Fort Carson

Last updated

Fort Carson
El Paso, Pueblo, Fremont, and Huerfano counties
near Colorado Springs, Colorado
Carsongate.JPG
One of the entrance signs at Fort Carson.

4th Infantry Division SSI.svg US Army Special Forces SSI.png Civil Affairs & Psychological Operations Command shoulder sleeve insignia.png 71 Ord Grp SSI.png 89MPBdeSSI.png 62MedBnSSI.png AMC shoulder insignia.svg US Army Security Force Assistance Brigade SSI.png 13th Air Support Operations Squadron.png
Shoulder sleeve insignia of units stationed at
Fort Carson.
TypeU.S. Army post
Site information
Controlled by United States Army
Site history
BuiltJanuary 31, 1942
In use1942–present
Garrison information
Garrison 4th Infantry Division
10th Special Forces Group
4th Security Force Assistance Brigade
Fort Carson, Colorado
Census Designated Place
El Paso County Colorado Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Fort Carson Highlighted 0827370.svg
Location of the Fort Carson CDP in El Paso County, Colorado
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Fort Carson
Location of the Fort Carson CDP in the United States
Coordinates: 38°42′34″N104°46′19″W / 38.70944°N 104.77194°W / 38.70944; -104.77194 (Fort Carson CDP, Colorado) [1]
Country Flag of the United States.svg  United States
State Flag of Colorado.svg  Colorado
County El Paso County
Named for Kit Carson
Government
[1]
 • Type Federal Military Government/Garrison
 • Division Commander MG David Doyle
 • Division CSMCSM Alex Kupratty
Area
[2]
 • Total72.515 km2 (27.998 sq mi)
 • Land72.440 km2 (27.969 sq mi)
 • Water0.075 km2 (0.029 sq mi)
Elevation
[1]
1,753 m (5,752 ft)
Population
 (2020) [3]
 • Total17,693
 • Density240/km2 (630/sq mi)
Time zone UTC-7 (MST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP Code [4]
80902 and 80913
Area code 719
GNIS feature ID 2408234 [1]

Fort Carson is a United States Army post located directly south of Colorado Springs in El Paso, Pueblo, Fremont, and Huerfano counties, Colorado, United States. The developed portion of Fort Carson is located near the City of Colorado Springs in El Paso County. [5]

Contents

Fort Carson is the home of the 4th Infantry Division, the 10th Special Forces Group, the 4th Security Force Assistance Brigade (SFAB), the 440th Civil Affairs Battalion (USAR), the 71st Ordnance Group (EOD), the 4th Engineer Battalion, the 759th Military Police Battalion, the 10th Combat Support Hospital, the 43rd Sustainment Brigade, the Army Field Support Battalion-Fort Carson, the 423rd Transportation Company (USAR) and the 13th Air Support Operations Squadron of the United States Air Force. The post also hosts units of the Army Reserve, Navy Reserve and the Colorado Army National Guard. Fort Carson was also home to the 5th Infantry Division, known as the Red Devils.

History

Camp Carson

Camp Carson was established in 1942, following Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. The city of Colorado Springs, Colorado purchased land south of the city and donated it to the War Department. Construction began immediately and the first building, the camp headquarters, was completed on January 31, 1942. Camp Carson was named in honor of the legendary Army scout, General Christopher "Kit" Carson, who explored much of the West in the 1800s.

At the construction's peak, nearly 11,500 workers were employed on various construction projects at the new camp. Facilities were provided for 35,173 enlisted men, 1,818 officers, and 592 nurses. Almost all of the buildings were of mobilization-type construction, with wood-sided exteriors. The hospital complex was constructed of concrete block, considered semi-permanent, and had space for 1,726 beds, expandable to 2,000 beds.

Training on a 37mm anti-tank gun at Camp Carson. TrainingatCampCarson.gif
Training on a 37mm anti-tank gun at Camp Carson.

The 89th Infantry Division was the first major unit to be activated at Camp Carson. During World War II, over 100,000 soldiers trained at Camp Carson. Along with three other infantry divisions – the 71st Infantry Division, 104th Infantry Division and 10th Mountain Division – more than 125 units were activated at Camp Carson and more than 100 others were transferred to the mountain post from other installations.

Nurses, cooks, mule packers, tank battalions, a Greek infantry battalion, and an Italian ordnance company trained at Camp Carson during the war years. Camp Carson was also home to nearly 9,000 Axis prisoners of war – mostly Italians and Germans. The internment camp at Camp Carson opened on the first day of 1943. These POWs alleviated the manpower shortage in Colorado by doing general farm work, canning tomatoes, cutting corn, and aiding in logging operations on Colorado's Western Slope.

