Army Unit In Tulsa Changes Name To Honor The Pawnee Nation

NewsOn6.com

TULSA, Oklahoma -- A U.S. Army unit based out of the U.S. Army Reserve Center in West Tulsa will be changing its name Saturday.

Bravo Company 486th Civil Affairs BN is adopting the Pawnee Tribe and will be called the Bravo/Pawnee Company.

"We chose the Pawnee Tribe due to the rich history and because we identify with the members as warriors fighting for freedom," said 1st Sgt. Daniel Gilliss. "As my team researched the different tribes, the main thing that caught our interest in Pawnee was the Tribe's history of battle and the members' abilities to successfully combat hostile forces to protect their families and lands."

The 486th Civil Affairs Company started in July of 1955 as a U.S. Army Reserve unit based in Tulsa.

In 1989, it changed its name to the 486th Civil Affairs Battalion, placing it under the U.S. Army Reserve Special Operations Forces.

Since 9/11, the 486th Civil Affairs Battalion has been involved in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operations in the Horn of Africa.

A ceremony will take place in West Tulsa.