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As a
member of the 261st Coast Artillery
re-enactment unit, you'll be
volunteering for Delaware State
Parks at the Fort Miles Historic
Site. This site is one of the
most exciting examples of a coastal
defense fortification on the east
coast of the US, and is currently
undergoing restoration by the State
of Delaware. When it is
completed it will be one of the
largest museums of its type in the
country, complete with the only
mounted 12 inch casemated gun on the
east coast.
Fort Miles is currently home to 10
pieces of major caliber artillery
ranging from 3-inch / 50 cal. AMTB
guns all the way up to our 12-inch
naval rifle - all of which need
constant care and maintenance.
In order to keep these important
exhibits in working order, we need
volunteers.
Volunteers are the driving force
behind the restoration and
interpretation of this historic
site. Not only will you wear
the uniform and learn the role of a
cosmoliner in WWII, but you'll be an
active part in making this museum a
reality.
Joining up...
As a first year member, you will
wear the insignia of the Coast
Artillery School and you will be
assigned a sponsor. This is
usually a senior NCO that will work
with you for your first year to make
sure your impression meets unit
requirements. Since this is an
expensive hobby, your sponsor will
be able to help you save as much
money as possible by purchasing only
items approved for use at Fort
Miles. First year members will
begin at the rank of Private (no
insignia). After the first
year has been completed, your
sponsor and two officers will
discuss your progress to date.
You will
be automatically promoted to Private
First Class and be authorized to
wear the insignia of the 261st Coast
Artillery. Cadets will also
wear the Coast Artillery School
insignia and will move through the
cadet rank system until they reach
18 years of age, at which time they
will be eligible for full membership
and immediate promotion to Private
First Class or Corporal (depending
on performance evaluation).
Duties of a Member
As a member your duties will
vary. Part of the application
process gives us an idea of your
skills and interests, which will be
used to determine what kind of duty
assignment you will receive.
You may be working with artillery,
operating and maintaining a 1942
Sperry searchlight, or running and
maintaining communications wire
throughout the post. You may
be working on restoring barracks
buildings, or working to restore a
massive concrete casemate to its
WWII condition. From desk jobs
to gun crews, there is always plenty
of work to be done. Just
remember that through all of it, we
work and operate as the 261st Coast
Artillery.
Drills
& Events
Just as
the National Guard has for
centuries, we hold monthly drill for
the unit at Fort Miles. Drill
weekend usually falls later in the
month and includes a full day of
training on Saturday and a half day
on Sunday. Activities each
drill weekend vary from fieldcraft
and orienteering training, road
marches, PT, classroom instruction,
drill & ceremony, range time and
much more. The command staff
of the 261st are current members of
the US Army, so you can be assured
you are getting quality training.
Regular drill weekends help to keep
members' skills sharp and prepared
for event weekends, which are held 2
to 3 times annually.
Promotion and Awards
Promotions usually come in
increments no shorter than one year,
however, members that do
exceptionally well may occasionally
see promotions in less time.
Promotions in rank come to those
that deserve and have worked hard
for them. Dedication to the
project, dedication to the unit,
volunteer hours and quality of
impression all have a direct impact
on your rank within the unit.
Additionally, awards are given to
members that reach certain goals.
Time spent with the unit,
performance on weapons,
qualifications, and even emergency
action are all eligible for awards.
Additionally, you can receive awards
from Delaware State Parks for time
spent working at Fort Miles such as
duffle bags, fleece jackets, shirts,
and more. |
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Frequently Asked Questions |
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Q: What is the age
requirement?
A: The minimum age for
becoming a full unit member
is 18, just as was the
minimum age for joining the
Army in WWII. If you
are under 18 years of age,
please inquire about our
cadet program.
Q: What would I be
doing?
A: As a member, your
duties will vary. Part
of the application process
gives us an idea of your
skills and interests, which
will be used to determine
what kind of duty assignment
you'll receive.
Typically your duties will
include maintenance of the
artillery and equipment,
maintenance of the barracks,
and restoration of artifacts
and structures on the post.
As a member you will also be
required to attend monthly
drill weekends.
Attendance at drill and
events will count toward
your overall progress with
the unit.
Q: How much does it
cost?
A: This hobby is
not a cheap one. The
minimum uniform and
equipment requirements as
outlined in General Order #1
will total about $1000.00.
Keep in mind that you have
one year from your sign up
date to procure all of the
items listed in General
Order #1.
Q: Are there
membership dues?
A: No. There
are no dues whatsoever.
You are a volunteer.
In fact, certain items will
be issued to you by the
unit, and you will be
eligible to receive award
items based on the amount of
hours you put in with the
unit.
Q: What other
requirements do you have?
A: In addition to
meeting the minimum uniform
requirements within one year
of application approval, you
will need to maintain proper
military appearance and
bearing while in uniform.
This means being clean
shaven or wearing facial
hair in an approved manner,
keeping your hair cut to
regulation, and wearing your
uniform according to unit
regs.
Q: Is artillery the
only impression you do?
A: No, but it is
our primary impression.
There are impressions for
men and women available with
this outfit, since women
played a vital role in the
duties at Fort Miles.
There were also a limited
number of infantrymen at
Fort Miles, so we are
authorizing a very limited
number of infantry
impressions. If you
wish, you may apply for an
infantry impression, however
we cannot guarantee that
there are any available
infantry impressions at any
given time. |
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