FORT JACKSON, S.C. (Feb. 5, 2015) -- Last week represented a new beginning for the former 4th Battalion, 10th Infantry Regiment. Now designated as the Special Troops Battalion, the unit unfurled its new colors for the first time Friday during a reflagging ceremony at Darby Field.
Change is nothing new for the battalion, though. Last week's ceremony marks its fourth name change since it was formed in 1998, said Lt. Col. Keith Purvis, commander of the Special Troops Battalion.
"We have been -- and will remain -- a multi-purpose battalion capable of almost anything the Army provides," Purvis said. "We can train anyone for almost anything."
The battalion began its life at Fort Jackson as Victory Task Force, which was composed of Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, U.S. Army Training Center and Fort Jackson, the 282nd Army Band, the U.S. Army Student Detachment and other units.
It was reorganized in 2005 as Victory Support Battalion, activated as the 4th Battalion, 10th Infantry Regiment in 2009 and, last October, became the Fort Jackson Special Troops Battalion.
"As training evolved, so did the battalion," Purvis told the gathering at Darby Field last week. "We've done this again and again, always finding ways to improve the training that needs to be done, improve ourselves, and the others that we supported."
The battalion provides training and administrative support to assigned, attached and administratively controlled units as part of the U.S. Army Training Center mission, as well as conducting Initial Military Training and supporting Fort Jackson partners in excellence.
The new Special Troops Battalion designation means that the unit is no longer rooted in Fort Jackson and Army history, said Col. Clint Kirk, 171st Infantry Brigade Commander. The change will not impact its mission, he said.
"Changing the name of this battalion de-links these Soldiers with the proud history of 4-10 Infantry, but it does not change the mission of the battalion, or the culture of excellence that continues under a new set of colors," Kirk said.
During its tenure, the 4-10th processed more than 24,000 leaves, 5,000 awards and 35,000 other administrative actions, Purvis said. It also trained more than 3.6 million Soldiers as part of Initial Military Training.
The battalion was involved with almost every aspect of training on Fort Jackson.
"On the hand grenade range in the last five years, 235,000 hand grenades were thrown with a member of this battalion standing in the pit, ensuring safe and accurate throwing, ready to react in case of an errant throw," he said.
Very little changes for the Soldiers making the transition into the new battalion, Kirk said.
"They will continue to train basic trainees on critical combat skills," he said. "They will continue to represent this post and the Army as the Fort Jackson Honor Platoon. They will continue to care for 2,000 Soldiers serving around the world as students. They will continue to provide law enforcement and security for Fort Jackson. They will continue to support Post Headquarters and the staff. And they will continue to provide music for the post and the Columbia-Midlands region."
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