Jump to content

Fort Meade

Coordinates:39°6′25″N76°44′35″W/ 39.10694°N 76.74306°W/39.10694; -76.74306
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, seeFort Meade (disambiguation).
Fort George G. Meade
NearFort Meade, Marylandin United States
TheNational Security Agencyheadquarters building, a major tenant at Fort G. Meade
Fort George G. Meade is located in Maryland
Fort George G. Meade
Fort George G. Meade
Location inMaryland
Fort George G. Meade is located in the United States
Fort George G. Meade
Fort George G. Meade
Location in United States
Coordinates39°6′25″N76°44′35″W/ 39.10694°N 76.74306°W/39.10694; -76.74306
TypeUS Army installation
Area5,067 acres (2,051 hectares)
Site information
OwnerDepartment of Defense
OperatorUS Army
Controlled byUS Army Installation Management Command(IMCOM)
ConditionOperational
WebsiteOfficial website
Site history
Built1917(1917)
In use1917–present
Garrison information
Current
commander		ColonelMichael Sapp

Fort George G. Meade[1]is aUnited States Armyinstallation located inMaryland,that includes theDefense Information School,theDefense Media Activity,theUnited States Army Field Band,and the headquarters ofUnited States Cyber Command,theNational Security Agency,theDefense Courier Service,Defense Information Systems Agencyheadquarters, and theU.S. Navy's Cryptologic Warfare Group Six.[2]It is named forGeorge G. Meade,a Union general from the U.S.Civil War,who served as commander of theArmy of the Potomac.The fort's smallercensus-designated placeincludes support facilities such as schools, housing, and the offices of theMilitary Intelligence Civilian Excepted Career Program (MICECP).

Part ofa serieson
Global surveillance
Disclosures
Systems
Agencies
Places
Laws
Proposed changes
Concepts
Related topics

History[edit]

For the 1898Camp Meade[3]atMiddletown PAand the "Meadeboro" camp near thePickett's Chargefield, seeHarrisburg ANGBand1913 Gettysburg reunion.

Initially called CampAnnapolis Junction,the post was opened as "Camp Admiral" in 1917 on 29.7 sq mi (77 km2) acquired for a training camp. The post was called Camp Meade Cantonment by 1918,[4]Camp Franklin Signal Corps school was located there and in 1919, theCamp Benningtank school—formed from the World War ICamp ColtandTobyhannaschools—was transferred to the fort before theTank Corpswas disbanded.[5]

Renamed to Fort Leonard Wood (February 1928[6]– March 5, 1929),[7]the fort'sExperimental Motorized Forcesin the summer and fall of 1928 tested vehicles and tactics in expedition convoys (Camp Meade observers had joined the in-progress1919 Motor Transport Corps convoy). In 1929, the fort's1st Tank Regimentencamped on the Gettysburg Battlefield.[8]

DuringWorld War II,Fort Meade was used as arecruit trainingpost andprisoner of war camp,in addition to a holding center for approximately 384Japanese,German,andItalianimmigrant residents of the U.S. arrested as potentialfifth columnists.TheSecond U.S. Army Headquarterstransferred to the post on June 15, 1947;[7]and in 1957,[9]the post became headquarters of theNational Security Agency.

Cold War air defense[edit]

From the 1950s until the 1970s, theFort Meade radar stationhad variousradarequipment and control systems for air defense (e.g., the 1stMartin AN/FSG-I Antiaircraft Defense System).[10]Fort Meade also had the firstNike Ajaxsurface-to-air missilesin December 1953 (operational May 1954)[11]and an accidental firing occurredin 1955 with Battery C, 36th AAA Missile Battalion.In 1962, the Army's Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 13th Air Defense Artillery Group, transferred from Meade toHomestead AFBfor initial deployment ofMIM-23 Hawkmissiles, and during theCuban Missile Crisis,the 6th Battalion (HAWK), 65th Artillery at Fort Meade (aUnited States Strike Commandunit) was deployed to the Miami/Key West area[12](the 8th Battalion (Hawk) was at the fort in late 1964).[13]Fort Meade bomb disposal experts were dispatched to secure nuclear bombs in the1964 Savage Mountain B-52 crash.

