Introduction

This site seeks to welcome all U.S. Tankers! This includes both Tank veterans and present-day Tankers. The site is maintained by several Knights of the Order of Saint George. We have adopted the spirit of the old War II era Armored Forces School at Fort Knox and their motto, "We Forge the Thunderbolt."

A Knight of the Armor Force is a Mounted man-at-arms (former and present-day Tanker) who is a defender, champion, and zealous upholder of the standards, principles, and history of the Armor Force and his country. He is a man who wants to contribute and be a part of the restoration of the finest tank force the world has ever seen, the United States Tank Corps. This elite force was the envy of the world for over 60 years and can be again!

The prime objective of this website is the perpetual advancement of the U.S. Tank Corps. The values, concepts, and attitudes set forth here in this forum are for the singular purpose of empowering tank crewmen and tank commanders. It is understood that no tank force will be able to fight successfully outside a combined arms effort. But it is our considered conclusion that other combat arms branches and their commanders will only act in their own best interests, without consideration of the sustaining of the Tank Force.

We also have contributors who are distinguished Master Gunners (MG). We recognize that in the current operating environment, the Abrams Master Gunner has a massive responsibility. Here, we endeavor to become a site where MGs can share knowledge and best practices to help maintain and rebuild the Armor Force.

Furthermore, we acknowledge the importance of family in the Armor community. Spouse's family members are welcome to visit this site with their Tanker, and hopefully, they will contribute and/or find something of interest on this site as well.

It is important to note that in this forum, the terms Armored Force and Tank Force are not interchangeable. The term Armored Forces currently includes the Cavalry arm as well as the Tank Force (Armor). We think that approaching the subject of tank fighting and employment cannot be effectively defined or advanced while in a symbiotic relationship with Cavalry. We certainly want to acknowledge a great respect for the Cavalry branch. We also recognize that the Cavalry and Infantry arms both bring outstanding capabilities to the combined arms team. But if the thinking of each of those arms is to substitute their needs over that of the Tank Force, the Tank Force will not be able to maintain itself as a qualified combat arm. Army commanders of the recent past and present persist in utilizing Armor personnel for tasks well outside of those of the Armor crewman. These misappropriations represent long-term degradation to the combat readiness of the Tank Force. This has led to a degradation of our national defense capability.

Outside this forum, there are other venues that provide for all other combat arms. Their goals are the same as those of this forum: to advance their arms. For this reason, we ask that all participants herein work to advance the cause of the restoration of Armor's core competencies and of tanks on the conventional battlefields of the present and future. Topics regarding Sustaining Operations, Operations Other Than War, Peace Keeping Operations, or Nation Building Operations are not desirable for this forum. Dialogs in these areas will always be defined by the political Rules of Engagement and, therefore, detract from the mission of this forum.

At the start of the 21st century, the Armor Force finds itself in a struggle to survive. Many Armor leaders (both officers and NCOs) have adored themselves with the trappings of Infantry and are complicit in the degradation of Armor for their own career advancement. Today, tank crewmen often lack the ability to conduct effective and meaningful qualification training. Additionally, there is a lack of vital historical perspective and command emphasis concerning the criticality of Armor's core competency skill sets. Tank crewman skills are perishable. This can never be understated!

It is hoped that the thoughts, information, and ideas contained within Knights of the Armor Force will help sustain conventional tracked tankers. Although Fort Meade and Fort Benning have been part of the history of Armor, it is the tradition of the "Fort Knox Experience" that has evolved the Armor Force out of the control of the Infantry Arm. It has been said that if the Armor Force had not escaped the Infantry shackles and established the home at Fort Knox in 1940 under audacious leaders, World War II outcomes would have been far different. Today, just as in the 1930s, our country faces underlying dangers. These dangers come from a resurgent Russian Army and an ever-modernizing and expanding Army of Red China.

These are the facts as we see them. It is important to note that this situation can be turned around in the future! With the help of today's dedicated Armor professionals and the vetted knowledge of countless Tanker veterans, the Tank Force will continue to be the Combat Arm of Decision.

Knights of the Armor Force Staff