Between 1942 and 1956, pack mules were a common sight at Camp Carson. The first shipment arrived by train from Nebraska in July 1942. The mules were used by Field Artillery (Pack) battalions to carry equipment, weapons, and supplies over mountainous terrain. The most famous of these animals was Hambone, the pride of the 4th Field Artillery Battalion. [6] For 13 years, he carried the first sergeants up Ute Pass to Camp Hale. Camp Hale, located near Leadville, Colorado, was where the Army conducted cold weather and mountain warfare training. Hambone died in March 1971 and was buried with full military honors.

By April 1946, the post-war military strength at the camp was around 600 [7] and on 16 December 1949, Strategic Air Command opened a survival school at Camp Carson for training in mountainous terrain (moved to Stead Air Force Base, Nevada, in 1952.) [8]

Designated Fort Carson

Camp Carson was designated Fort Carson in 1954. In the 1960s, mechanized units were assigned to the fort and it was expanded to the present 137,000 acres (55,000 ha). Butts Army Air Field at the fort was constructed between 1963 and 1966 with a 4,573-foot (1,394 m) runway for light fixed-wing aircraft (cf. USAF C-130s at the nearby Peterson Air Force Base.) [9] [10]

Throughout its history Fort Carson has been home to nine divisions. An additional training area, comprising 235,000 acres (95,000 hectares), was purchased in September 1983. Named the Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site, this training area is located approximately 150 miles (240 km) road miles to the southeast, and is used for large force-on-force maneuver training. Comprehensive maneuver and live fire training also occurs downrange at Fort Carson.

Exercises and deployments continually hone the skills of Fort Carson soldiers. When not deployed, soldiers train annually at Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site and the National Training Center near Barstow, California. Additionally, units participate in joint exercises around the world, including Central and South Africa, Europe, and Southwest Asia. In 2003, most Fort Carson units were deployed in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Troops from the 984th Military Police CO, 759th Military Police BN were also sent in support of the guard mission at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba. President George W. Bush addressed soldiers and family members at the post on November 24, 2003, in praise of the soldiers' determination and the sacrifices their families have made.

Construction in 2007 and 2008 preceded the return of the 4th Infantry Division (4ID) from Fort Hood after their 2008 Operation Iraqi Freedom deployment (~5,000 additional soldiers).

Controversy

On February 14, 2007, the U.S. Army announced it was moving forward with a plan to expand the Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site in southeastern Colorado. [11] If expanded, Piñon Canyon would be the Army's largest single training area in the nation, tripling the size of the current site by adding 418,000 acres (1,690 km2) of private ranch land. [12] At 650,000 acres (2630 km2), it would be nearly the size of the state of Rhode Island.

Many in the local civilian population are opposed to this plan, because much of the land in rural areas that would be added to the training site is civilian-owned ranch land, and many current landowners are unwilling to be supplanted, regardless of the compensation that may be offered. The Pinon Canyon Expansion Opposition Coalition, an activist group opposing the plans, says that former maps it obtained from the Army showed a "future expansion area" significantly greater than is now being contemplated. The Army's position is that expansion is essential for preparing soldiers for battle in evergrowing theaters such as Afghanistan and the Middle East.

On November 25, 2013, the U.S. Army announced that its plan to expand the Piñon Canyon Maneuver site had been cancelled. [13]

In response to a Congressional ban on Army funding for an expansion plan, the United States Air Force moved in with a plan to use the area for V-22 Osprey flights. [14]

Notable former Fort Carson soldiers

Census Designated Place

The Fort Carson census-designated place (CDP) includes the developed portion of Fort Carson located in El Paso County, Colorado, United States. The CDP is a part of the Colorado Springs, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Colorado Springs post office (Zip Codes 80902 and 80913) serves Fort Carson postal addresses. [4] At the United States Census 2020, the population of the Fort Carson CDP was 17,693. [3]

Geography

The Fort Carson CDP has an area of 17,919 acres (72.515 km2), including 19 acres (0.075 km2) of water. [2]

Demographics

The United States Census Bureau initially defined the Fort Carson CDP for the 1970 United States Census.

