Fort Bliss

NOTE: On September 3, 1948, ‘’’FBI informant PT-1’’’ reported a Fort Bliss barber had been recruited to send missile photographs and information to the Soviet Embassy in Mexico City.^p406]

The Cold War

Fort Bliss trained thousands of U.S. Soldiers during the Cold War. As the United States gradually came to master the art of building and operating missiles, Fort Bliss and White Sands Missile Range became more and more important to the country, and were expanded accordingly. On 1 July 1957 the U.S. Army Air Defense Center was established at Fort Bliss. Located at this Center, in addition to Center Headquarters, are the U.S. Army Air Defense School; Air Defense; the 6th Artillery Group (Air Defense); the 61st Ordnance Group; and other supporting elements. [

cite web|url=http://www.goerigk-jever.de/history_fb.htm |title=HISTORY OF FORT BLISS |accessdate= |accessmonthday=September 23 |accessyear=2006 |author=United States Army |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher= |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate=] [

cite web |url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/adas.htm |title=Air Defense Artillery School |accessdate=2008-10-09 |author= |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=GlobalSecurity.org |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate=] In 1957 Fort Bliss and its anti-aircraft personnel began using Nike Ajax, Nike Hercules, Hawk, Sprint, Chaparrel, and Redeye missiles. [NOTE: Two other surface-to-surface missile systems—LaCrosse and Honest John— were based at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, but would frequently come to Fort Bliss for the purpose of conducting live fire exercises.] Fort Bliss took on the important role of providing a large area for troops to conduct live fire exercises with the missiles.

Because of the large number of Army personnel enrolled in the air defense school, Fort Bliss saw two large rounds of construction in 1954 and 1958. The former was aimed at creating more barracks facilities, while the latter was aimed at building new classrooms, materials labs, a radar park, and a missile laboratory. Between 1953 and 1957 the Army also expanded McGregor Range in an effort to accommodate live fire exercises of the new missile systems.

Throughout the Cold War Fort Bliss remained a premier site for testing anti-aircraft equipment.

While the United States Army Air Defense Artillery School develops doctrine and tactics, training current and future soldiers has always been its core mission. Until 1990 the post was used for Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training (AIT), under the 1/56 ADA Regiment, part of 6th ADA. Before 1989, 1/56 had three basic training companies and two AIT batteries. After 1990, 1/56 dropped basic training, that mission assumed by Fort Sill. The unit now had four enlisted batteries for enlisted AIT, one battery for the Officer's Basic Course and Captain's Career Course (added in 2004) and one company that trained army truck drivers (MOS 88M). As of 2005, the AIT portion of the school has undergone significant changes.

Base Realignment and Closure

In 1995, the Department of Defense recommended that the relocated to Fort Bliss during the 1990s.

The War on Terror

Since the September 11, 2001 attacks, Fort Bliss has provided ADA Battalions for US and NATO use in Afghanistan and Iraq, and has served as one of the major deployment centers for troops bound for Iraq and Afghanistan. This mission is accomplished via nearby Biggs Army Airfield, which is included in the installation's supporting areas. Following the U.S. Liberation of Afghanistan in 2001 Fort Bliss began training Afghan security forces at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy at Fort Bliss, with the hope that these newly trained soldiers will eventually be able to take control of their own national security.

Base Realignment and Closure, 2005

In 2005, the Pentagon recommended transforming Fort Bliss into a heavy armor training post, to include approximately 11,500 new troops from the U.S. 1st Armored Division currently stationed in Germany, as well as units from Fort Sill and Fort Hood.

cite news |first=Darren |last=Mertiz |authorlink= |author= |coauthors= |title=It’s Fiesta time! |url= |format= |work=El Paso Times | publisher= |pages=1A |page= | date= | accessdate=2006-05-15 | language=English ] An estimated 15,918 military jobs and 384 civilian jobs would be transferred to Fort Bliss, bring the total number of troops stationed at Fort Bliss under this alignment to a total of 23,000 by 2011. Officials from Fort Bliss and the city of El Paso were thrilled with the decision; the general mood of the city was perfectly captured by the May 14 edition of the "El Paso Times", which boldly proclaimed "BLISS WINS BIG".

cite news |first=Chris |last=Roberts |authorlink= |author= |coauthors= |title=BLISS WINS BIG |url= |format= |work=El Paso Times | publisher= |pages=1A |page= | date= | accessdate=2006-10-20 | language=English ]

According to Senator Eliot Shapleigh, the BRAC commission considered three primary factors to make its decision: The military value of Fort Bliss, the potential for other branches of the armed service to use a post as large as Fort Bliss, and the lack of urban encroachment around Fort Bliss that would otherwise hinder its growth. The arrival of the 11,500 troops from the 1st Armoured Division is also expected to create some 20,196 direct and indirect military and civilian jobs in El Paso. According to the Department of Defense, this is the largest net gain in the United States tied to the Base Realignment and Closure recommendations. Of the 20,196 new jobs expected to come to El Paso as a result of Bliss’ realignment 9,000 would be indirect civilian jobs created by the influx of soldiers to the sun city. When the BRAC commission recommendations were released Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison’s spokesman reported that El Paso was the only area that came out with a major gain of forces.

