Military building
Encyclopedia
A military building is any structure designed to house functions performed by a military unit. General types include:
while others are converted from other military uses and can be quite idiosyncratic.
is frequently stored in small quantities in reinforced structures which are widely separated. Standard designs are sometimes called "igloos".
located at Fort Leavenworth
, Kansas.
s are a fairly recent innovation in military history. Prior to the nineteenth century, military hospitals as we know them today did not exist. Soldiers wounded in combat were treated in the field or in makeshift facilities commandeered near the field of battle. Medical technology at the time was such that most serious wounds were fatal and, accordingly, there was little need for facilities that provided for long-term care and recuperation. Battlefield amputations were one of the most common procedures and were only successful in saving the life of the victim in a limited number of cases.
However, beginning in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, advances in blood transfusion
, anesthesia
, antibiotics, and trauma
treatment meant that many more soldiers could survive wounds although the treatment time was much longer. Also, advances in the treatment of infectious diseases meant that many more personnel required treatment for non-combat conditions.
All of these conditions, plus an increasing number of personnel with families, have led to the construction of full service military hospitals. These hospitals treat both members of the military and their families.
, UOQs (unescorted or "bachelor" officer quarters), and family housing. The age and condition of these facilities varies widely. A few officer family housing units are very historical in nature and can be quite large and ornate. Most family and UOQ housing is now similar in nature to civilian housing stock. In most advanced countries, barracks housing has been modernized, but remnants of housing from World War II
and older periods still remains in the inventory.
-based materials. Newer facilities include containments to prevent environmental pollution from due to spills.
facilities for both military personnel and their families. Athletic facilities are common as are officers’ clubs and NCO/enlisted personnel clubs.
operations and maintain extensive purpose-built research facilities to support those activities.
systems. Water treatment
plants, sewage treatment
plants, and electric power generation stations are found on many military installations.
s are some of the largest and most specialized military buildings.
produced small arms ammunition for the US Military for many years. More exotic facilities such as Rocky Mountain Arsenal
(now decommissioned) was the main facility for production of chemical weapons.
- Administrative Facilities
- Ammunition Storage Facilities
- Commissary Facilities
- Correctional Facilities
- Fortifications
- Hospitals
- Housing
- Mess
- Military Intelligence Facilities
- Museums
- POL (Petroleum, Oils, & Lubricants) Storage and Handling Facilities
- Recreation Facilities
- Research Facilities
- Training Facilities
- Utility Structures
- Vehicle Repair, Maintenance, & Storage Facilities
- Weapons and Ammunition Production Facilities
Administrative Facilities
Military organizations of all types must support a wide range of administrative functions including personnel management, accounting, and procurement. Some facilities are quite similar to civilian office buildingsOffice
An office is generally a room or other area in which people work, but may also denote a position within an organization with specific duties attached to it ; the latter is in fact an earlier usage, office as place originally referring to the location of one's duty. When used as an adjective, the...
while others are converted from other military uses and can be quite idiosyncratic.
Ammunition Storage Facilities
AmmunitionAmmunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
is frequently stored in small quantities in reinforced structures which are widely separated. Standard designs are sometimes called "igloos".
Commissary Facilities
Traditionally, military units provided most of the rations, uniforms, and other supplies needed by most military personnel. However, modern units often provide fewer items and many personnel must buy some items with their own funds. Personnel with families also must buy food, clothing, and other necessities for the family. This has created the need for modern commissary and “PX” (post exchange) buildings. In some cases, these buildings are similar to modern supermarkets.Correctional Facilities
Most military installations have small jails for temporary holding of suspects or short term punishment of minor offenses. However, military organizations also have larger, centralized facilities for longer term incarceration of persons convicted to more serious offenses. The main correctional facility of the US Army, Air Force, and Marines is the United States Disciplinary BarracksUnited States Disciplinary Barracks
The United States Disciplinary Barracks is a military prison located on Fort Leavenworth, a United States Army post in Kansas....
located at Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth is a United States Army facility located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, immediately north of the city of Leavenworth in the upper northeast portion of the state. It is the oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C. and has been in operation for over 180 years...
, Kansas.
Fortifications
Fortifications vary widely in nature depending on the mission and type of unit engaged.Hospitals
Full-service military hospitalMilitary hospital
Military hospital is a hospital, which is generally located on a military base and is reserved for the use of military personnel, their dependents or other authorized users....
s are a fairly recent innovation in military history. Prior to the nineteenth century, military hospitals as we know them today did not exist. Soldiers wounded in combat were treated in the field or in makeshift facilities commandeered near the field of battle. Medical technology at the time was such that most serious wounds were fatal and, accordingly, there was little need for facilities that provided for long-term care and recuperation. Battlefield amputations were one of the most common procedures and were only successful in saving the life of the victim in a limited number of cases.
