Colonel Sean A. Klahn values the exemplary commitment and accomplishment his troops of the Mississippi Army National Guard routinely demonstrate.

To celebrate their accomplishments he wanted an equally exemplary way to award them for their service.

Rather than choosing a traditional challenge coin, the Colonel wanted to award the men and women serving under him with something more unique.

The M9 bayonet, prized as a long-established symbol of valor in combat, was the desired basis for a completely custom coin.

After expressing the idea to Ranger Industries’ president Gene Frink at the 137th National Guard Association of the United States Conference, Gene suggested the idea of a 3-dimensional replica of an M9 bayonet, but at a reduced proportional size of 4 inches in length.

Ranger Industries specializes in creating custom 3D products, especially those for the military, and leaped into action to develop a start-to-finish process to meet Colonel Klahn’s specifications.

The Mississippi Military Academy (MMA) was established in 1958 to conduct an Officer Candidate Training Program for the state of Mississippi.

In October, 1976, its mission was expanded to include Noncommissioned Officer Education training which included the Advance and Basic Noncommissioned Officer common core training. The Senior Noncommissioned Officer Course was added in 1979. Its mission was expanded again in November, 1984 to include the First Sergeant Course.

In April, 1984 the Region III NCO Academy was established by National Guard Bureau (NGB) to conduct Noncommissioned Officer Education training for the states of Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma. The first course of instruction was the Primary Noncommissioned Officer Course (PNCOC). In 1985 the new Primary Leadership Development Course (PLDC) replaced the PNCO Course. In April, 1990 the Reserve Component Battle Staff Course was conducted at Region III.

In July, 1991 another change in mission included conducting several MOS specific courses and the M60A3 DET Team was brought under the Region III NCO Academy. In March, 1993 the mission changed to include the Phase 1, Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course and MOS specific training was discontinued. Region III received its first Institute of Excellence rating by the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy (USASMA) in 1998 and again in 2001.

NGB established the Regional Training Site-Medical (RTS-M) in March, 1988 to conduct medical related training. In 1996 the RTS-M was redesignated the Medical Training Battalion.

NGB established the Regional Training Site Maintenance (RTSM) in March, 1988 to conduct maintenance training in several maintenance MOSs. In 1996 the RTSM was redesignated the 2nd Ordnance Training Battalion.

In October, 1996 the Army implemented the Total Army School System (TASS) and Region III, MMA, Ordnance Training Battalion and Medical Battalion Training Site were combined to form the 108th Regiment (RTI). In 2001 the Regiment was redisignated the 154th Regiment (RTI).

The 154th Regiment currently conducts MOSQ, Advance, and Senior level courses in Infantry, Armor, NCOES Common Core, Medical, Ordnance, OCS and WOCS. The Regiment currently trains over 7000 students per year with a staff of 169 soldiers.