Fort Irwin & the National Training Center (NTC) is a major
trainingThe term training refers to the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies as a result of the teaching of vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relate to specific useful competencies. It forms the core of apprenticeships and provides the backbone of content at institutes of...
area for the United States Military. Located in the
Mojave DesertThe Mojave Desert , , locally referred to as the High Desert, occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
in northern
San Bernardino CountySan Bernardino County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2000 census, the population was 1,709,434. As of 2007, the population was estimated by the California Department of Finance to have grown to 2,028,013...
,
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
, the base is part of the Installation Management Command (IMCOM). The
opposing forceAn opposing force or enemy force is a military unit tasked with representing an enemy, usually for training purposes in war game scenarios...
at the NTC is the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, the Blackhorse Regiment, who are stationed at the base to provide an enemy force to units on a training rotation at Fort Irwin.
Fort Irwin works within the
R-2508 Special Use Airspace ComplexThe R-2508 Complex includes all the airspace and associated land presently used and managed by the three principal military activities in the Upper Mojave Desert region:*Air Force Flight Test Center , Edwards Air Force Base...
.
The Fort Irwin area has a history dating back almost 15,000 years, when Indians of the Lake Mojave Period were believed to live in the area.
Fort Irwin & the National Training Center (NTC) is a major
trainingThe term training refers to the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies as a result of the teaching of vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relate to specific useful competencies. It forms the core of apprenticeships and provides the backbone of content at institutes of...
area for the United States Military. Located in the
Mojave DesertThe Mojave Desert , , locally referred to as the High Desert, occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
in northern
San Bernardino CountySan Bernardino County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2000 census, the population was 1,709,434. As of 2007, the population was estimated by the California Department of Finance to have grown to 2,028,013...
,
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
, the base is part of the Installation Management Command (IMCOM). The
opposing forceAn opposing force or enemy force is a military unit tasked with representing an enemy, usually for training purposes in war game scenarios...
at the NTC is the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, the Blackhorse Regiment, who are stationed at the base to provide an enemy force to units on a training rotation at Fort Irwin.
Fort Irwin works within the
R-2508 Special Use Airspace ComplexThe R-2508 Complex includes all the airspace and associated land presently used and managed by the three principal military activities in the Upper Mojave Desert region:*Air Force Flight Test Center , Edwards Air Force Base...
.
History
The Fort Irwin area has a history dating back almost 15,000 years, when Indians of the Lake Mojave Period were believed to live in the area. Indian settlements and pioneer explorations in the area were first recorded when Father
Francisco GarcesFrancisco Hermenegildo Tomás Garcés was a Spanish Franciscan missionary who explored much of the southwestern part of North America, including what are now Arizona, southern California, and northeastern Baja California. Garcés was born April 12, 1738, in Morata de Jalón , Zaragoza province,...
, a Spaniard, traveled the Mojave Indian Trail in 1796. During his travels, he noted several small bands of Indians and is believed to have been the first European to make contact with the Indians of this area.
Jedediah SmithJedediah Strong Smith was a hunter, trapper, fur trader, trailblazer and explorer of the Rocky Mountains, the American West Coast and the Southwest during the nineteenth century. He was the fourth of twelve children. Jedediah Smith's explorations were significant in opening the American West to...
is thought to have been the first American to explore the area in 1826. A fur trapper, Smith was soon followed by other pioneers traveling the
Old Spanish TrailThe Old Spanish Trail is a historic trade route which connected the northern New Mexico settlements near or in Santa Fe, New Mexico with that of Los Angeles, California and southern California. Approximately long, it ran through areas of high mountains, arid deserts, and deep canyons. It is...
between Santa Fe and Los Angeles. Bitter Springs, on the eastern edge of Fort Irwin, was a favorite stop over site.
In 1844, Captain
John C. FremontJohn Charles Frémont , was an American military officer, explorer, the first candidate of the Republican Party for the office of President of the United States, and the first presidential candidate of a major party to run on a platform in opposition to slavery...
