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| Fort Knox | |
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| Kentucky | |
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| Type | Military Base |
| Built | 1918 |
| In use | 1861-1903: Civil War 1903-1918: Training Grounds 1918-1925: Camp Knox 1925-1928: National Forest 1928-1931: Camp Knox 1932-Present: Fort Knox |
| Controlled by | 1861-1903: Contested 1903-Present: United States |
| Current commander |
Brigadier General Donald Campbell |
 Location of Fort Knox |
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Fort Knox is a United States Army post in Kentucky south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. The base, 109,000 acres, covers parts of Bullitt, Hardin, and Meade counties, with Hardin county receiving the largest benefit, economically. It holds the U.S. Army Armor Center, the U.S. Army Armor School and the U.S. Army Recruiting Command.[1] It is also the site of the U.S. Bullion Depository and the General George Patton Museum,[2] both located on or near the army post. Parts of the base in Hardin and Meade Counties form a census-designated place (CDP), which had a population of 12,377 at the 2000 census.
Fort Knox has become an almost colloquial term in the English language, its name associated with high-tech security, impregnability and excess amounts of wealth. This occurrence has become proliferated due to the use of the site in media such as the 1959 James Bond novel Goldfinger by Ian Fleming, and the 1964 movie of the same name and its appearance in the 1981 comedy film Stripes, both of which utilize the large-scale security of the fort in the main narrative.
For more information on the security and gold located at Fort Knox, see the article on the United States Bullion Depository.
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Current uses
The history of the US Army's Cavalry and Armored forces, and of General George S. Patton's career, can be found at the General George Patton Museum which is located at Fort Knox.[3]
Fort Knox is one of the places where the Army conducts Basic Combat Training and it is home to the Army ROTC Leader's Training Course, under the auspices of the 46th Infantry Regiment, and is used by both the Army and the Marine Corps to train crews on the M1 Abrams main battle tank. From 1967 to 1994, the post was home to the 194th Armored Brigade, a combat unit which, amongst other duties, assisted Armored School training.[4] The 194th has been reactivated as the unit responsible for armor training.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has maintained the Bullion Depository on the post since 1937. This facility is operated by the Treasury Department and is independent of the Army's operations there.
The misconception is that Fort Knox houses most of the US gold, when actually the Federal Reserve of NY holds most of the US and in fact the world's supply of gold.
Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC)
Fort Knox will lose about 4,600 personnel through the departure of the Army Armor Center and School to Fort Benning, Ga., as well as the departure of other divisions to different parts of the country.
The Army Human Resources Command with approximately 3,100 mostly civilian personnel is being consolidated at Fort Knox. The new center will combine offices currently located in Virginia, Indiana and Missouri. The 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, with approximately 3,400 personnel, currently stationed at Fort Hood, Tx., will be relocated to Fort Knox.
It’s expected that between $800 and $900 million worth of construction will take place at Fort Knox for the BRAC reorganization, and for base modernization projects.
The Fort Knox BRAC reorganization will be completed by September 2011.
Geography
Fort Knox is located at 37°53'34" North, 85°58'29" West (37.892809, -85.974709)[5], along the Ohio River. The depository itself is located at 37°53'00" North, 85°57'56" West (37.883333, -85.965556).citation needed
According to the Census Bureau, the base CDP has a total area of 20.9 square miles (54.2 km²), of which 20.9 square miles (54.2 km²) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²), 0.14%, is water.
Communities near Fort Knox include Brandenburg, Elizabethtown, Hodgenville, Louisville, Radcliff, Shepherdsville, and Vine Grove, Kentucky[6] The Meade County city of Muldraugh is completely surrounded by Fort Knox.
Demographics
As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 12,377 people, 2,748 households, and 2,596 families residing on base. The population density was 591.7 people per square mile (228.4/km²). There were 3,015 housing units at an average density of 144.1/sq mi (55.6/km²). The racial makeup of the base was 66.32% White, 23.08% African American, 0.73% Native American, 1.65% Asian, 0.44% Pacific Islander, 4.17% from other races, and 3.63% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 10.35% of the population.
There were 2,748 households out of which 77.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 86.0% were married couples living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 5.5% were non-families. 4.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 0.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.49 and the average family size was 3.60.
The age distribution was 34.9% under the age of 18, 25.5% from 18 to 24, 37.2% from 25 to 44, 2.3% from 45 to 64, and 0.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females there were 155.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 190.3 males. These statistics are generally typical for military bases.
The median income for a household on the base was $34,020, and the median income for a family was $33,588. Males had a median income of $26,011 versus $21,048 for females. The per capita income for the base was $12,410. About 5.8% of the population and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.6% of those under the age of 18 and 100.0% of those 65 and older.
See also
- Louisville-Jefferson County, KY-IN Metropolitan Statistical Area
- Elizabethtown, KY Metropolitan Statistical Area
- Louisville-Elizabethtown-Scottsburg, KY-IN Combined Statistical Area
- United States Bullion Depository
- List of attractions and events in Louisville, Kentucky
- List of cities and towns along the Ohio River
References
- ^ US Army Armor Center - Fort Knox Kentucky
- ^ Patton Museum of Cavalry and Armor - Home
- ^ Patton Museum of Cavalry and Armor - Home
- ^ US Army Armor Center - Fort Knox Kentucky
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Army Armor Center- Family & Community
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
External links
- Ireland Army Community Hospital, (at Fort Knox)
- US Army Armor Center, Fort Knox, KY
- Satellite photo of the Fort Knox Bullion Depository, click to enlarge
- Patton Museum of Cavalry and Armor (at Fort Knox)
- Fort Knox history
- Official Base information from the DOD Military Installations website
- Fort Knox Morale, Welfare, and Recreation
- Fort Knox is at coordinates Coordinates:
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