The United States Army is the oldest and largest branch of the armed forces of America. It traces its history back to the Continental Army, established in 1775 during the Revolutionary War, 100 years later, the United States Army is the largest and most powerful military force in the world. By September 2020, the U.S. Army had an active force of over one million soldiers. This includes nearly half a million active-duty members, more than 336,000 National Guard personnel, and about 200,000 members in the Army Reserve.
The Army has bases around the world that are not only operational hubs but also community centers that house members of the force and their families while fulfilling all of the Army’s multi-directional missions.
To maintain an organization of such magnitude, the Army requires massive infrastructure and real estate; the US has some of the biggest military bases in the world. This includes:
Fort Liberty – Covering an area of over 250 square miles, Fort Bragg is the largest base of the U.S. Army and also the biggest military base in the world. Fort Liberty is located in North Carolina and was established in 1918, during the final year of World War I. Today it is home to almost 60,000 military personnel and serves as headquarters for both the XVIII Airborne Corps and the United States Army Special Operations Command. Fort Liberty is also the largest military base in the world by acres, covering 640,000+ acres (240 square miles).
Fort Liberty is also the most populated US Army base with almost 60,000 military personnel and serves as headquarters for both the XVIII Airborne Corps and the United States Army Special Operations Command. This base has an important role in maintaining rapid interaction forces and conducting special operation tasks.
Fort Campbell – Covering 105,000 acres across Kentucky and Tennessee, is one of the nation’s biggest and most populated US Army installations. Its many residents include nearly 30,000 on active duty and close to 235,000 others including dependents and civilian personnel. The base is well known for the 101st Airborne Division, famous as the “Screaming Eagles,” and is a center of airborne and air assault activities.
Fort Hood – Was established in 1942 in Texas as a testing ground for tanks and tank destroyers during World War II. Spanning 214,000 acres, Fort Hood serves as headquarters for III Corps and First Army Division West. Fort Hood remains a major base for heavy armor operations and training, reflecting the area’s history in mechanized warfare.
Joint Base Lewis-McChord – Consisting of the combined Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base, Joint Base Lewis-McChord base a joint Army and Air Force training ground. The base covers 410,000 acres, supporting over 209,000 people, including military personnel, families and civilians. Originally established as Camp Lewis in 1917 to train troops for World War I, the Joint Base Lewis-McChord is now a key center for military force projection and humanitarian aid missions across western America that uses its fleet of C-17 Globemaster III airlift aircraft.
Fort Benning – It covers an area size of 182,000 acres in Alabama and Georgia. Fort Benning was founded in 1909 to aid in Army training and operations. The base is home to more than 120,000 active-duty troops, their families and supporting staff. Fort Benning is home to the U.S. Army Infantry School, the U.S. Army Armor School, the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC), and the U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence. Its important role lies in the training of the future leaders of the American Army.
As the backbone of the U.S. Army’s operations, these installations offer advanced training facilities that prepare personnel for a wide variety of future missions. Army bases also function as strategic centers from which rapid deployment and combat readiness can be maintained. In addition to their operational duties, Army bases are home to lively communities that come complete with housing units, schools and health services.
They offer recreational facilities too so that servicemen family members can get out and participate in sports or other activities on post –and there’s every opportunity for children of both servicemen astronauts to grow up fully integrated into the world their parents know (or something similar). Furthermore, many bases play an essential part in humanitarian missions and international cooperation projects: This elevates their status even further up the global ladder.