, accompanied by
Kit CarsonChristopher Houston "Kit" Carson was an American frontiersman. Carson left home at an early age and became a trapper. He gained notoriety for his role as John C. Fremont's guide in the American West. Carson also played a minor role in California during the 1846-48 Mexican-American War, and...
, was the first member of the US Army to visit the Fort Irwin area. Captain Fremont established a camp near Bitter Springs that served travelers on the Old Spanish Trail, and later the
Mormon TrailThe Mormon Trail or Mormon Pioneer Trail is the route that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints traveled from 1846 to 1868...
, linking Salt Lake City to California. This camp was later to become an important supply center for pioneers during California's settlement and gold rush.
The
California Gold RushThe California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was discovered by James Wilson Marshall at Sutter's Mill, in Coloma, California. News of the discovery soon spread, resulting in some 300,000 men, women, and children coming to California from the rest of the United States and...
brought prosperous trade and unexpected trouble to the area. As California grew, and more travelers used the trails to enter the territory, raids and horse stealing became a problem. In 1846, the Army's "
Mormon BattalionThe Mormon Battalion was the only religious unit in American military history, serving from July 1846 to July 1847 during the Mexican-American War. The battalion was a volunteer unit of about 500 Latter-day Saint men led by Mormon company officers, commanded by regular army officers...
" patrolled the Fort Irwin area to control the raiding and horse stealing. During the Indian Wars the Army constructed a small stone fort overlooking Bitter Springs and patrolled the Fort Irwin area.
In the 1880s the area experienced an economic boom with the discovery of
boraxBorax, also known as sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, or disodium tetraborate, is an important boron compound, a mineral, and a salt of boric acid. It is usually a white powder consisting of soft colorless crystals that dissolve easily in water.Borax has a wide variety of uses...
at
Death ValleyDeath Valley is a desert located in the southwestern United States. It is the lowest, driest, and hottest location in North America. Badwater, a basin located within Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 ft below sea level...
. From the late 1800s to the early 1900s, the area began to grow tremendously as mining operations of all types flourished. Soon railroads, workers, and businesses led to the establishment of the nearby town of
Barstow, CaliforniaBarstow is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 21,119 at the 2000 census.Barstow is a major regional transportation center. Several major highways including Interstate 15 and Interstate 40 converge in the city. It is the site of a large rail...
.
The years following the Indian Wars were quiet militarily. In 1940, President
Franklin D. RooseveltFranklin Delano Roosevelt , the only U.S. President elected to more than two terms, was a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
established the Mojave Anti-Aircraft Range, a military reservation of approximately in the area of the present Fort Irwin. In 1942, the Mojave Anti-Aircraft Range was renamed Camp Irwin, in honor of Major General George LeRoy Irwin, commander of the 57th Field Artillery Brigade during
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
, and it was subsumed into the Desert Training Center as one of its cantonment areas and some of its ranges. Two years later, Camp Irwin was deactivated and placed on surplus status.
Camp Irwin reopened its gates in 1951 as the Armored Combat Training Area and served as a training center for combat units during the Korean War. Regimental tank companies of the U.S. 43d Infantry Division from
Camp Pickett, VirginiaFort Pickett, Virginia, is a Virginia Army National Guard installation, located near the town of Blackstone, Virginia. It is named for the American Army Officer and Confederate General George E...
were the first to train at the new facility.
The post was designated a permanent installation on 1 August 1961 and renamed Fort Irwin. During the Vietnam buildup, many units, primarily artillery and engineer, trained and deployed from Fort Irwin.
In January 1971,the post was deactivated again and placed in maintenance status under the control of
Fort MacArthurFort MacArthur is a former United States Army installation in San Pedro, Los Angeles, California , named for General Arthur MacArthur, Jr.-History:...
(Los Angeles), California. The
California National GuardThe California National Guard is the component of the United States National Guard in the U.S. state of California. It comprises both Army and Air National Guard components and is the largest national guard force in the United States with a total authorized strength of 22,900 soldiers and airmen...
assumed full responsibility for the post in 1972. From 1972 to late 1980, Fort Irwin was used primarily as a training area by the National Guard and reserve components.
