History

L ong before any Europeans saw the Central Texas area, Native Americans roamed through here. With the arrival of the Europeans, the area came under Spanish control and was later transferred to Mexico. During this transition period, the Native Americans still considered the area to be a part of their lands.

In the 1820s and 1830s, American colonists settled in Central Texas with permission of Mexico. Settlers received land grants from Mexico until Texas became independent in 1835-36. The Fort Hood area was a dangerous place during these times. Many tribes, such as Apache, Comanche, Kiowa and others did not appreciate settlers living on their historic tribal lands.

On Dec. 29, 1845, Texas became a state. Fort Gates was established soon afterwards to protect the local settlers from attacks. Attacks abated when the Army set up patrols to prevent Native Americans from crossing the Red River in 1875. About this time, law officials also began to make the area safer for settlers by driving out all the cattle rustlers and horse thieves who had plagued farmers through the 1870s.

After the Native Americans and outlaws were routed, settlers continued to stake out claims and the area developed as farming communities until World War II.

During World War II, the German army was overrunning Europe. To counter the German blitzkrieg, tank destroyers were developed: mobile anti-tank guns on armored halftracks. Wide-open space for training was needed for the tank destroyers. These tank destroyers would soon find a home in Central Texas.

On Jan. 15, 1942, the War Department announced the selection of Killeen as the site for the Tank Destroyer Tactical and Firing Center. An initial acquisition of 108,000 acres was made, and it was estimated that the camp would cost $22,800,000 for the land, facilities and development of utilities. The date of completion was set for Aug. 15, 1942.

About 300 families had to move from their homes to make room for the camp area. Whole communities were uprooted. The communities of Clear Creek, Elijah and Antelope ceased to exist. The old Sugar Loaf community, historically called the "Cradle of Killeen" provided the city with many of its first citizens in 1882. All that remains of the community is the mountain from which it took its name, located in the Fort Hood impact area. To lessen the pain of moving, the Army agreed to allow land to be used for grazing for a nominal grazing fee. This grazing arrangement still continues today. In mid-August, the camp was occupied and the official opening took place on Sept. 18, 1942. Fort Hood was named for the famous Confederate General John Bell Hood, an outstanding leader who gained recognition during the Civil War as the commander of Hood's Texas Brigade.

The original facilities provided housing and training sites for nearly 38,000 troops. In January 1943, an additional 16,000 acres in Bell County and 34,943 acres in Coryell County near Gatesville were purchased. The site near Gatesville was known as the sub-camp and later as North Fort Hood. During the war years, North Fort Hood housed nearly 40,000 troops and 4,000 prisoners of war, and was the site for the southern branch of the United States Disciplinary Barracks. At the end of 1942, there were about 45,000 troops living and training at Camp Hood. Camp Hood reached its peak population of almost 95,000 troops in late June 1943. These strengths were maintained until early 1944.

In 1944, the number of tank destroyer battalions in training at Camp Hood declined rapidly. Field artillery battalions and the Infantry Replacement Training Center replaced them in March 1944. By September, the Infantry Center was the largest activity on post, reaching a peak of 31,545 troops. The total camp population on the last day of 1944 was 50,228. The last year of World War II saw a major shift of emphasis in Camp Hood's mission and a drastic reduction in population. As the war came to an end, the training of troops slowed and equipment reclamation and demobilization planning became the priorities. A separation center was established in September 1945, and as the year ended, post strength had fallen to 1,807 prisoners and about 11,000 troops.

In January 1946, the 2nd and 20th Armored Divisions arrived from overseas. This resulted in only a temporary increase in troop population since the 20th Armored was inactivated on April 2, leaving the 2nd Armored Division and its attached units as the only tactical troops at Camp Hood. At the same time, all of the prisoners of war were returned to their homelands. In June, Camp Hood became an installation of the 4th Army, and the commanding general of the major tactical unit, the 2d Armored Division, also became the commanding general of the post. In the later part of 1946, North Fort Hood was closed and the post population dropped from about 15,000 to less than 5,000. Camp Hood was also named as the permanent home of the 2nd Armored Division.

From the end of 1946 to 1950, Camp Hood changed little. The 2nd Armored Division was designated as a training unit, and Army Reserve units, the ROTC and the Texas National Guard used field facilities at the post. West Fort Hood, once called Killeen Base, was constructed in 1947 and manned by U.S. Air Force personnel. North Fort Hood was reduced in size and used primarily for summer training of National Guard Reserve units.

On April 15, 1950, Camp Hood became a permanent installation and was re-designated Fort Hood. During the Korean War years, the post continued its training mission and provided individual replacements for many of the units involved in that conflict.

