The 4th Infantry Division museum heading to the Best 'Hometown' of the Army

07.20.2009

Courtesy Story

4th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office

While the 4th Infantry Division completes the relocation of more than 6,000 Soldiers, family members and unit equipment to Fort Carson, the history that lies within the walls of the 4th Inf. Div. museum will also begin to make its way back to Fort Carson.

The museum, currently located at Fort Hood, Texas, closed its doors July 17 to begin packing the artifacts for its move to join the rest of the "Ivy" Division, it's four maneuver brigades and division support battalion, at Fort Carson, said Steven Ruhnke, the new 4th Inf. Div., museum curator.

"The 4th Inf. Div. museum is home to several thousand artifacts of the division's long history," said Ruhnke.

Some of the artifacts are one of a kind, he added.

The planning for the move began while the division headquarters was still deployed, leading Multi-National Division — Baghdad during a 15-month mission in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 07-09, said Lt. Col. Alan Bal, 4th Inf. Div., G9 officer in charge.

A move like this requires a huge logistical effort which involves many different agencies, working from the two installations to plan and conduct the move, said Bal, who hails from Maui, Hawaii.

Fort Carson installation agencies, including the Department of Public Works; Army Corps of Engineers, working alongside the 4th Inf. Div.'s Engineers, Deputy Chief of Staff and headquarters; as well as contractors from both Fort Hood and Fort Carson, comprised the team involved in the move, explained Bal.

Once the museum is closed at Fort Hood the staff will begin inventorying and preparing the museum's artifacts for shipment.

The move of the artifacts and vehicles is estimated to be completed by the end of the month said Bal.

Ruhnke, the incoming 4th Inf. Div. museum curator, has been working with military museums for more than 27 years.

The storage building at Fort Carson, which must be climate controlled to properly store the artifacts, is near completion, he explained.

Ruhnke also said two large vehicles, the M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank and the M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle, will be displayed at Fort Carson's main gate and are slated to be the first of the 4th Inf. Div. museum artifacts to depart Fort Hood.

In all, about 19 mostly Vietnam era vehicles will be moved to Fort Carson, he added. The two track vehicles are tentatively scheduled to arrive July 29.

The museum which is scheduled to open in the Spring of 2010 will be located outside of the main gate adjacent to the Vehicle Registration Office to be accessible to the public, explained Ruhnke.

The ground breaking for the construction of the new museum building is scheduled to begin October 2009, said Bal.

"It's for the Soldiers first," said Ruhnke regarding the museum. "It will provide them with the division history and esprit de corps."

The museum will also be available for the families, veterans and general public, he added.

The museum will also to be a training tool to be used by military commanders and other organizations to help train Soldiers on the history of the 4th Inf. Div. and the Army, added Ruhnke.

• Date Taken: 07.20.2009
• Date Posted: 11.17.2009 17:49
• Story ID: 41700