cite news |first=Louise |last=Gillot |authorlink= |author= |coauthors= |title=20,196 jobs likely |url= |format= |work=El Paso Times | publisher= |pages=12A |page= | date= | accessdate=2006-10-20 | language=English ]

The news that El Paso had been selected to receive major elements of the 1st Armoured Division was met with joy, but at the same time many expressed surprise at the panel's recommendation to transfer the Air Defense Artillery School, 6th ADA Brigade, and its accompanying equipment (including the MIM-104 Patriot Missile Anti-Aircraft/Anti Missile defense system) to Fort Sill. On August 25 officials representing Fort Bliss went before the BRAC Commission to plead their case for maintaining the ADA school and its accompanying equipment at Fort Bliss, citing among other thing the size of Fort Bliss and the history of the ADA school in the region. The BRAC Commission ultimately ruled against Fort Bliss, and the roughly 4,500 affected soldiers have begun their transfer to Fort Sill. The entire transfer of soldiers to and from Fort Bliss must be completed no later than 15 September 2011.

Fort Bliss today

Fort Bliss today is vastly different from the original post created in 1849 to guard the area from Indian and Mexican raids. The mission of Fort Bliss has changed to providing anti-aircraft and missile defense capabilities, a role which Fort Bliss retains. As one of the largest military posts in the continental United States, Fort Bliss is also uniquely suited to conduct live fire exercises of nearly every type of military weapon in the current US Army arsenal. Fort Bliss routinely conducts joint military exercises with other units from other US bases, and has trained soldiers from several nations around the world.

Fort Bliss is home to a large number of maintenance crews and supply units, and serves as one of the Army's premier bases for test driving tanks and other equipment. The fort also houses thousands of military vehicles, among them all the equipment needed to set up Patriot missile sites. Fort Bliss is the home of the Air Defense Artillery Center, and monitors missile launches conducted by White Sands Missile Range, located 70 miles (110 km) to the north, in New Mexico.

Although the largest percentage of Fort Bliss land is in New Mexico, the main facilities are located adjacent to the city limits of El Paso, Texas. According to the city zoning map, the post officially resides in Central El Paso. [NOTE: Depending on where one classifies the Central/Northeast boundary line, the post lies either in the Central El Paso or Northeast El Paso.Clarifyme] On post railroads provide transportation for army vehicles and, to a lesser extent, personnel.

In addition to the maintenance and air defense artillery capability, Fort Bliss also serves as the center for Exercise Roving Sands, a multinational air and missile defense exercise. Roving Sands is designed to place emphasis on the interoperability of joint forces air component command (JFACC), joint missile defense command and air area defense command.

The support structure of the Fort Bliss area also includes a large medical installation, William Beaumont Army Medical Center and a Veterans Administration center, both located on a separate campus from the main post, at the eastern base of the Franklin Mountains. Training missions are supported by the McGregor Range Complex, located some 25 miles to the northeast, in the New Mexico desert. All of these supporting missions serve the military and retired-military population here, including having served General Omar N. Bradley in his last days.

The installation is also close to the El Paso Airport (with easy access from the fort via Robert E. Lee Road), Highway 54, and Interstate 10. There is a replica of the original Fort Bliss on the post simulating the adobe style of construction. Other items of interest include the Buffalo Soldier memorial statue on Robert E. Lee Road, and a missile museum on Pleasanton Road.

To this day, the walls of the Fort Bliss Officers Club still contain adobe bricks from over a century ago.

Local impact of Fort Bliss

Fort Bliss is one of El Paso’s major economic influences. In 1980 the base contributed about $500 million to the city’s economy; by 2005 that number had jumped to $1.7 billion, according to one study conducted by economy experts at UTEP. The post also serves as a major source of revenue for the Northeast and Central parts of El Paso, and many businesses in the region are tailored toward serving the US Army personnel from the post. Like all cities with military bases, El Paso is sensitive to changes in the troop composition at Fort Bliss, and when troops are transferred to other posts or called up for service overseas the economic fallout can be felt throughout the city. One good example came following the departure of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment in 1995, which had an adverse effect on El Paso’s economy. The loss of so many soldiers at the fort prompted many businesses located in the Central and Northeast parts of the city to close or move to other areas of the city in an effort to regain lost revenue. Conversely, the expected influx of troops from the newly realigned 1st Armored Division has led to a sudden boom of construction in both the Central and Northeast areas of El Paso as the city prepares for the new troops, many of whom have families. This in turn has led to an expansion in the construction of schools and other city and commercial structures.

Fort Bliss has also assisted El Paso during local disasters. In 1897, and again in 1925, the fort provided food and housing to those displaced by flood waters. Following the 2006 flooding Fort Bliss dispatched troops to the flood-affected areas to help with cleanup, to monitor and secure the Rio Grande, and to tow vehicles stuck in standing water to safety.Fact|date=December 2007

ee also

*Air Defense Artillery
*Cavalry
*El Paso metropolitan area
*Saint Barbara

References