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The 19th Engineer Battalion Leaves Fort Knox—Another Chapter in a Long Transformation

16 Oct U.S. Army photo by Eric Pilgrim, Fort Knox News. View the original Army report.

COMMENTARY | By T.W. Shortt
Former Radcliff City Council Member (2015–2016), retired U.S. Army veteran, and longtime Radcliff business owner

Deactivating the 19th Engineer Battalion is more than a military ceremony. It is another change that will be felt beyond Fort Knox—in Radcliff and throughout Hardin County.

According to an October 15 report from Fort Knox News, the battalion cased its colors at the General George Patton Museum of Leadership. The Army described the 19th as Fort Knox’s last major operational unit.

The battalion had approximately 1,000 soldiers at its 2014 peak. Slightly more than 100 remained for the deactivation ceremony. An earlier Army report said approximately 350 soldiers were expected to depart as the headquarters closed and the remaining companies were reorganized.

I Have Watched Fort Knox Change Before

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What Toastmasters and the U.S. Army Taught Me About Fear

3 Oct

By T.W. Shortt, Past President of Gilded Tongues Toastmasters Club 8307 and former Senior Drill Sergeant, Company B, 3rd Battalion, 1st Armor Training Brigade, Fort Knox, Kentucky 

In my experience, I have seen capable people held back by fear. Sometimes it is a fear of public speaking. Sometimes it is a fear of failure. In either case, the effect can be the same: a person hesitates, avoids the challenge, or decides not to try at all. 

Two experiences in my life shaped how I think about this. One was my long association with Toastmasters International, where I watched people gradually learn to speak with confidence. The other was my time as a Drill Sergeant in a U.S. Army basic training company, where new soldiers were repeatedly required to attempt things they had never done before. 

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From Duty Station to Portfolio: How Military Families Build Wealth Through Real Estate 

22 Jun

Dominic Schroeder is a retired U.S. Army Military Police veteran whose career took him around the globe. As a REALTOR® with REALTY WORLD Knox Realty Group – The Fort Knox Office™, he brings that same discipline, planning, and attention to detail to help clients navigate complex real estate transactions throughout Hardin County and the Fort Knox region. 

For most Americans, building wealth requires years of saving, investing, and careful financial planning. For military families, however, another opportunity often goes overlooked: turning required relocations into a long-term real estate investment strategy. 

Here in the Fort Knox area, active-duty military members receive Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders and move to a new duty assignment. Many families simply rent a home or purchase a house and sell it when they leave. Others take a different approach. They buy a home, live in it during their assignment, and then keep it as a rental when orders send them elsewhere.

 

Over a military career, this strategy can lead to owning several income-producing properties. 

One of the most valuable benefits available to service members and veterans is the VA home loan program. Qualified borrowers can often buy a home with no down payment, competitive interest rates, and no private mortgage insurance. These advantages make homeownership more accessible and can let military families start building equity much earlier than many civilian households. 

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