WEBVTT 00:00.460 --> 00:03.293 (adventure music) 00:07.154 --> 00:09.307 - Welcome to In Step with Fort Riley. 00:09.307 --> 00:10.724 I'm Scott Rhodes. 00:11.239 --> 00:13.651 ^Soldiers from 17 Field Artillery, part of 00:13.651 --> 00:16.683 ^the Big Red One's 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team 00:16.683 --> 00:18.322 recently conducted a week-long 00:18.322 --> 00:20.958 Paladin Leaders course here on post. 00:20.958 --> 00:23.650 The training teaches the unit's leaders the skills necessary 00:23.650 --> 00:27.066 to lead their soldiers on the Paladin weapon system. 00:27.066 --> 00:28.526 Staff Sergeant John Portela 00:28.526 --> 00:31.892 with the 19th Public Affairs Detachment reports. 00:31.892 --> 00:34.892 (shouting commands) 00:40.242 --> 00:42.607 (gun firing) 00:42.607 --> 00:44.188 ^- [John] Soldiers of the 1st Battalion 00:44.188 --> 00:47.003 ^7th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, 00:47.003 --> 00:48.845 conducted a Paladin Leaders course 00:48.845 --> 00:51.763 to teach the next generation of leaders the fundamentals 00:51.763 --> 00:53.596 of the Paladin M109A6. 00:54.689 --> 00:58.245 ^- They go through crew drills, they go through 00:58.245 --> 01:01.436 ^learning how to put the BII on the vehicles, 01:01.436 --> 01:02.930 and how to actually 01:02.930 --> 01:05.731 shoot as a gunner and a number one man. 01:05.731 --> 01:07.764 The success rate of the course is 100%, 01:07.764 --> 01:09.688 because if anyone fails an event, 01:09.688 --> 01:11.775 they go to retrain, and they retrain and retrain 01:11.775 --> 01:13.451 until they finally get it right. 01:13.451 --> 01:15.302 - [John] Training the young officers is the job 01:15.302 --> 01:17.202 of the section and crew chiefs. 01:17.202 --> 01:18.999 The training takes up to several days, 01:18.999 --> 01:21.837 and is filled with new skills for the new leaders. 01:21.837 --> 01:23.680 - The NCO's have been good at like walking 01:23.680 --> 01:25.876 ^us through before they evaluate us 01:25.876 --> 01:27.908 ^to make sure we're set up for success, 01:27.908 --> 01:30.040 and I've learned a lot this week 01:30.040 --> 01:32.740 just on, you know, skill level 10 tasks 01:32.740 --> 01:34.544 that my soldiers have to complete 01:34.544 --> 01:36.150 anytime we roll to the field. 01:36.150 --> 01:37.725 - [John] Finalty of training is conducted 01:37.725 --> 01:40.132 at Range 40 where there new trainees 01:40.132 --> 01:43.240 get a chance to go through what they have learned. 01:43.240 --> 01:44.975 Reporting from Fort Riley, 01:44.975 --> 01:47.642 I'm Staff Sergeant John Portela. 01:48.802 --> 01:50.269 - [Scott] Alright John thank you. 01:50.269 --> 01:51.330 You know folks Halloween is right 01:51.330 --> 01:52.711 around the corner literally, 01:52.711 --> 01:56.213 and today we're gonna take a look at the haunted history 01:56.213 --> 01:58.672 of Fort Riley's Historic Custer House, 01:58.672 --> 02:01.312 including the story of a certain stuffed animal 02:01.312 --> 02:02.759 that seems to attract the attention 02:02.759 --> 02:04.306 of spirits from the beyond. 02:04.306 --> 02:05.306 Ooh, spooky. 02:05.479 --> 02:06.994 Jake Faber with the 1st Infantry Division 02:06.994 --> 02:09.815 Public Affairs Office has the story. 02:09.815 --> 02:12.398 (spooky music) 02:18.964 --> 02:20.609 - This house, Quarters 24, is actually 02:20.609 --> 02:23.776 one of the older houses on Fort Riley. 02:24.259 --> 02:26.827 So a lot of the houses in this area do have 02:26.827 --> 02:28.910 their own little spirits. 02:30.821 --> 02:32.897 - [Jake] Built in 1855, there's no doubt 02:32.897 --> 02:37.064 the Custer House has a few stories inside its walls. 02:37.859 --> 02:39.519 Restored and furnished to depict life 02:39.519 --> 02:41.898 for General George Armstrong Custer, 02:41.898 --> 02:45.317 the building is filled with genuine artifacts from the past, 02:45.317 --> 02:48.987 certain ones known to be more animated than others. 02:48.987 --> 02:52.203 - We have a teddy bear that lives upstairs. 