Fort Carson CDP, Colorado
YearPop.±%
1970 19,399—    
1980 13,219−31.9%
1990 11,309−14.4%
2000 10,566−6.6%
2010 13,813+30.7%
2020 17,693+28.1%
Source: United States Census Bureau

Notable people

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Paso County, Colorado</span> County in Colorado, United States

El Paso County is the most populous county located in the American state of Colorado. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 730,395, surpassing the City and County of Denver. The county seat is Colorado Springs, the second most populous city in Colorado. El Paso County is included in the Colorado Springs, Colorado, Metropolitan Statistical Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Stewart</span> US Army post in southeast Georgia

Fort Stewart is a United States Army post in the U.S. state of Georgia. It lies primarily in Liberty and Bryan counties, but also extends into smaller portions of Evans, Long and Tattnall counties. The nearby city of Hinesville, along with Ft. Stewart and the rest of Liberty and Long Counties, comprise the Hinesville metropolitan area. Many of Fort Stewart's residents are members of the 3rd Infantry Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Bliss</span> US Army post in New Mexico and Texas, US

Fort Bliss is a United States Army post in New Mexico and Texas, with its headquarters in El Paso, Texas. Named in honor of LTC William Bliss (1815–1853), a mathematics professor who was the son-in-law of President Zachary Taylor, Ft. Bliss has an area of about 1,700 square miles (4,400 km2); it is the largest installation in FORSCOM and second-largest in the Army overall. The portion of the post located in El Paso County, Texas, is a census-designated place with a population of 8,591 as of the time of the 2010 census. Fort Bliss provides the largest contiguous tract of restricted airspace in the Continental United States, used for missile and artillery training and testing, and at 992,000 acres boasts the largest maneuver area. The garrison's land area is accounted at 1.12 million acres, ranging to the boundaries of the Lincoln National Forest and White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. Fort Bliss also includes the Castner Range National Monument.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Lewis (Washington)</span> Former U.S. Army post in Washington state

Fort Lewis is a United States Army base located 9.1 miles (14.6 km) south-southwest of Tacoma, Washington. Fort Lewis was merged with McChord Air Force Base on February 1, 2010, to form Joint Base Lewis–McChord.

Fort Cavazos is a United States Army post located near Killeen, Texas. The post is named after Gen. Richard E. Cavazos, a native Texan and the US Army’s first Hispanic four-star general. Formerly named Fort Hood for Confederate General John Bell Hood, the post is located halfway between Austin and Waco, about 60 mi (97 km) from each, within the U.S. state of Texas. The post is the headquarters of III Armored Corps and First Army Division West and is home to the 1st Cavalry Division and 3rd Cavalry Regiment, among others.

Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in North Central Kansas, on the Kansas River, also known as the Kaw, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 101,733 acres (41,170 ha) in Geary and Riley counties. The Fort consists of six functional areas, including the Main Post, Camp Funston, Marshall Army Airfield (MAAF), Camp Whitside, Camp Forsyth, and Custer Hill. The portion of the fort that contains housing development is part of the Fort Riley census-designated place, with a residential population of 9,230 as of the 2020 census. The ZIP Code is 66442.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2nd Infantry Division (United States)</span> Active US Army formation

The 2nd Infantry Division ("Indianhead") is a formation of the United States Army. Since the 1960s, its primary mission has been the pre-emptive defense of South Korea in the event of an invasion from North Korea. Approximately 17,000 soldiers serve in the 2nd Infantry Division, with 10,000 stationed in South Korea, accounting for about 35% of the United States Forces Korea personnel. Known as the 2nd Infantry Division-ROK/U.S. Combined Division (2ID/RUCD), the division is bolstered by rotational Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs) from other U.S. Army divisions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4th Infantry Division (United States)</span> Active US Army formation

The 4th Infantry Division is a division of the United States Army based at Fort Carson, Colorado. It is composed of a division headquarters battalion, three brigade combat teams, a combat aviation brigade, a division sustainment brigade, and a division artillery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">5th Infantry Division (United States)</span> Inactive US Army formation

The 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized)—nicknamed the "Red Diamond", or the "Red Devils" —was an infantry division of the United States Army that served in World War I, World War II and the Vietnam War, and with NATO and the U.S. Army III Corps. It was inactivated on 24 November 1992 and reflagged as the 2nd Armored Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Irwin National Training Center</span> Census-designated place in California, United States

Fort Irwin National Training Center is a major training area for the United States military in the Mojave Desert in northern San Bernardino County, California. Fort Irwin is at an average elevation of 2,454 feet (748 m). It is located 37 miles (60 km) northeast of Barstow, in the Calico Mountains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Moore</span> United States Army post outside Columbus, Georgia

