Fort Irwin
| Fort Irwin National Training Center | |
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| San Bernardino County, California | |
NTC Shoulder Sleeve Insignia
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Aerial view of Fort Irwin
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| Type | Training Center |
| Site information | |
| Owner | United States Army |
| Controlled by | US Army Forces Command |
| Condition | In use |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1940 |
| In use | 1940–1942; 1951–1972; 1980–present. |
| Garrison information | |
| Current commander |
BG Jeffery D. Broadwater COL G. Scott Taylor (Garrison commander) |
| Occupants | 1942-08-14 – 1942-10-20 Blackhorse |
| Fort Irwin | |
|---|---|
| census-designated place | |
 Fort Irwin
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| Coordinates: 35°14′47″N 116°40′55″W / 35.24639°N 116.68194°WCoordinates: 35°14′47″N 116°40′55″W / 35.24639°N 116.68194°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State |
 California
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| County | San Bernardino |
| Area | |
| • Total | 7.053 sq mi (18.267 km2) |
| • Land | 7.053 sq mi (18.267 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) 0% |
| Elevation | 2,454 ft (748 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 8,845 |
| • Density | 1,300/sq mi (480/km2) |
| Time zone | Pacific (PST) (UTC-8) |
| • Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) |
| ZIP Code | 92310 |
| Area codes | 442/760 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2628733 |
| U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Fort Irwin CDP | |
Fort Irwin National Training Center is a major training area for the United States Military and is a census-designated place located in the Mojave Desert in northern San Bernardino County, California. Fort Irwin is at an average elevation of 2,454 feet (748 m). It is located 37 miles (60 km) northeast of Barstow, in the Calico Mountains.
The National Training Center is part of the US Army Forces Command (FORSCOM). The opposing force at the National Training Center (NTC) is the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, the Blackhorse Cavalry, who are stationed at the base to provide an opposing force to units on a training rotation at Fort Irwin.
Fort Irwin works within the R-2508 Special Use Airspace Complex.
The 2010 United States census reported Fort Irwin's population was 8,845.
The Fort Irwin area has a history dating back almost 15,000 years, when Native Americans of the Lake Mojave Period were believed to live in the area. Native American settlements and pioneer explorations in the area were first recorded when Father Francisco Garces, a Spaniard, traveled the Mohave Indian Trail with Mohave guides in 1776. During his travels, he noted several small bands of Indians and is believed to have been the first European to make contact with the Native Americans of this area.
Jedediah Smith 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 Trail between Santa Fe and Los Angeles. The trail crossed the area on the eastern edge of Fort Irwin, between Salt Spring and the Mojave River. The Old Spanish Trail passed through Silurian Valley, then west through the Avawatz Mountains at Red Pass and beyond the playa of Red Pass Lake, through a gap between the Soda and Tiefort Mountains to Bitter Spring in a wash in the next valley. Bitter Spring was the only reliable watering and grazing place along the route. From Bitter Spring the trail led 18.75 miles southwest climbing Alvord Mountain to cross Impassable Pass to descend Spanish Canyon and cross the plains to the location of Fork of the Road on the north side of the Mojave River where it met the Mohave Trail.
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Wikipedia