Fort Bragg (Fayetteville, North Carolina)
Fayetteville · North Carolina · World War I onwards
History & Significance
Camp Bragg was established on September 4, 1918 outside Fayetteville as an artillery training cantonment for World War I, with initial construction completed on February 1, 1919. The camp nearly closed after the war due to demobilization, but General Albert J. Bowley advocated successfully for its continued operation, convincing the War Department to rescind the closure order on September 16, 1921.
Camp Bragg became Fort Bragg on September 30, 1922, and throughout the 1920s and 1930s served as an important location for testing field artillery. With World War II's onset, Fort Bragg was renovated for modern warfare training, and in March 1942 the Army established the Airborne Command at Fort Bragg under Brigadier General William C. Lee.
Both the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions moved to Fort Bragg in late 1942, and by war's end, all five airborne divisions—the 82nd, 101st, 11th, 13th, and 17th—had a presence at the post. At the war's end, the 82nd Airborne Division was permanently stationed at Fort Bragg, establishing its reputation as the "Home of Airborne."
In 1952, the U.S. Army Special Operations Command was established at Fort Bragg, further establishing it as a primary power projection base. Today, covering more than 251 square miles, Fort Bragg is home to the Army's XVIII Airborne Corps and serves as headquarters of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command.
Key Facts
Map
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Sources
- https://northcarolinahistory.org/encyclopedia/fort-bragg/
- https://www.fortbragghousing.com/history
- https://www.ncpedia.org/fort-bragg
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Bragg
- https://home.army.mil/bragg/
- https://www.army.mil/bragg
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