Fort Jackson's "lead sled dog," the 120th Adjutant General Battalion became a part of the 193rd Infantry Brigade during a patch ceremony April 28 at Victory Field.
The 120th is responsible for making sure incoming Soldiers in Training are ready to begin basic training by ensuring Soldiers are vaccinated, have received their initial equipment issue, and have no problems that may preclude them from completing their training.
Col. Milford Beagle, 193rd commander, said during the "small but significant" ceremony even though there are three brigades on post there is "only one lead sled dog on post and you are looking at it."
"If the 120th doesn't make magic every single day based on what they do day in and day out our training stops moving," he added. "Look around this post, drive around this post, ask around this post; our training hasn't stopped moving. It won't stop moving."
The battalion is so critical to the post's mission it has its own CCIR -- Commander's Critical Information Requirements. If an incident happens that is considered a CCIR, commanders will immediately be notified, and even woken up from sleep.
For instance, if a Soldier fails to ship to a basic training company, the commander will be notified.
"You have heard a lot of great things about what the 120th does every day for this post, but we are sure glad to have the 120th as part of the 193rd team," Beagle added.
He advised the battalion to "get used to the motto, 'No ground to give' because on this post you are the lead sled dog and you can't give an inch. You are our front line. When you succeed, we succeed."
The transfer of authority for the battalion was completed after brigade leadership changed the patches of the commanders and senior enlisted leaders in the formations.
During the event, Capt. B. Ann Chellman, the battalion's personnel officer, said the unit's mission is to "receive, process, motivate and begin the transformation" of trainees prior to basic training.
After completing medical examinations, paperwork and receiving their equipment many of the Soldiers will begin to ship out to their basic training units for the next 10 weeks.
The 120th is comprised of three companies, a Fitness Training Company, an airborne orientation course, a Basic Combat Training medical hold unit, and trainee discharge and reception.
The reception battalion had been part of the 171st Infantry Brigade until the ceremony.
The unit was initially formed March 15, 1945 at Fort Shafter, Hawaii. Fort Jackson's reception unit in 1967 processed nearly 103,000 Soldiers during the force build up for Vietnam. The reception area on Fort Jackson was named the 120th AG Battalion Reception complex in 1987.
Today the battalion processes more than 60 percent of the Army's total basic trainees.
The 120th is not the only unit to be transferring to a different command as the Special Troops Battalion is scheduled to move under U.S. Army Garrison -- Fort Jackson.
Social Sharing