Expansion[edit]

In 1977, a merger organized the fort's U.S. Army Intelligence Agency as part of theUnited States Army Intelligence and Security Command.On October 1, 1991, awing of the Air Force Intelligence Commandtransferred to Fort Meade, and the organization was replaced by[failed verification]the70th Operations Groupon May 1, 2005.[14]In the early 1990s, 12.7 sq mi (33 km2) was transferred from the post to thePatuxent Research Refuge.[15]A planned closure of the post in the 1990s was not implemented,[when?]and the Defense Information School moved to the fort in 1995.[16]The311th Signal Command headquarterswas at Fort Meade from 1996 to September 2006. The70th Intelligence Wing headquarterswas established at Fort Meade on July 17, 2000, and theBase Realignment and Closure, 2005,designated Fort Meade to gain 5,700 positions. Fort Meade currently has more than 54,000 employees (service members and civilians), and is the largest employer in the state of Maryland and second largest installation by employee population in the Army.[17]

Hazardous waste[edit]

After an August 27, 2007,U.S. Environmental Protection Agencyorder to assess the contamination at 14 hazardous waste sites on Fort Meade (e.g., ordnance disposal area, 1940s waste dump, closed sanitary landfill),[15]a September 2007 environmental impact report identified adding two golf courses would be a "significant threat to the biological and territorial integrity of the Patuxent Research Refuge". The US Army responded that it is "taking steps to limit the environmental damage."[18]

Defense Information Systems Agency[edit]

AfterUnited States Cyber Commandwas established at the post in 2009; on April 15, 2011, theDefense Information Systems Agencyribbon-cutting for the move fromArlington County, Virginia,was at the agency's Fort Meade complex of 95 acres (38 ha).[19]

Defense Information School[edit]

The consolidation of theDefense Information Schooland theDefense Visual Information Schoolin fiscal 1996 and further consolidation with theDefense Photography Schoolin fiscal 1998 created a single focal point in theDepartment of Defensefor these specialties fields. Advancements in information technology and recent base realignment and closure initiatives have contributed to the evolution of the school. The result is a single school proud of its historical roots and dedicated to serving the diverse requirements for public affairs, broadcasting and visual information.[19]

Security incidents[edit]

Alleged gunman Hong Young was arrested in connection with shootings at five public places in Maryland, including an NSA building, theaters and occupied vehicles in late February 2015. No motive has been established but his estranged wife attributed his behavior to mental issues, and he told police he heard voices telling him to shoot at a random driver.[20]

On March 30, 2015, National Security Agency police officers shot and killed a person who attempted to drive an SUV through a restricted entrance to the NSA campus in Fort Meade, Maryland. A passenger in the SUV was injured, as was an officer, and both were treated at a hospital. President Obama was briefed but the FBI determined "we do not believe it is related to terrorism."[21]

On February 14, 2018, National Security Agency police officers shot and wounded an individual who rammed an SUV into a barricade near an entry gate outside of the facility. In the immediate aftermath of the event, the NSA announced that there was "no ongoing security or safety threat."[22]

Geography[edit]

Fort Meade is bordered by theBaltimore–Washington Parkwayon the west and is about 5 miles (8.0 km) east ofInterstate 95.It is located betweenWashington, D.C.,andBaltimore.It is located in proximity toOdenton,Columbia,Jessup,Hanover,Laurel,andSevern.[23]

Based units[edit]

Notable military and government units based at Fort George G. Meade.[24]

Library of Congress[edit]

Fort Meade is used as a storage facility for the United StatesLibrary of Congress.

In 1994, a 100 acres (40 ha) site located in the U.S. Army Base at Fort Meade, MD was transferred to the U.S. Congress to provide additional storage capacity for the Library of Congress and other legislative bodies. The current master plan includes the land to construct up to 13 Phased Storage Modules for collections, if this number is needed.

