- Fort A.P. Hill
Infobox Military Structure
name=Fort A.P. Hill
location=Virginia
coordinates=coord|38|07|04|N|77|16|35|W|
caption=
type=Military base
built=June 11 ,1941 cite web|url = http://www.aphill.army.mil/sites/about/history.asp|title = Fort AP Hill, Va • History|accessdate = 2007-04-01|work = Fort A.P. Hill|publisher = U.S. ArmyInstallation Management Command |language = English]
used=1941—present
controlledby=flagicon|United StatesUnited States Army
garrison=
commanders=Lieutenant Colonel Michael S. Graese
occupants=
battles=
events=Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, is an active duty installation of the
United States Army , located near the town ofBowling Green, Virginia .Named for Confederate
Lieutenant General Ambrose Powell Hill, Fort A.P. Hill, known as the place "Where America's Military Sharpens Its Combat Edge" is an all-purpose, year-round, military training center strategically located approximately 90 minutes south of the National Capital Region. With 76,000 acres (310 km²) of land, including a modern 28,000 acre (110 km²), live-fire range complex featuring more than 100 direct and indirect fire ranges, it is one of the largest East Coast military installations. Military units can engage in training ranging from small unit operations to major maneuvers with combined arms, live-fire exercises.History
In the spring of
1940 , the War Plans Division of the Army General Staff developed a plan to raise a national army of four million men to conduct simultaneous operations in the Pacific and Europe theaters. In July 1940, a movement began to locate an area of approximately 60,000 acres, independent of any post, and lying somewhere between thePotomac River and the upperChesapeake Bay .No one seems to know who first suggested Caroline County as a site for heavy weapons and maneuver training facilities. What is known is that Lt. Col. Oliver Marston, an artillery officer stationed in Richmond and acting as an agent of the Third Corps Area commander, made a detailed investigation of the
Bowling Green area in September 1940. He enthusiastically recommended that the War Department procure the Caroline site.Fort A.P. Hill was established as an Army training facility on June 11, 1941, pursuant to
War Department General Order No. 5 . In its 1st year, the installation was used as a maneuver area for theII Army Corps and for three activated National Guarddivisions from Mid-Atlantic states. In the autumn of 1942, Fort A.P. Hill was the staging area for the headquarters and corps troops of Major GeneralGeorge S. Patton ’s Task Force A, which invaded FrenchMorocco inNorth Africa . During the early years ofWorld War II , the post continued to be a training site for corps and division-sized units. Commencing in 1944, field training forOfficer Candidate School and enlisted replacements from nearby Forts Lee, Eustis, and Belvoir was conducted.During the
Korean War , Fort A.P. Hill was a major staging area for units deploying toEurope , including the VII Corps Headquarters and the Third Armored Cavalry Regiment. The fort was the major center for Engineer Officer Candidate School training (students from Fort Belvoir) during theVietnam War .Fort A.P. Hill today is a training and maneuver center focused on providing realistic joint and combined arms training. All branches of the Armed Forces train on Fort A.P. Hill and the installation has also hosted training from foreign allies. Whether it's providing support for a mobilization or helping units train for deployment, Fort A.P. Hill's state-of-the-art training facilities and ranges, and professional support staff, continue to ensure America's Armed Forces have the edge needed to win in 21st Century battlespace.
Named for Distinguished Confederate Commander
The installation was named in honor of Lt. Gen. Ambrose Powell Hill, a
Virginia native who distinguished himself as a Confederate commander during the Civil War. Rising fromcolonel tomajor general in three months, General Hill took command of one of Lee’s three corps in1863 . Two years later, as Grant’s forces laid siege toPetersburg, Virginia , General Hill was mortally wounded as he rode his stallion, Champ, to the front. He had not yet reached his 40th birthday.One week later, Lee surrendered to Grant at
Appomattox . A fortnight later,John Wilkes Booth was killed at theGarrett farmhouse , which was situated just beyond the present boundaries of the fort.Training
It is used year-round for military training of both active and reserve troops of the
Army ,Navy ,Marines , andAir Force , as well as other government agencies. These include the Departments of State and Interior;U.S. Customs Service ; and federal, state and local security and law enforcement agencies. The primary mission of Ft. A. P. Hill is as an Aerial Gunnery Range supporting Combat Training for Rotary Wing (Helicopter) Aircraft.Fort A.P. Hill and the Boy Scouts of America
The installation has also hosted the
Boy Scouts of America National Jamboree in 1981, 1985, 1989, 1993, 1997, 2001 and 2005. The number of participants each time included approximately 35,000 Boy Scouts and some 250,000 visitors. See National JamboreeReferences
External links
* [http://www.aphill.army.mil/history.asp History of Fort A.P. Hill]
* [http://www.aphill.army.mil/sites/local/ Fort A.P. Hill Home Page]
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