Fort Moore is a United States Army post near Columbus, Georgia. Located on Georgia's border with Alabama, Fort Moore supports more than 120,000 active-duty military, family members, reserve component soldiers, retirees and civilian employees on a daily basis. As a power projection platform, the post can deploy combat-ready forces by air, rail, and highway for their designated mission. Fort Moore is the home of the United States Army Maneuver Center of Excellence, the United States Army Armor School, United States Army Infantry School, the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, elements of the 75th Ranger Regiment, the 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade, and other tenant units.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Devens</span> Historic US Army post in Middlesex and Worcester counties, Massachusetts

Fort Devens is a United States Army Reserve military installation in the towns of Ayer and Shirley, in Middlesex County and Harvard in Worcester County in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. Due to extensive environmental contamination it was listed as a superfund site in 1989. Most of the fort's land was sold off in 1996, but the cantonment area of the post was retained by the Army as the Devens Reserve Forces Training Area (RFTA). Fort Devens was reactivated in May 2007, though no units of active Army have been located there. The Devens Range Complex operates on property in Lancaster, south of Route 2, for live-fire training with small arms, machine guns, grenades, and rockets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Johnson</span> US Army post near Leesville, LA

Fort Johnson, formerly Fort Polk, is a United States Army installation located in Vernon Parish, Louisiana, about 10 miles (15 km) east of Leesville and 30 miles (50 km) north of DeRidder in Beauregard Parish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Richardson (Alaska)</span> United States Army installation in Alaska

Fort Richardson is a United States Army installation in the U.S. State of Alaska, adjacent to the city of Anchorage. In 2010, it was merged with nearby Elmendorf Air Force Base to form Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">12th Infantry Regiment (United States)</span> Military unit

The 12th Infantry Regiment is a unit of the United States Army. The 12th Infantry has fought in seven wars from the Civil War to the War in Afghanistan (2001-2021) and has been awarded 19 Presidential Unit Citations, five Valorous Unit Awards, a Joint Meritorious Unit Award, two citations in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army, Nine Republic of Vietnam Crosses of Gallantry, the Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal Third Class, a Meritorious Unit Commendation, and the Belgian Fourragere.

The United States Army Regimental System (USARS) is an organizational and classification system used by the United States Army. It was established in 1981 to replace the Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS) to provide each soldier with continuous identification with a single regiment, and to increase a soldier's probability of serving recurring assignments with their regiment. The USARS was intended to enhance combat effectiveness by providing the opportunity for a regimental affiliation, thus obtaining some of the benefits of the traditional regimental system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camp Bullis</span> U.S. Army training camp in Bexar County, Texas

Camp Bullis Military Training Reservation is a U.S. Army training camp comprising 27,990 acres (113.3 km2) in Bexar County, Texas, United States, just northwest of San Antonio. Camp Bullis provides base operations support and training support to Joint Base San Antonio. The camp is named for Brigadier General John L. Bullis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site</span>

The Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site is a 235,896 acre (955 km2) U.S. Army base in southeastern Colorado. The Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site (PCMS) is a training site for Fort Carson. In 2003, the U.S. Army announced a plan to expand PCMS by purchasing additional land mostly owned by individuals devoted to ranching. Local residents and conservation organizations opposed the expansion. In 2013 the Army cancelled the planned expansion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Drum</span> Census-designated place in New York, United States

Fort Drum is a U.S. Army military reservation and a census-designated place (CDP) in Jefferson County, near the western border of northern New York, United States. The population of the CDP portion of the base was 12,955 at the 2010 census. It is home to the 10th Mountain Division.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Fort Carson
  2. 1 2 "State of Colorado Census Designated Places - BAS20 - Data as of January 1, 2020". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  3. 1 2 United States Census Bureau. "Fort Carson CDP, Colorado" . Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Look Up a ZIP Code". United States Postal Service . Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  5. ↑ "City Council Districts." Colorado Springs, Colorado. Retrieved on December 10, 2017.
  6. ↑ Branches history.army.mil Archived April 29, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ↑ "History". www.carson.army.mil. Retrieved February 18, 2016.
  8. ↑ Air Education and Training Command history, p. 146
  9. ↑ "Butts Aaf (Fort Carson) Airport(Fcs) | Fort Carson Airports". PilotOutlook. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved September 4, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  10. ↑ John Pike. "Butts Army Air Field (AAF)". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
  11. ↑ McPhee, Mike. "Ft. Carson expansion OK'd". Denver Post.
  12. ↑ "Army site expansion angers ranchers", MSNBC. Nov 4, 2007
  13. ↑ "Mark Udall Welcomes the U.S. Army's Decision on the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site", https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o94-Jd5L7DM, accessed 29 July 2015
  14. ↑ Roper, Peter. "Air Force the new Pinon Canyon foe." The Pueblo Chieftain , November 15, 2010
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.