In mid-1954, III Corps moved from California to Fort Hood. The Corps supervised the training of combat units at Fort Hood and other Fourth Army stations from 1954 to 1959 when III Corps was inactivated.

Probably, the most famous trainee to come through Fort Hood was Elvis Presley, arriving on March 28, 1958. Other than receiving record amounts of mail (three to four bags per day), Presley was treated like all other trainees. On September 19, Presley shipped out for Germany. Also during this period, the 4th Armored Division was reactivated at Fort Hood and deployed to Germany as part of the "Gyroscope" concept of unit movement.

In September 1961, Fort Hood again became the home for the III Corps, and in February 1962, III Corps was assigned as part of the U.S. Army Strategic Army Corps (STRAC). On June 15, 1963 Killeen Base was turned over to the Army. Today, the only remnant of its secret mission is tunnels honeycombed under West Fort Hood.

In October 1969, Killeen Base was designated as West Fort Hood and the airfield's name was designated as Robert Gray Army Airfield. The base was named after a Killeen native who was killed flying combat missions during World War II. Robert Gray was also a pilot of a B-25 bomber on the famous Doolittle Raid on Tokyo in 1942. With a re-designation came a change in mission at West Fort Hood. Atomic weapons were removed. They had been secretly kept there since 1947. During the late 1960s, Fort Hood trained and deployed a number of units and individuals for duty in Vietnam. As the United States ended its role in the conflict, thousands of returning Soldiers completed their active duty with one of the divisions.

During this time, the post began a modernization effort. On Sept. 13, 1965, Darnall Hospital opened and began providing quality medical care to the Fort Hood community. In 1970, construction began on Palmer Theater and Venable Village was dedicated. Modern barracks were springing up around post. The wood buildings of Fort Hood were quickly being replaced with modern brick structures. In September 1967, Fort Hood was officially designated a two-division post with the 1st and 2nd Armored Divisions. In 1971, the 1st Cavalry Division came to Fort Hood from Vietnam and replaced the 1st Armored Division when "Old Ironsides" moved to Germany.

Since the early 1970s, Fort Hood has played a major role in the training, testing and introduction of new equipment, tactics and organizations. A primary player in the test and evaluation mission has been the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command's Test and Experimentation Command (now the U.S. Army Operational Test Command), located at West Fort Hood. Fort Hood has been instrumental in the fielding of the M1 Abrams tank, M2/3 Bradley Infantry/Cavalry Fighting Vehicle, the Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) and the AH-64 Apache helicopter. In January 1975, the 1st Cav "First Team" was reorganized, as the Army's newest armored division. Since fielding the M-1 Abrams in 1980, force modernization has continued as a major focus. The First Team became the first division to field the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle, Humvee, Multiple Launch Rocket System and Mobile Subscriber Equipment (MSE) tactical communications.

In August 1990, Fort Hood was alerted for deployments to Southwest Asia as part of the joint forces participating in Operation Desert Shield. The deployment to Saudi Arabia began in September, extending into mid-October.

Upon its return to the United States, the 1st Cavalry Division became the largest division in the Army, with the reactivation of its 3rd "Grey Wolf" Battle Team May 21, 1991. October 1992, saw the activation of the Engineer Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division. Through the Engineer Restructuring Initiative, the nucleus of the brigade was formed around the 8th Engineer Battalion. The 20th Engineer Battalion was brought from Fort Campbell, Ky., to join the brigade and the 91st Engineer Battalion was activated to complete the brigade.

In November 1992, the unit designations for the battalions remaining from the former "Tiger" Brigade of the 2nd Armored Division were returned prior to the 2nd AD's activation at Fort Hood on Dec. 2, 1992. This action was done to realign the historical designations of units to their parent divisions. On Nov. 29, 1992, 3-41 Infantry was designated 1-9 Cavalry, 1-67 Armor to 3-8 Cavalry and 1-3 Field Artillery to 2-82 Field Artillery. On Dec. 16, 1992, 1st Cavalry Division units designated to accomplish realignments for historical purposes and included 1-32 Armor designated 2-12 Cavalry, 3-32 Armor to 1-12 Cavalry and Battery A, 333 Field Artillery to Battery B, 26 Field Artillery.

During the post war periods called Operation Desert Calm and Operation Provide Comfort, Fort Hood units continued to serve proudly in the Persian Gulf area. From December 1992 to May 1993, Fort Hood Soldiers deployed to Somalia for Operation Restore Hope to command and control the Joint Task Force Support Command. In the fall of 1994, Fort Hood units participated in the largest deployment since Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm by executing split base operations in the Caribbean Basin, Central America and Southwest Asia, in support of Operations Vigilant Warrior and Sea Signal, as well as other contingency operations.

