Camp Swift, Texas
| Camp Swift, Texas | |
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| Census-designated place | |
Main entrance to the Camp Swift facility of the 10th Mountain Division during World War II
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| Coordinates: 30°11′2″N 97°17′52″W / 30.18389°N 97.29778°WCoordinates: 30°11′2″N 97°17′52″W / 30.18389°N 97.29778°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Bastrop |
| Area | |
| • Total | 12.1 sq mi (31.4 km2) |
| • Land | 12.0 sq mi (31.2 km2) |
| • Water | 0.08 sq mi (0.2 km2) |
| Elevation | 440 ft (134 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 6,383 |
| • Density | 530/sq mi (200/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| Zip Code | 78602 |
| FIPS code | 48-12334 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1867544 |
Camp Swift is a census-designated place (CDP) in Bastrop County, Texas, United States. The population was 6,383 at the 2010 census. Camp Swift began as a United States Army training base built in 1942. It is named after Major General Eben Swift.
The Army signed a $25 million contract in January 1942 to build a training camp on 56,000 acres north of Bastrop, Texas. The contract stipulated the project was to be completed in 108 working days. 2700 buildings were built during World War II, but none of those remain on the site today. At the end of the war, they were sold or donated and relocated. The gymnasium was relocated to Whitney Texas. It is still in use today by the school district.
During World War II, German prisoners of war began arriving and eventually numbered 10,000 at it peak. At the same time, the camp held 90,000 GIs, making it "one of the largest army training and transshipment camps in Texas" according to Krammer.
The 10th Mountain Division trained at Camp Swift in 1944. The 2nd Infantry Division trained there mid 1945 to early 1946. The camp also trained nurses under battlefield conditions. The camp trained some 300,000 soldiers before the war ended.
Camp Swift is currently owned by the Texas Army National Guard and acts as a training center for the Guard, active armed forces, law enforcement, high school ROTC and the Civil Air Patrol. The camp is also the primary emergency staging area for Central Texas.
The Texas Wing of the Civil Air Patrol, the Auxiliary of the Air Force has held its encampment, a one-week high intensity simulated military training program for Cadet (leaders in training) members in Camp Swift in Winter 2013 and in Summer 2014 In order to earn the rank of Cadet Second Lieutenant, Cadets must complete an Encampment. Texas wing encampments have been held at Camp Swift scene 2011.
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