National Training Center
On August 9, 1979, the Department of the Army announced that Fort Irwin had been selected as the site for the National Training Center. With over 1000 square miles (2590 km²) for maneuver and ranges, an uncluttered electromagnetic spectrum, airspace restricted to military use, and its isolation from densely populated areas, Fort Irwin was an ideal site for this facility. The National Training Center was officially activated October 16, 1980 and Fort Irwin returned to active status on July 1, 1981.
Since its activation, the National Training Center has witnessed many firsts. The first unit to train against the
Opposing ForceAn opposing force or enemy force is a military unit tasked with representing an enemy, usually for training purposes in war game scenarios...
at the NTC were from 1st Brigade,
U.S. 1st Infantry DivisionThe 1st Infantry Division of the United States Army —nicknamed “The Big Red One” after its shoulder patch; and also nicknamed "The Fighting First"—is the oldest division in the United States Army, and has seen continuous service since its organization in 1917.-Assigned:* 1st Infantry Brigade** 16th...
in January 1982. Infantry and engineer units first augmented the Opposing Force in 1984. June 1984 saw the first use of M1 Abrams tanks and M2 Bradley fighting vehicles on the National Training Center battlefield. The first armored cavalry squadron rotation occurred in November 1984. Units from the
101st Airborne DivisionThe 101st Airborne Division — the "Screaming Eagles"— is a U.S. Army modular infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for action during the Normandy Landings and in the Battle of the Bulge...
participated in the first light force rotation in March 1985. The
197th Infantry BrigadeThe 197th Infantry Brigade is an Infantry brigade of the United States Army.-References:*...
participated in the first extended rotation with brigade operations in June 1985. The first combined Light/Mechanized Infantry rotation took place in February 1990; the 7th Infantry Division (Light) from
Fort OrdFort Ord was a U.S. Army post on Monterey Bay in California. It was established in 1917 as a maneuver area and field artillery target range and was closed in September 1994. Fort Ord was one of the most attractive locations of any U.S. Army post, because of its proximity to the beach and California...
, CA and the 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized) from
Fort StewartFort Stewart is a census-designated place and U.S. Army post primarily in Liberty County, Georgia, but also occupying significant portions of Bryan County. The population was 11,205 at the 2000 census. The nearby principal city of Hinesville and Fort Stewart together comprise the Hinesville-Fort...
, GA participated. The first MOUT (Military Operations in Urban Terrain) mission was conducted at the National Training Center Pioneer Training Facility in December 1993.
The National Training Center and Fort Irwin continues to serve as the Army's premier training center. Since the
September 11, 2001 attacksThe September 11 attacks were a series of coordinated suicide attacks by Al-Qaeda upon the United States on September 11, 2001. On that morning, 19 Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial passenger jet airliners...
, the National Training Center has transformed to focus on continuous counterinsurgency operations that reflect the ongoing and rapidly changing battlefield.
Geography
Fort Irwin is located at . It has a total area of 2,579.77 km² (996.055 sq mi), with only 0.3277 km² of this area as water, according to the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about...
. It had a resident population of 9,473 persons as of the
2000 censusThe Twenty-Second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. Within its territory on its western side lies the
Goldstone Deep Space Communications ComplexThe Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex — commonly called the Goldstone Observatory — is located in California's Mojave Desert . Operated by ITT Corporation for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, its main purpose is to track and communicate with space missions. It includes the...
. The
ZIP CodeThe ZIP code is the system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service . The letters ZIP, a backronym for Zone Improvement Plan, are properly written in capital letters and were chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
is 92310 and the reservation is inside
area code 760Image:Area_code_760.png|right|Map of California area codes in blue with 760 in redrect 65 82 92 100 Area code 916rect 220 242 245 256 Area code 909rect 243 274 265 287 Area code 951rect 136 323 160 338 Area code 858...
.
See also
- Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC)
- Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC)
External links