The 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized) was designated the Army's Experimental Force on Dec. 15, 1995 as its colors were unfurled for the first time over Central Texas and Fort Hood. A new chapter in its long and glorious history began as its Soldiers were given the mission to lead the Army into the 21st Century. Trained and ready, proven in war and peace, able to deploy around the world, the 4th Infantry Division was selected in 1958 to be the sole infantry component in the Strategic Army Corps (STRAC) and assigned the mission to suppress aggression wherever American interests were threatened.

Twenty-five years after making its home in Colorado, the Iron Horse Division was again re-stationed to meet the Army's requirements but this move would be quite different from others. The Iron Horse Division became a split-based organization with six brigades and three brigade combat teams remaining at Fort Carson.

Since the 1990s, Fort Hood units have supported Operation Joint Endeavor in Bosnia, to help bring an end to the years of bloodshed in that war torn country. In October 1998, the 1st Cavalry Division was the first United States division to assume authority of the Multinational Division (North) area of operation in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The mission was to conduct operations to enforce the military provisions set forth by the Dayton Peace Accords. The Fort Hood troopers served as our nation's ambassadors. Their day-to-day presence and commitment to the citizens of this ravaged nation helped prove that a lasting and self-sustaining peace is possible.

In 1998, the Iron Horse Division was designated to be the Army's first Multi-Component unit. The main objective was to enhance Total Force integration, optimize the unique capabilities of each component and improve the overall readiness of the Army. The program was developed to leverage the strengths of the Army's three components (active, Reserve and National Guard). As such, 515 positions within the division have been designated as reserve component. These positions include individuals, a unit from the Wyoming National Guard and dual-mission units from the Texas National Guard.

In addition to peacekeeping efforts, Fort Hood units routinely answer the call for national and international disaster relief. Soldiers from the command have responded to the call to lend a hand, whether it was removing snow in Massachusetts, aiding flood victims in Louisiana, processing refugees in Arkansas or fighting forest fires in Montana and California. Hours after the Mexican earthquake, III Corps units were ready to move out to provide assistance. Fort Hood units also aided Managua, Nicaragua, after an earthquake ravaged that city.

During the 1990s, Fort Hood continued an extensive building program to modernize the post. This modernization continues today with emphasis on quality of life, force projection and training. The Robertson Blood Center, Soldier Development Center, Solder Service Center and a new Commissary at Warrior Way were all completed during this time. Many other improvements were made to improve the Power Projection Mission of the post such as improvements to the railhead and the runway at Robert Gray Army Airfield. Training ranges have been upgraded.

The beginning of the 21st century saw modernization in the Army in full swing. Fort Hood continues with its efforts to modernize today's Soldier for tomorrow's battlefield. Some of these new advances in technology and war fighting include the fielding of the M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank, the M2A2 Operation Desert Storm (ODS) Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle, the M109A6 Paladin Howitzer, the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior, the AH-64D Apache Longbow Helicopter and the M6 Bradley Linebacker.

Fort Hood made history when it was the first installation selected to privatize post housing under the residential communities' initiative. Under this initiative, new housing units, remodeled housing and community improvements were added to the post.

The year 2001 ushered in a new era for Fort Hood as security and the war on terrorism became a prime focus. Fort Hood transitioned from an open to a closed post almost overnight. Since 2001, the deployment pace at Fort Hood has accelerated as the Army continues to fight the war on terrorism. Many Fort Hood units have deployed to Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom and to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn.

The 4th Infantry Division assisted in the capture of Saddam Hussein in December 2003. The 1st Cavalry Division followed on the heels of the 4th Infantry Division and they deployed to Iraq in the spring of 2004. In February 2006, First Team aviators deployed to Pakistan to provide aid and support after its earthquake, and at Fort Hood, the visitor's center was dedicated to Congressman Marvin Leath in recognition of his long contributions to the build-up of Fort Hood in the 1980s. In April 2005, 1st Cavalry Division dedicated their memorial to those who made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq. A rededication ceremony was held in 2010.

In May 2006, Darnall Community Hospital was re-designated the Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center. In September, Fort Hood opened the first-ever Gold Star Support Center to assist survivors of fallen warriors. In October, the 96th Transportation Co. left for their 5th deployment, earning the reputation as "most deployed unit" in the Army. In November, the III Armored Corps cased its colors for a second tour to Iraq.

