Fort Bliss transitioning 3rd battalion to full armor

Months of careful planning are coming together at fort bliss where the 3rd battalion, 41st infantry regiment is doing a massive overhaul to become a full armoured brigade.

Command Sgt. Maj. John Knight of the 3rd battalion and 41st infantry regiment says
“this will be my first time as an armor leader so i get to do something a little different, i’ve been an infantry guy my whole career but now i get to mess around on tanks.”

The transition process from infantry to armor has taken months of planning.To start the army has to make room for the new, larger tanks that will arrive in el paso in the next few months. The strykers currently used by 3-41 infantry have to be moved to other locations around the country.

Captain Kristopher Italiano is the Brigade Planner and has been coordinating the proccess from the beggining. He says “really we are going to have over the next 9 months 15 agencies on post to change out from stryker to the different combat platforms we have.”

Before this change the 1st armored division headquartered at fort bliss not only had tanks but also one stryker brigade which is being converted. But the executive officer for 3-41 infantry Major Joey Williams says top military brass wanted this change.

“we need one division with 3 armored formations that can compete with our strategic adversaries around the world.” Says Williams.

In all we the army says hundreds of tanks will be moving into Fort Bliss over the next nine months.