History
Fort Sill was established during the Indian Wars after Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan selected the site near Medicine Bluffs in late 1868; construction of permanent stone buildings followed in 1869–70. Sheridan named the post for his West Point friend Brig. Gen. Joshua W. Sill, who was killed in the Civil War. Early garrison units included the 7th U.S. Cavalry under George A. Custer and the 10th U.S. Cavalry “Buffalo Soldiers,” and the post is now a National Historic Landmark with many of those original structures preserved.
Fort Sill evolved into the Army’s artillery center in the 20th century. The School of Fire for Field Artillery (today’s U.S. Army Field Artillery School) was founded here in 1911, and the post also became the birthplace of Army combat aviation when the 1st Aero Squadron arrived in 1915 to support artillery observation at what is now Henry Post Army Airfield. Notable Native leaders—including Geronimo, who died at Fort Sill in 1909—are buried on post. Today Fort Sill is home to the Fires Center of Excellence, which includes both the Field Artillery School and the Air Defense Artillery School (moved to Fort Sill as part of BRAC actions completed around 2009–2010). The installation also trains Marines in artillery specialties and hosts multiple operational fires brigades.
Training and Graduations today
Fort Sill runs one of the Army’s Basic Combat Training (BCT) sites via the 434th Field Artillery Brigade. BCT at Fort Sill is a 10-week course (plus a short reception period), culminating in a graduation at Week 10; graduations are livestreamed and dates are posted by the brigade. In practice, ceremonies occur most Fridays, and the livestream archive shows multiple graduations many weeks—especially in peak summer months.
Throughput fluctuates year to year, but recent and historical markers give a solid sense of scale. In 2024 the Army added four BCT companies across the force, including two at Fort Sill; at max fill and four annual cycles, Fort Sill’s companies together can produce on the order of ~20,000 new Soldiers per year. Historically, Fort Sill’s BCT mission “grew the force by 18,000 Soldiers a year” (FY16 data). Beyond basic training, the Field Artillery School trains roughly 10,000 students annually across enlisted AIT, officer courses, and warrant officer programs (2020 figure). Local coverage of weekly ceremonies commonly reports 400–500 new Soldiers graduating per event. Put together, Fort Sill hosts dozens of graduations each year across BCT, AIT, and NCO/officer courses and trains well over 25,000 service members annually across its missions.
Notes: exact ceremony counts and class sizes vary by week and unit, and schedules can shift; the brigade’s official pages and livestream hub carry current dates and times.
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