The idea of an "Officer Candidate
School" (OCS) being established at Camp San Luis Obispo
in the summer of 1950 was merely that, an idea. However, because
of the need for junior officers in the California Army National
Guard, Major General Curtis D. O’Sullivan, then Commanding
General of the 49th Infantry Division, conceived a program to
establish such an academy within the State of California, outside
the exiting Army Program located at Fort Benning, Georgia. The
newly created State OCS program graduated its first class in
1951.
Soldiers who entered the program became
"Cadets" (later on becoming Officer Candidates or OC’s
for short in the 1990’s) came from the Army National Guard
and the Army Reserve. During the next 10 years, OCS came under
close scrutiny from Active Component officers from Fort Benning,
but proved highly successful and began to expand its format.
The Program of Instruction was provided by the US Army Infantry
School, ensuring the training was conducted to the same standard
as taught at Fort Benning. Emphasis was placed on the very best
instruction available. As the academy grew in size and importance,
facilities for academic training became necessary. In 1961, OCS
training officially came under the newly created California Military
Academy (CMA) with its home at Camp San Luis Obispo. For the
next 35 years, the term "CMA" would be synonymous with
OCS.
As the program developed and matured,
Cadets would initially enter as juniors, advancing into senior
phase at the completion of their first summer camp. On an average,
there were three OCS companies located throughout California
(North, Central and South), but such was the popularity of the
program that at its peak in 1968, 6 companies were in existence
in addition to a 7th Senior Company. Approximately 280 Second
Lieutenants were commissioned in the summer of 1968. As of this
date, a little over 5,000 soldiers have received their commissions
within the United States Army and the California Army National
Guard.
One of the more recognizable signs of
the program is the famous Eagle, found on the side of Guard Mountain.
Originally, soldier from the Korean War era Southwestern Signal
Corrps Training Center moved and painted rocks from Dairy Creek
to form a Signal Corps branch insignia. This was a hazardous
project since driving a 3/4-ton "weapons carrier" at
the wrong grade could result in the load shifting and the truck
rolling over to the bottom of the hill. After the signal center
closed in 1954, nature reclaimed the site. The current Eagle
was the creation of an enterprising young civil engineering Cadet
in the mid-1960’s. Using a telescope mounted on top of a
hutment, this Cadet guided his team via radios in positioning
each rock into its place, forming the shape you see today. Each
year, the class that is scheduled to graduate takes time off
to paint the rocks and perform basic maintenance, changing the
year’s designation in the process. Many a time, junior’s
will sneak up at night and change the senior class designation
to that of their own; no small feat considering the Eagle is
nearly ½ an acre in size.
The Eagle itself severed as a magnet of
controversy in the early 70’s as the anti-war movement made
military involvement a highly unpopular act. The Eagle became
a cause celebre with the anti-war faction at Caliifornia
State Polytechic College (Cal Poly), necessitating the Camp San
Luis Obispo Post Commander to order it dismantled. As the Eagle
was taken apart during the day, each night the Senior Cadet Company
snuck up and had it reassembled to the early morning frustration
of the Post Commander. Realizing he was whipped after several
go a rounds, no further orders were given for its dismantlement.
The Eagle has remained in its "perch" ever since.
As the 1970’s emerged, the OCS continued
to evolve. In 1974, the first women graduates were commissioned
from the program, six years before West Point started. College
credits were now available to each graduating Second Lieutenant
for successful course completion due to the school’s sustained
accreditation by the Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia.
Prior to 1979, a dedicated formal education
for Noncommissioned Officers (NCOs) leadership training within
the California Army National Guard did not exist. Very few NCOs
were allowed to attend any type of formal leadership training;
therefore, the only NCO education available was "On the
Job" training. At the urging of Command Sergeant Major (CSM)
Hester Parker (then State CSM), funding was set aside to train
200 NCO’s. A Program of Instruction was fashioned using
one obtained from Colorado. Pilot program training was conducted
at the E-6/7 level and was conducted in August 1979 and 1980
in conjunction with OCS. With the inception of the NCO Education
System or NCOES in 1981, NCO Leadership training became a staple
within CMA and remains with the school house to this day.
By the early 1990’s, it became apparent
that many soldiers within the California Army National Guard
needed Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) Reclassification.
As CMA had done an outstanding job with OCS and NCOES, the school
house was tasked with developing select MOS reclassification
training courses, such as 88M (truck driver), 94B (Cook), 19E
(Armor Crewman) etc, each one receiving acclaim from soldiers
who attended from throughout California and the western United
States for the programs excellence and professionalism.
With the fall of the Berlin Wall and the
subsequent drawdown of the US Army, a major restructuring took
place across the US Army’s Training and Doctrine Command
or "TRADOC". In 1996, State Military Academies were
redesignated as Regional Training Institutes and incorporated
into "The Army School System" commonly known
as TASS. Each of these RTI’s was one allowed to select a
historical regiment that best represents the spirit of State
and the school. The 223rd Infantry Regiment
designation was nominated by then commander Colonel Ron Flynn
due to the historical affiliation the regiment had with the 40th
Infantry Division (Mechanized), the California Army National
Guard’s largest formation. Additionally, the 223rd Infantry
Regiment distinguished itself during the Korean War with three
of its soldiers receiving the Medal of Honor, two of which having
received it from the same battle, a rare occurrence since only
one other regiment within the Army National Guard can claim such
an accolade.
Today, the 223rd Infantry Regiment (Combat
Arms) carries on with the traditions established over half a
century prior. In addition to its traditional OCS and NCOES mission,
the Regiment also teaches a variety of Professional Development,
Armor & Infantry MOS qualification training such as M2 Bradley
Fighting Vehicle, Mortar, and Cavalry Scout training. It has
hosted M1A1 Abrams and M2 Bradley Displaced Equipment Transition
Training for the combat elements of the 40th Infantry Division,
the Non-Prior Service training course for newly recruited soldiers,
Company Level Pre-Command Courses for current and future Company
Commanders and First Sergeant, and in October 2001 will commence
with Military Intelligence training for the MI battalions of
the 49th Combat Support Command. Finally, the Regiment not only
works for the California Army National Guard, but also serves
as the Combat Arms Headquarters for the western 14 States making
up TRADOC Region G, the largest training region found within
TASS.
The name may change, but the tradition
of excellence continues well into the next century. With the
support of the Adjutant General and the commanders in the field,
the 223rd Infantry Regiment continues to accomplish its most
import mission: Train Soldiers to Lead Soldiers.
Regimental Heraldry
For information of the California Military
Academy's heraldry, CLICK HERE
