USAR Supports 4th Region ROTC
Philip
SGT Philip Atkins
07 July 1997
USAR News
It is often said in the military that life goes full circle. I can
tell you from experience, this has definitely been the case for me.
After completing an overseas assignment to Germany and Fort Bliss,
Texas my Battalion Commander, LTC Jim Moye, told me about Fort Lewis,
Washington. LTC Moye said it was one of the best kept secrets the US
Army had and he was right. I reenlisted for a conus to conus
assignment and chose Fort Lewis as my next duty assignment.
I inprocessed with the 525th Replacement Battalion in building 2027 at
Fort Lewis in 1982. I had no idea that 15 years later I would be
working for the United States Army Reserves in that very same
building. When I inprocessed with my new army reserve unit, Detachment
1, 6015th Garrison Support Unit it was in building 2027. I thought it
was very odd to be working in the same building in which I had
inprocessed so many years before on active duty.
That was just the beginning of many more coincidences to follow. While
I was stationed at Fort Lewis on active duty back in 1982-83, I had
been detailed to work the summer months supporting the 4th Region ROTC
mission. This temporary assignment had me detailed to work for HHC-
ROTC located in building 11D53 at North Fort Lewis.
Now, nearly 15 years later, the United States Army Reserve has
received a new mission. You guessed it, supporting the 4th Region ROTC
command. In addition to the USAR support mission, Det. 1, 6015th GSU
was now tasked the mission of supporting HHC-ROTC in building 11D53.
This was the same building in which I had worked for two summers
previously many years before.
I must admit, things are working very smoothly with the USAR in
support of the 4th Region ROTC mission. I can definitely tell that a
lot of careful planning went into completing this USAR mission. The
successful USAR rotations involved assuring that all the reservists
completed their annual 2 week training as required. The HHC-ROTC
mission was supported by Detachment 1, 6015th GSU and it's
headquarters located in Forest Park, Illinois.
Most of the 6015th GSU soldiers are from Forest Park, IL and many came
to Fort Lewis, Washington for the very first time in their careers.
The soldiers of the 6015th GSU were welcomed by not only their
detachment, but by the active duty cadre which included ROTC staff and
soldiers currently stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington.
Due to some restructuring of the Garrison Support Units throughout the
United States Army, this will probably be the last ROTC mission for
the 6015th GSU. When asked, most of the soldiers said whole-heartedly
that they would love to return to Fort Lewis for more of this hard-
charging training.
Time will tell whether or not I'll return next year in support of
ROTC. However, one thing is for sure, life in the military definitely
goes full circle.
SGT Philip Atkins is currently assigened to Detachment 1, 6015th
Garrison Support Unit, Fort Lewis, Washington.
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end
Philip Atkins
Tacoma, Washingon
www.google.com/profiles/atkins.philip