1st Battalion 22nd Infantry Red Devil NCO Academy

1st Battalion 22nd Infantry

Red Devil NCO Academy 1979

"Red Devil" was the name given to the training facilities down range at Fort Carson in the 1970's.
Among those facilities were "Little Vietnam" and the Escape and Evasion training sites. The Red Devil area
also had the 4th Infantry Division Non Commissioned Officers Training Academy. The NCO Academy
consisted of a portion of the training area formed into a "camp", and separate unto itself.

Terry Kotschwar, a member of Company A 1/22 Infantry 1976-79, was accepted and enrolled in the NCO Academy course,
received the training and instruction during February - March 1979, and upon completion became a Sergeant E-5.

During this training cycle, eight members of 1/22 Infantry went through the course, along with members
of every other organization in the 4th Infantry Division. The Commanding General of the Division at this time
was Major General Louis C. Menetrey, who commanded the 4th Infantry Division from
September 19, 1978 to September 11, 1980.

Below is the Graduation Ceremony Program for the Class of which Terry Kotschwar was a member,
along with Terry's personal memories of that experience.

"The camp was really a dump, but liveable. Since it was early spring, every morning it was cold
as was the night. We had to have fire watch every night and only had to pull an hour each day
so it wasn't too terrible. We stoked pot belly stoves with coal and kept the place relatively warm.
We slept on military cots in our mountain sleeping bags and had inspections to keep them arranged.
Like a modified basic or AIT. We had day/night orientation. Classroom instruction, leadership training,
night fire, and just trying to get you to learn to take the reins as a new NCO.

Every night we heard what we thought were mice or rats chewing on wood, the walls or something.
Every fire guard heard it and every time we heard it we looked to find the culprit. It turned out
that Johnny Wolford (C Co. 1/22) used to grind his teeth when he slept, so after many restless nights,
the mystery was solved.

The camp was only about 10-years old and was situated between I-25 and Highway 115.
One troop absconded with a couple of M-16s, buried them in plastic and was planning to sell them
at a later time. He was obviously caught, but I never heard any more about it.

..................one individual was marginal in his performance and I was pulled at random (as a peer)
to sit in on his hearing for retention. The individual was a little left of center and was bragging
that he had all kinds of girl friends. I wondered what the Hell that had to do with anything,
but suddenly realized why he was going to be dismissed. During the questioning there was a follow-up question
concerning his girl friend claim. I imagine it was to humor him, but he indicated that the women loved his tongue.
When asked for clarification, he stuck his tongue out and licked his eyebrow. After we picked our jaws off the floor,
the powers in charge re-directed their questions to more pertinent topics like performance while at Red Devil.
Since I had worked with him on some drills I was asked my opinion and I wished I hadn’t been,
but I told them I thought that he was a "paranoid schizophrenic" because he was always thinking
that people were out to get him and that no one liked him because he was so smart and gifted.
My actual comments were 'I think he is a paranoid schizophrenic with narcissistic tendencies
suffering from delusions of grandeur.' Now I don't normally talk like that, but on that particular day
that was what I spouted to the SFC who had asked me my opinion. I was nervous and caught off guard
because I just thought I was asked to sit in on the hearing as a peer, not a speaker. It is something how,
35-years later you can remember such trivial details. Power of the spirit, I guess.
The chairperson looked at me for a second and said, “I have no idea what you just said,
but I take it he isn't fitting in with the rest of the troops." I just nodded and smiled...
He was really odd and disruptive so the cadre had no choice but to let him go."

--------------- Terry Kotschwar 2010

The NCO Academy Graduation Ceremony Program:

SP4 Terry Kotschwar is listed in the program above in 5th Squad.

The Combat Leader insignia of the NCO Academy graduates.

The insignia was authorized for wear on the fatigue uniform at first, but the authorization
was later rescinded, as the Army felt during this time, that such distinctive marks on the uniform
was detrimental to cohesion in the ranks. About the Combat Leader Insignia Terry Kotschwar said:

" I was in the last group to get them and at first we were allowed to wear them and then they said no
because that made us 'different' from the rest."

Terry Kotschwar, Company A 1/22 Infantry 1976-1979

Below is the official evaluation report of SP4 Terry Kotschwar during his enrollment at the Red Devil NCO Academy,
indicating his satisfactory completion of the course, and thus his eligibility for promotion to Sergeant.

The graduation diploma from the Red Devil NCO Academy,
signed by MG Louis Menetrey, Commanding General of the 4th Infantry Division:

Below are the orders promoting SP4 Terry Kotschwar to Sergeant E5
after his completion of the Red Devil NCO Academy:

The 1st Battalion website is grateful to Terry Kotschwar
for the above photos and information

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