However, beginning in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, advances in blood transfusion
Blood transfusion
Blood transfusion is the process of receiving blood products into one's circulation intravenously. Transfusions are used in a variety of medical conditions to replace lost components of the blood...
, anesthesia
Anesthesia
Anesthesia, or anaesthesia , traditionally meant the condition of having sensation blocked or temporarily taken away...
, antibiotics, and trauma
Physical trauma
Trauma refers to "a body wound or shock produced by sudden physical injury, as from violence or accident." It can also be described as "a physical wound or injury, such as a fracture or blow." Major trauma can result in secondary complications such as circulatory shock, respiratory failure and death...
treatment meant that many more soldiers could survive wounds although the treatment time was much longer. Also, advances in the treatment of infectious diseases meant that many more personnel required treatment for non-combat conditions.
All of these conditions, plus an increasing number of personnel with families, have led to the construction of full service military hospitals. These hospitals treat both members of the military and their families.
Housing
Military housing includes barracksBarracks
Barracks are specialised buildings for permanent military accommodation; the word may apply to separate housing blocks or to complete complexes. Their main object is to separate soldiers from the civilian population and reinforce discipline, training and esprit de corps. They were sometimes called...
, UOQs (unescorted or "bachelor" officer quarters), and family housing. The age and condition of these facilities varies widely. A few officer family housing units are very historical in nature and can be quite large and ornate. Most family and UOQ housing is now similar in nature to civilian housing stock. In most advanced countries, barracks housing has been modernized, but remnants of housing from World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and older periods still remains in the inventory.
Mess
“Mess” is the military term for any facility serving food to large groups. Some mess halls in remote locations can be rudimentary, but others in established locations can be similar to modern cafeterias.Military Intelligence Facilities
These facilities are highly secured. Modern facilities involve intensive use of electronics and computer technology.Museums
Because of the role military actions have played in determining world history, military museums are common. They range widely from small facilities memorializing the actions of local units to large, sophisticated facilities devoted to an entire branch of service or entire wars.POL (Petroleum, Oils, & Lubricants) Storage and Handling Facilities
These facilities are engineered to provide safe storage and handling of petroleumPetroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
-based materials. Newer facilities include containments to prevent environmental pollution from due to spills.
Recreation Facilities
RecreationRecreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun"...
facilities for both military personnel and their families. Athletic facilities are common as are officers’ clubs and NCO/enlisted personnel clubs.
Research Facilities
Military organizations conduct extensive researchResearch
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
operations and maintain extensive purpose-built research facilities to support those activities.
Training Facilities
Traditional military training facilities focused on physical conditioning and skills training. Newer facilities make extensive use of computer simulations of various kinds to provide more hours or training in more realistic situations at lower cost and with lower risk to personnel. Military academies are devoted entirely to training military officer cadets. Facilities for advanced training of senior officers also exist. Examples include the US Army Command and General Staff College at Ft. Leavenworth, KS.Utility Structures
Many military installations are large enough to require their own utilityUtility
In economics, utility is a measure of customer satisfaction, referring to the total satisfaction received by a consumer from consuming a good or service....
systems. Water treatment
Water treatment
Water treatment describes those processes used to make water more acceptable for a desired end-use. These can include use as drinking water, industrial processes, medical and many other uses. The goal of all water treatment process is to remove existing contaminants in the water, or reduce the...
plants, sewage treatment
Sewage treatment
Sewage treatment, or domestic wastewater treatment, is the process of removing contaminants from wastewater and household sewage, both runoff and domestic. It includes physical, chemical, and biological processes to remove physical, chemical and biological contaminants...
plants, and electric power generation stations are found on many military installations.
Vehicle Repair, Maintenance, & Storage Facilities
Vehicle repair shops can be very large and built to accommodate large vehicles. Aircraft hangarHangar
A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
s are some of the largest and most specialized military buildings.
Weapons & Ammunition Production Facilities
Production of ammunition is now largely outsourced to industry contractors. However, facilities such as Sunflower Army Ammunition PlantSunflower Army Ammunition Plant
The Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant was a smokeless powder and propellant manufacturing facility in northwest Johnson County, Kansas owned by the United States Government and operated under contract, primarily by Hercules Aerospace Company....
produced small arms ammunition for the US Military for many years. More exotic facilities such as Rocky Mountain Arsenal
Rocky Mountain Arsenal
The Rocky Mountain Arsenal was a United States chemical weapons manufacturing center located in the Denver Metropolitan Area in Commerce City, Colorado...
(now decommissioned) was the main facility for production of chemical weapons.