Join us Saturday, February 8, 2025, throughout the day and visit Fort Concho for this year’s School of the Soldier! Since 1982, our living history program has brought the life and times of the frontier army to the community and beyond. Throughout the year, our volunteers represent Fort Concho at events across the state, collaborating with other living history groups to educate the public drill and the daily life of a frontier soldier. This program is where it all begins.
During the weekend, the soldiers will engage in drilling, marching, post duties, and staying in historic Barracks 5 to provide interpreters with a chance to glimpse life in 1883.
We are excited to welcome our friends from Louisiana, the “Crackers and Biscuits” reenactors, who will prepare all the soldiers’ meals and interpret the role of contractors to Fort Concho. With the expertise of our collection manager, Cory, we’ve created a historically accurate menu based on meals once served to soldiers stationed here. If you’d like to see these skilled reenactors cooking in action, they will be set up in the courtyard between Barracks 5 and 6, where they will demonstrate historical cooking techniques.
The soldiers will be posted in Barracks 5 and on the parade ground.
Who:
Fort Concho Living History. 16th Infantry, Company F.
Public welcome to Saturday programming!
What:
School of the Soldier
Where:
Barracks 5, Courtyard, Parade Ground
Why:
To educate our new interpreters, interpreters at fellow forts, and provide information for our community
FRIDAY
1500-1700: Volunteers can begin arriving on site at Barracks 5
1700: Volunteers will register and get their uniform and equipment issued to them by NCO personnel in Barracks Five. Once this has been completed, a safety and history brief will be given to all volunteers, explaining what to expect from the event as well as safety related rules and procedures. After this brief, all volunteers will be dismissed for the day and are free to do whatever, the event does not officially start until Saturday morning. There is a possibility food may be if night, however at this moment I am not sure.
SATURDAY
0645: Reveille & Morning Color Detail
0700: Morning Formation
0730: Breakfast (Beef and Potato Hash, Bread, Coffee, Molasses)
0800: Barracks Inspection
0830: Formation for Drill (School of the Soldier lead by CPL Thomas)
0930: Break
1000: School of the Soldier Continued (lead by CPL Thomas)
1100-1215: Lunch (Meat Pie, Bread, Apple Duff)
1215: Trapdoor talk and history (lead by CPL Jenske)
1245: Manual of Arms (Lead by CPL Thomas)
1345: Break
1400: Manual of Arms Continued (firing blanks) (lead by CPL Thomas)
1500: End of Drill
1530-1600: Barracks Cleanup and any other needed detail
1645: End of day formation
1700: Retreat and To the Color with supper afterwards (Bread, Molasses, Pickles, Coffee)
SUNDAY
0645: Reveille & Morning Color Detail
0700: Morning Formation
0730: Breakfast (Irish Stew, Bread, Coffee, Molasses)
0800: Barracks Inspection
0900-1000: Church / Barracks Cleanup
1000-1100: Drill (Lead by 1LT Kearns)
1100-1215: Lunch (Meat Pie, Baked Sweet Potato, Bread, Beans)
1215-1315: Drill Continued (Lead by 1LT Kearns)
1315-1400: Break
1400-1500: Barracks Cleanup
1500: Final Formation
If you have any questions, or are interested in starting your living history journey, please contact our educator Sarah Thieme at 325-650-3161 or email her at Sarah.Thieme@cosatx.us
