence Center Jumpmaster School Army Logistics University Mountain Warfare School Officer Candidate School Pathfinder School Prime Power School Quartermaster School Ranger School Reconnaissance and Surveillance Leaders Course School of Advanced Military Studies Sergeants Major Academy Soldier Support Institute War College Warrant Officer Candidate School

vte

Military installations in Kentucky

Army

Fort

Fort Anderson (inactive) Campbell Fort DeWolf (inactive) Fort Duffield (inactive) Knox

Camp

Camp Breckinridge (inactive) Camp Zachary Taylor (inactive)

Storage Facility

Blue Grass Army Depot

Airfield

Bowman Field Army Airfield (now Bowman Field) Campbell Army Airfield Godman Army Airfield

Flag of Kentucky.svg

Air Force

Station

Owingsville Air Force Station (inactive) Snow Mountain Air Force Station (inactive)

Kentucky National Guard

Training Center

A gold bar, also called gold bullion or a gold ingot, is a quantity of refined metallic gold of any shape that is made by a bar producer meeting standard conditions of manufacture, labeling, and record keeping. Larger gold bars that are produced by pouring the molten metal into molds are called ingots. Smaller bars may be manufactured by minting or stamping from appropriately rolled gold sheets. The standard gold bar held as gold reserves by central banks and traded among bullion dealers is the 400-troy-ounce (12.4 kg or 438.9 ounces) Good Delivery gold bar. The kilobar, which is 1000 grams in mass (32.15 troy ounces), is the bar that is more manageable and is used extensively for trading and investment. The premium on these bars when traded is very low over the spot value of the gold, making it ideal for small transfers between banks and traders. Most kilobars are flat, although some investors, particularly in Europe, prefer the brick shape.[1] Asian markets differ in that they prefer gram gold bars as opposed to Troy ounce measurements. Popular sizes in the Asian region include 10 grams, 100 grams and 1,000 gram bars.[2]

Types

A minted bar (left) and a cast bar (right)
Based upon how they are manufactured, gold bars are categorized as having been cast or minted, with both differing in their appearance and price.[1] Cast bars are created in a similar method to that of ingots, whereby molten gold is poured into a bar-shaped mold and left to solidify. This process often leads to malformed bars with uneven surfaces which, although imperfect, make each bar unique and easier to identify. Cast bars are also cheaper than minted bars, because they are quicker to produce and require less handling.

Minted bars are made from gold blanks that have been cut to a required dimension from a flat piece of gold. These are identified by having smooth and even surfaces.

Security features
To prevent bars from being counterfeited or stolen, manufacturers have developed ways to verify genuine bars, with the most common way being to brand bars with registered serial numbers or providing a certificate of authenticity. In a recent trend, many refineries would stamp serial numbers even on the smallest bars, and the number on the bar should match the number on accompanying certificate.[3]

In contrast to cast bars (which are often handled directly), minted bars are generally sealed in protective packaging to prevent tampering and keep them from becoming damaged. A hologram security feature known as a Kinegram can also be inserted into the packaging. Bars that contain these are called Kinebars.[4]


1 oz diffractive kinebar

 

Bar in protective casing

Standard bar weights

Gold prices (US$ per troy ounce), in nominal US$ and inflation adjusted US$ from 1914 onward
Gold is measured in troy ounces, often simply referred to as ounces when the reference to gold is evident. One troy ounce is equivalent to 31.1034768 grams. Commonly encountered in daily life is the avoirdupois ounce, an Imperial weight in countries still using British weights and measures or United States customary units. The avoirdupois ounce is lighter than the troy ounce; one avoirdupois ounce equals 28.349523125 grams.[5]

The super-size is worth more than the standard gold bar held and traded internationally by central banks and bullion dealers is the Good Delivery bar with a 400 oz (troy-ounce) (12.4 kg or 438.9 ounces) nominal weight. However, its precise gold content is permitted to vary between 350 oz and 430 oz. The minimum purity required is 99.5% gold. These bars must be stored in recognized and secure gold bullion vaults to maintain their quality status of Good Delivery. The recorded provenance of this bar assures integrity and maximum resale value.[6]

One tonne = 1000 kilograms = 32,150.746 troy ounces.
One kilogram = 1000 grams = 32.15074656 troy ounces.
One tola = 11.6638038 grams = 0.375 troy ounces.
One tael = 50 grams.[notes 1]
TT (ten tola) = 117 grams (3.75 oz)
Tola is a traditional Indian measure for the weight of gold and prevalent to this day. Many international gold manufacturers supply tola bars of 999.96 purity.

Saying something is “as secure as Fort Knox” implies way stronger protection than you might have realized. As home to about half of the U.S. gold reserves, Fort Knox has been called the most secure vault on the planet.

You won’t be able to get too close to the United States Bullion Depository (the proper name of Fort Knox) because it’s surrounded by a steel fence. Even the building itself is hardcore, made of concrete-lined granite and reinforced by steel to help it withstand attacks, according to the U.S. Treasury.

The U.S. Treasury says Fort Knox is “equipped with the latest and most modern protective devices.” It hasn’t confirmed exactly what those devices are, but rumor has it the vault grounds are surrounded by land mines and electric fences; when a laser is triggered, and a radar keeps watch over the area. (Learn these 20 secrets a home security installer won’t tell you.) The Treasury doesn’t hide anything about the guards outside, though. There’s one guard box at each of the building’s four corners, plus sentry boxes by the entrance. And you won’t want to mess with them—the basement of Fort Knox has a shooting range where guards can work on their aim.

If anything were to happen, the site also happens to share its home with 40,000 soldiers, family members, and civilian employees at the Fort Knox Army post. The building also has its own emergency power plant and water system. (They might not be Fort Knox-worthy, but don’t miss these 13 tips that can save your home from a break-in.)

Not that it would be easy to even make it this far, but the door to the vault is made of steel and concrete and weighs more than 20 tons. No single person knows how to get in. Instead, certain staff members know just one of several combinations, and they’d need to dial them separately to open the vaults.