In 2007, Fort Hood installed a mass notification system making it easier to notify post residents when severe weather or other emergencies were imminent. Additionally, the garrison unfurled their newly created colors and became a part of the new Installation Management Command, marking a transition to how the garrison operates.

In September 2009, the 48th Chemical Brigade activated at Fort Hood. In November that year, the Army pledged billions to help Army Families with the signing of the Army Family Covenant. In 2009, the 4th Infantry Division returned from Iraq and cased its colors at Fort Hood for the last time with the unit's move back to Fort Carson, Colorado. Coming from Fort Carson was the Division West headquarters of the First Army. Also in 2009, Fort Hood opened the Resiliency Campus (now the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Training Facility) to meet the needs of Soldiers and families. This facility provided help after the mass shooting incident in September when 12 Soldiers and one civilian was killed at the installation's Soldier Readiness Center.

Fort Hood rang in 2010 still reeling from the tragic Nov. 5, 2009 shootings that took 13 lives and wounded dozens more. The safety and security of the Fort Hood community, as well as the behavioral health needs of those most closely affected by the shootings in late 2009 were top priorities for III Corps and Fort Hood, even as the III Corps headquarters prepared to deploy to Iraq.

A Behavioral Health Campaign plan, formulated in the wake of the shootings, continued providing service and assistance to the afflicted throughout 2010. Three separate online surveys were also conducted in 2010, gauging the community's health care needs and how those needs were being met. Improvements and expansions were made to the installation's Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Training Facility programs in 2010 to help meet community needs, including opening a Multifunctional Fitness Center.

The legal process made the headlines throughout 2010 as extensions granted to the defense team of Maj. Nadal Hasan, the Army psychiatrist charged with 13 specifications of premeditated murder and 32 specifications of attempted murder, delayed an Article 32 Hearing until mid-October. At the hearing, 56 witnesses testified for the prosecution over a two-week period.

Soldiers and civilians caught in the cross-fire on Nov. 5, 2009, as well as first-responders to the tragedy were honored in 2010 for their courage and commitment. That quick response was lauded as part of a Department of Defense report released Jan. 15, 2010. Two Fort Hood police officers credited with ending the shooting spree, Police Sgt. Mark Todd and Officer Kimberly Munley, received national acclaim at President Barack Obama's State of the Union address, Jan. 27, 2010, where the pair sat with first lady Michelle Obama. Todd and Munley were also among the 52 Soldiers and first-responders who were honored on the first anniversary of the incident, as the Secretary of the Army, John McHugh, and Army Chief of Staff, Gen. George W. Casey Jr., presented them with the Secretary of the Army Award for Valor at Fort Hood, as well as 10 Soldier's Medals. One of those medals was awarded posthumously to the widow of Capt. John Gaffaney. A memorial stone was also unveiled at the Nov. 5 ceremony, honoring the 13 lives lost in the shootings. Many family members of the fallen attended the one-year anniversary events at Fort Hood.

Deployments, the continual coming and going of military members to and from Fort Hood, remained the "new normal" at the Great Place in 2010. Just two weeks after the 1st Cavalry Division uncased its colors on Cooper Field announcing the division's return from its third tour of duty in Iraq, III Corps cased its colors to become the nucleus of United States Forces—Iraq. Other major unit movements in 2010 included the 36th Engineer Brigade and 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment's deployments to Iraq, and the 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division's departure for Afghanistan. Fort Hood also welcomed a new unit to the installation July 7, 2010, as the 479th Field Artillery Brigade uncased its colors on Cameron Field and joined First Army Division West. The brigade moved here from Fort Sill, Okla., becoming Div. West's third training brigade on the installation.

Three major events in 2010 will have a lasting impact on the educational aspirations of the Fort Hood military community. The first was Jan. 13, when Central Texas College held a grand opening for its new classroom building. The new facility is home to 21 new classrooms and four state-of-the-art computer labs. The two-story, 26,659-square-foot facility cost $4.25 million to construct. Then on Aug. 26, Texas A&M - Central Texas broke ground on a new campus complex. Texas Governor Rick Perry called the ground-breaking, "...a big day for Central Texas." University officials expect construction of the first campus building to be completed by February 2012. In December, the Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center broke ground on a new $534 million hospital, which is expected to be completed in 2015.

Today, one in 10 Soldiers in the Army is stationed at Fort Hood. The post has deployed more Soldiers and sustained more casualties in Iraq than any other post. Fort Hood is the home of dedicated, decorated, proud warriors and supportive families and communities. As it has throughout its proud history, Fort Hood continues to be the source of the best-trained and equipped Soldiers in the United States Army.  read more...

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