Why hundreds more soldiers will soon be stationed at Fort Knox
The Department of the Army will put its newest corps headquarters at Fort Knox.
The headquarters, called Fifth Corps, or V Corps, will have 635 soldiers and will be in operation by this fall, the Army said in a news release. About 200 of the soldiers stationed at V Corps will rotate through an operational command post in Europe.
It’s the fourth corps headquarters activated by the Army, joining I Corps at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington, III Corps at Fort Hood, Texas, and XVIII Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg, N.C., according to the release.
“The activation of an additional Corps headquarters provides the needed level of command and control focused on synchronizing U.S. Army, allied, and partner nation tactical formations operating in Europe. It will enhance U.S. Army Europe and U.S. European Command as they work alongside allies and partners to promote regional stability and security,” Gen. James McConville, the Army’s chief of staff, said in the release.
Fort Benning, Ga., and Fort Drum, N.Y., were the other finalists for the headquarters.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Sen. Rand Paul and Congressman Brett Guthrie issued a news release saying they had together urged the Army to choose Fort Knox.
“Fort Knox has proven itself as a leader in our nation’s armed forces time and again, and I’m delighted to announce Secretary McCarthy and General McConville answered my call to station V Corps headquarters in Kentucky,” McConnell said in the release. “As the Army continues modernizing its force structure to counter evolving global threats, Fort Knox is best choice to meet our urgent national defense needs. With its unmatched level of community support, Fort Knox will offer V Corps a warm welcome.”
WDRB reported that the installation’s economic impact is estimated at $2.6 billion.
The Army said V Corps has a history dating to World War I, when the unit fought in France. The corps helped liberate Europe and took part in the D-Day Invasion during World War II, the Army said in the release.
This story was originally published February 11, 2020 at 6:13 PM.