02:52.203 --> 02:55.216 ^Every night the PFC that was in charge of opening 02:55.216 --> 02:57.979 ^the Custer House museum every day and locking 02:57.979 --> 03:00.840 it every night, she would put it lovingly 03:00.840 --> 03:02.675 in the middle of the bed. 03:02.675 --> 03:05.401 Every morning when she would come back it would be 03:05.401 --> 03:07.371 moved to the rocking horse. 03:07.371 --> 03:10.107 Sometimes the rocking horse would be rocking on its own. 03:10.107 --> 03:12.774 (creepy sounds) 03:16.510 --> 03:19.056 - [Jake] One account alone doesn't make a legend, 03:19.056 --> 03:20.387 but multiple workers have reported 03:20.387 --> 03:23.590 finding the bear in other areas over the years. 03:23.590 --> 03:26.435 Movement sometimes attributed to previous tenants 03:26.435 --> 03:28.292 that passed away suddenly. 03:28.292 --> 03:32.459 - Most of the people in the 1855 Cholera Epidemic died, 03:32.578 --> 03:34.065 and they died very quickly, 03:34.065 --> 03:36.261 and so obviously there's been a lot of people 03:36.261 --> 03:38.678 that have not quite moved on. 03:39.362 --> 03:41.527 - [Jake] And while the teddy bear story is well-known, 03:41.527 --> 03:43.804 it's just one of many haunting tales told 03:43.804 --> 03:47.420 on Fort Riley's annual Ghost tour October 23rd, 03:47.420 --> 03:49.643 an event that's open to the public. 03:49.643 --> 03:51.189 - I hope that we get even more people 03:51.189 --> 03:53.040 than we had in the last couple of years, 03:53.040 --> 03:55.976 because it's the 20th Anniversary tour. 03:55.976 --> 03:57.778 20 years we've been doing this. 03:57.778 --> 03:59.854 You will have spirits that will reside, 03:59.854 --> 04:01.120 sometimes they're friendly and 04:01.120 --> 04:02.953 sometimes they aren't. 04:04.760 --> 04:08.927 - [Jake] Reporting from Fort Riley, this is Jake Faber. 04:09.510 --> 04:10.604 ^- Alright thanks Jake, 04:10.604 --> 04:11.774 ^folks, before we leave you today, 04:11.774 --> 04:13.749 ^here are three things you need to know and today, 04:13.749 --> 04:15.829 ^of course we're talkin Halloween. 04:15.829 --> 04:18.983 A couple of events taking place on Saturday, October 29th. 04:18.983 --> 04:21.431 The Post Library is hosting a day of family fun 04:21.431 --> 04:23.957 with Halloween-themed crafts and activities, 04:23.957 --> 04:26.141 spooky snacks, and costumes. 04:26.141 --> 04:30.308 Call the library at 239-5305 for more information. 04:31.235 --> 04:33.920 Also on Saturday the 29th, Custer Hill Bowling Center 04:33.920 --> 04:37.637 is hosting their Halloween Glow Party from 5-9 pm. 04:37.637 --> 04:41.211 Unlimited bowling and a kid's costume contest are on tap. 04:41.211 --> 04:44.128 Call 239-4336 for more information. 04:45.192 --> 04:47.010 And finally on Monday October 31st, 04:47.010 --> 04:50.200 you can trick or treat at the PX from 4-6 pm. 04:50.200 --> 04:54.117 BOSS is putting on a Trunk or Treat from 5-7 pm 04:54.144 --> 04:55.859 in the Commissary Parking Lot. 04:55.859 --> 04:58.706 And Post Wide Trick or Treat hours on Fort Riley 04:58.706 --> 05:01.373 are Halloween night from 6-8 pm. 05:02.475 --> 05:04.485 If you'd like more news and information about Fort Riley 05:04.485 --> 05:06.461 we make that real easy for ya. 05:06.461 --> 05:09.069 Check out the 1st Infantry Division Post newspaper 05:09.069 --> 05:11.766 online at the web address right there on your screen, 05:11.766 --> 05:15.898 or find a hard copy at a newsstand on or around Fort Riley. 05:15.898 --> 05:18.506 You can also find us on all the popular social media sites 05:18.506 --> 05:21.647 like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. 05:21.647 --> 05:23.465 And don't forget these websites, 05:23.465 --> 05:26.529 MyBaseGuide.com and the Fort Riley website 05:26.529 --> 05:28.029 at riley.army.mil. 05:29.601 --> 05:32.076 I'm Scott Rhodes, and you're In Step with Fort Riley. 05:32.076 --> 05:33.938 Have a safe Halloween and we'll see you next time. 05:33.938 --> 05:36.771 (adventure music)