In subsequent years, Congress provided construction funds in the Architect of the Capitol budget for Module 1, completed in 2002, for Module 2, completed in 2005 and Modules 3 and 4 and four cold storage rooms, completed in 2009. A full-scale three-year transfer program of the special format collections to Modules 3 and 4 and the four cold storage rooms began in Spring 2010 and was completed in September 2012. Module 5 has been fully funded with occupancy scheduled for September 2017.

The state-of-the art storage modules are being built to store, preserve and protect the library's collections. Collections include books and bound periodicals as well as special format collections, such as maps, manuscripts, prints, photographs, sheet music, and microfilm masters. If needed and constructed, the 13 collections storage modules will provide a total of 180,600 gross sq ft of archival storage space for the library's collections.[26]

Museums[edit]

For the NSA-related museum outside of this post, seeNational Cryptologic Museum.
Not to be confused with the Old Fort Meade Museum atFort Meade in South Dakota.

The Fort George G. Meade Museum exhibited the post's historical artifacts, including uniforms, insignia, and equipment.[27]The museum also had a small collection of vehicles, including aRenault FT,aMK VIII Liberty Tank,anM3A1 Stuart,anM4A3E8 Sherman,anM41 Walker Bulldog,anM47 Patton,armored personnel carriers such as anM113,M114,M84,aNike Ajaxmissile, and aUH-1Hhelicopter. The Fort George G. Meade Community Council noted in July 2018 that the museum would close, with artifacts relocated to theNational Museum of the United States Armyunder construction inFort Belvoir, Virginia.[28]

Transportation[edit]

Since 2005, the NSA operates a shuttle service from theOdenton stationofMARCto its Visitor Control Center at Fort Meade. In 2009, theU.S. Armyestablished a similar shuttle service from the Odenton station to the Army section of Fort Meade; the NSA operates this service, allowing garrison employees, persons with Fort Meade visitor passes, andU.S. Department of DefenseIDs to board.[29]

Housing concerns[edit]

In February 2019,Secretary of the ArmyMark Esper,Chief of StaffMark Milley,and Sgt. Maj. of the ArmyDaniel A. Daileymet with the commander ofIMCOM,the Fort Meade garrison commander, and Army families over safety concerns with housing units on the base in which residents wereexposed to leadandasbestos.[30]After speaking with the CEO for the company which manages the house maintenance of the installation, the senior leaders of the Army will determine necessary actions.[30]"We are deeply troubled by the recent reports highlighting the deficient conditions in some of our family housing. It is unacceptable for our families who sacrifice so much to have to endure these hardships in their own homes." —Secretary of the Army, Mark T. Esper and Chief of Staff of the Army, Gen. Mark A. Milley[31]

Gallery[edit]

  • New recruits arrive, circa 1917–1919
    New recruits arrive, circa 1917–1919
  • Inspection of personnel, circa 1930–1945
    Inspection of personnel, circa 1930–1945
  • Medical situational training exercise, 2014
    Medical situational training exercise, 2014
  • Nike missile on display at Fort Meade
    Nikemissile on display at Fort Meade
  • Army soldiers from the Defense Information School lower the flag, 2014
    Army soldiers from the Defense Information School lower the flag, 2014
  • Air Force Color Guard march during Massing of the Colors, 2015
    Air Force Color Guard march during Massing of the Colors, 2015
  • Officer housing at Fort Meade
    Officer housing at Fort Meade

