Volunteers firing at reenactment.

The Fort Stanwix Garrison
The current Volunteer-In-Parks (VIP) program has as its roots the organization known as "The Fort Stanwix Garrison". This group of volunteers formed as a result of the local enthusiasm for the nation's bicentennial and the archeology and reconstruction going on to develop Fort Stanwix National Monument. The "Garrison" was formed in 1975 as a group of men, women and children interested in living history and portraying the lives of the people that lived and served at Fort Stanwix during the American Revolution. The group was initially trained under Park Service guidance, but was also developed to be a stand-alone organization. The "Garrison" had it's own bylaws and administrative officers and along with supporting the park's programs, also presented programs away from the park as well. The "Garrison" debuted with the opening of Fort Stanwix National Monument in the spring of 1976 and contributed significantly to the success of the park's living history interpretive program. The group's off-site programs ensured that a wider audience learned of the park's important stories.

Volunteer-In-Parks (VIP) program
As time moved further away from the bicentennial, interest in the Revolutionary War began to wane, and the "Garrison" found it harder and harder to draw in new members. By the late 1990's the "Garrison" decided to disband. The volunteer program was then revived under the National Park Service's "Volunteer-In-Parks (VIP) program and several of the old "Garrison" members continued to volunteer under this new framework. Since that time the volunteer corps has continued to grow year after year. Under the VIP program the volunteers receive direct training, guidance, supervision and support from the Park Service for the majority of the work they do.

New Era
The volunteer program at Fort Stanwix National Monument is now entering a new era. A young persons group has been formed within the larger group. This will allow the younger volunteers to take even more of an active role within the interpretive programs. Additionally, planning is underway to introduce a new framework within the volunteer organization that would allow it to once again become a more self-directed organization. The future may well see things come full circle with the return of a "Fort Stanwix Garrison" to Fort Stanwix National Monument.