• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

258th Field Artillery takes over security at West Point

by Spc. Eric S. Bartelt

WEST POINT, N.Y. (Army News Service, Oct. 22, 2002) -- The 1st Battalion, 258th Field Artillery has officially taken over the 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment's post as top security dog at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y.

The 1-258th was activated Sept. 11, 2001 to perform security and other tasks at Ground Zero at the World Trade Center in New York. and began working security at West Point Oct. 1. The artillery battalion will continue through June 2003. The 1-258th will help with force protection and provide security for community members. The 258th FA will act as the quick reaction force in case of an emergency, and they will partner with the 1st Battalion, 1st Infantry's Military Police Company to monitor the gates and provide security at football games and special events.

"There are so many real world missions going on right now that our presence here helps free up more active duty soldiers to go do their jobs globally," said Spc. Peter D. Morrison, a cannon crewman for Bravo Battery, 1-258th FA. "This is such an important place to be with our leaders being groomed here-- it's important for us to provide the security."

Members of the 258th said that it's critical to provide extra security at West Point so the military can continue to produce leaders of the future.

"The cadets are the future; this is where our military leadership is coming from," said First Sgt. Hartley Barnes. "If something happens here that means somewhere down the line our military will be lacking leadership. We're here to protect them so that the leadership that comes from here will be continuous -- and that's the main reason why we're here."

The 258th FA falls under the 42nd Infantry Division out of Troy, N.Y.

The battalion's armory, Headquarters, Service and alpha batteries are located in Queens. Bravo battery is in the Bronx and Charlie Battery is stationed in Brooklyn.

Before coming to West Point, 258th members were tasked with helping secure the downtown Manhattan area in the weeks after Sept. 11, 2001.

"For two weeks we were doing security work at the Trade Center site," said Sgt. Peter M. Antonicelli, fire director center section for Charlie Battery. "After those two weeks, Bravo Battery stayed on to do bridges and tunnels security, plus delivered food and supplies -- it was a varied mission."

Bravo Battery worked the docks helping transport supplies. Their jobs also consisted of security work near Wall Street, Grand Central and other sites.

"We were down there almost until Thanksgiving, and then we were called to do funeral details," Morrison said. "So anyone who was prior service and died at the Trade Center got an honor guard."

Recalling the days at Ground Zero reminded Antonicelli and Morrison of how edgy it was during those first days after the Twin Towers fell.

"Every time a siren would go by people would ask 'what's going on;" you could see each individual person had that look of anxiety in their eyes,"

Morrison said. "I think it meant a lot to people to have a soldier presence down there during that time period."

Serving in the devastated area elicited strong emotions, soldiers said.

"I wasn't affected until two firefighters uncovered something and filled up one of those orange bags," Morrison said. "I saw one of them with an ax handle, then I noticed the guy behind him holding a crushed firefighter's helmet -- that got to me, seeing the firefighter's face, knowing he was devastated. That was rough to see."

(Editor's Note: Spc. Eric S. Bartelt is the leisure editor at the academy's Pointer View newspaper).