Short History of Fort Sill Army Base

Retired from the US Army, LTC. Noel Grubb is a senior software analyst, working with computer applications for defense systems. While in the military LTC Noel Grubb made a tour at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, helping train soldiers on the Excalibur precision artillery shell.

Established in 1869, Fort Sill has long been the center of the Army’s artillery programs. The installation was named after Brigadier Gen. Joshua W. Sill, who died in the Civil War. Located in what was then the American frontier, cavalry and infantry units stationed at the fort played a key role in controlling the Native American population. Additional operations included maintaining order in the Oklahoma Land Run of 1889 and protecting settlers (including Native Americans) who had moved nearby. The fort was also home to the Army’s Black infantry and cavalry units, known as the Buffalo Soldiers.

When the Army disbanded the cavalry in 1905, it appeared the base would be closed and transferred to the Apache. However, President William H. Taft appreciated the historic value of its buildings. Field artillery units soon took the place of horses, and Fort Sill survived. It was expanded to include the School of Fire (field artillery) and the Infantry School. In addition, it housed the Army’s first aerial squadron in the First World War.

Thousands of troops passed through Fort Sill in World War Two as it became the training center for the 45th Infantry Division. After the war, the Defense Department set up the Army Artillery Center to develop new strategies.

The fort’s aviation units were moved elsewhere in 1954, but its officers and troops supported American wars from Vietnam onwards. It holds a special place in military history as the firing point for the nation’s only nuclear explosion to be delivered by an artillery shell.

In the 21st century, students from more than 40 nations have learned artillery doctrine at the fort. It comprises some 146 square miles and houses a large selection of artillery artifacts at the Fort Sill Museum.