Fort Leavenworth | |
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Leavenworth, Kansas | |
Grant Hall, the symbol of Fort Leavenworth and headquarters of the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center
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Type | Army post |
Site information | |
Controlled by | United States Army |
Site history | |
Built | 1827 |
In use | 1827–present |
Garrison information | |
Past commanders |
LTG David G. Perkins |
Garrison |
U.S. Army Combined Arms Center Command and General Staff College 15th Military Police Brigade (705th Military Police Battalion) |
Fort Leavenworth is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, immediately north of the city of Leavenworth in the upper northeast portion of the state. Built in 1827, it is the oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C. and the oldest permanent settlement in Kansas. Fort Leavenworth has been historically known as the "Intellectual Center of the Army".
Fort Leavenworth was also the base of African-American soldiers of the U.S. 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, formed on 21 September 1866 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. They became known as Buffalo Soldiers, nicknamed by the Native American tribes whom they fought. This term eventually was applied to all of the African-American regiments formed in 1866.
During the country's westward expansion, Fort Leavenworth was a forward destination for thousands of soldiers, surveyors, immigrants, American Indians, preachers and settlers who passed through. On August 1, 1846, a Mormon Battalion, led by Col. James Allen, arrived at Fort Leavenworth. Colonel Allen became ill and died at the fort; his headstone marks his grave at the Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery.
Today, the garrison supports the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) by managing and maintaining the home of the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center (CAC). CAC's mission involves leader development, collective training, Army doctrine and battle command (current and future).
Fort Leavenworth is home to the Military Corrections Complex, consisting of the United States Disciplinary Barracks, the Department of Defense's only maximum security prison, and the Midwest Joint Regional Correctional Facility. In addition, the Fort Leavenworth Garrison supports numerous tenant organizations that directly and indirectly relate to the functions of the CAC, including the United States Army Command and General Staff College and the Foreign Military Studies Office.