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^"Fort George G. Meade (2512196)".Geographic Names Information System.United States Geological Survey,United States Department of the Interior.Retrieved2011-09-02.
  2. ^"CWG-6".public.navy.mil. 9 June 2017.Retrieved20 February2019.
  3. ^"To Abandon Camp Meade".Gettysburg Compiler via Google News Archive.October 4, 1898.Retrieved2011-03-17.It is stated from Washington that the war department has decided to abandonCamp Meadeat once.(list of articles)
  4. ^Supplemental History of Construction at Camp Meade, Including Completion Report of Camp Franklin Signal Corps school.http://www.ftmeade.army.mil/museum/archives/Arch.Admiral, MD: February 1919. Weiss, Dreyfous and Seiferth Office Records, Southeastern Architectural Archive, Special Collections Division, Tulane University Libraries.
  5. ^Rockenbach, Samuel D(October 13, 1919).Report of the Director of the Tank Corps for the year ending June 30, 1919.Congressional serial set, Issue 7688(Report).Retrieved2011-01-17.
  6. ^"Gen. Leonard Wood Memorial Authorized By Chief of Staff"(Google News Archive).The Telegraph-Herald and Times-Journal.February 19, 1928.Retrieved2011-09-02.
  7. ^ab"Fort Meade history".Fort Meade. Archived fromthe originalon 2011-11-11.Retrieved2011-09-03.
  8. ^"1930 Reports".Gdg.org.Retrieved2012-09-04.
  9. ^"NSA/CSS Timeline - 1950s - NSA.gov".NSA.gov.Retrieved2017-10-14.
  10. ^A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization 1946–1980, by Lloyd H. Cornett and Mildred W. Johnson, Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado
  11. ^United States Army Air Defense School (1965)."USAADS Digest 1965, Chapter 2: Air Defense Doctrine And Procedures"(PDF).Ed Thelen's Nike Missile Web Site.Ed Thelen.
  12. ^Jerry Wilkinson."North Key Largo Missile Site".Keyshistory.org.Retrieved2012-09-04.
  13. ^"UFO Report".Nicap.org. 1964-12-19.Retrieved2012-09-04.
  14. ^"Inside 70th ISR Wing".70th ISR Wing.70ISRW.AF.mil.Retrieved2011-09-05.
  15. ^abFort George G. Meade: Current Site Information,Environmental Protection Agency, retrieved January 24, 2008
  16. ^"DINFOS History".Dinfos.osd.mil. Archived fromthe originalon 2012-09-13.Retrieved2012-09-04.
  17. ^Larry Whitley,[1],Ft. Meade Soundoff,February 14, 2018. Fort Meade is currently undergoing another major transformation and is expecting another 8,000-10,000 employees by 2023.
  18. ^Steve Vogel,"U.S. Agency Assails Ft. Meade Plan: Impact Report Cites Concerns About Traffic and Environment,Washington Post,September 22, 2007
  19. ^ab"Ribbon Cutting Celebration..."DISA.mil. April 2011.Retrieved2011-09-03.
  20. ^Myers, Amanda Lee (March 6, 2015)."Hong Young's Estranged Wife Said He Acted 'Crazy' Before NSA Building Shooting".The Huffington Post.Associated Press.Archived fromthe originalon April 3, 2015.RetrievedMarch 30,2015.
  21. ^Schaffer, Christian (March 31, 2015)."Transgender woman who was shot dead trying to ram SUV through NSA gate was a 'homeless prostitute who was facing prison time".ABC News.Archived fromthe originalon April 5, 2015.
  22. ^White, Brian (February 14, 2018)."Suspect wounded, SUV stopped after shooting at NSA gate".MSN.Associated Press.RetrievedFebruary 14,2018.
  23. ^"About Fort Meade, Maryland".FtMeade.Army.mil.Archivedfrom the original on 2013-06-01.Retrieved2011-09-03.()
  24. ^"Partner Commands".Ford George G. Meade.US Army.
  25. ^"Wing Fact Sheet 655th ISRW"(PDF).2019-04-10.Archived(PDF)from the original on 2021-08-28.Retrieved2022-03-10.
  26. ^"Managing the Collections: Fort Meade Update".Library of Congress. October 10, 2015.RetrievedMay 22,2017.
  27. ^"Fort George G. Meade Museum – Home Page".Ftmeade.army.mil. 2008-06-02.Retrieved2012-09-04.
  28. ^"Due Outs"(PDF).Fort George G. Meade Community Council. July 2018. p. 2.RetrievedOctober 31,2019.
  29. ^McCombs, Alan J. (2009-02-23)."Fort Meade launches commuter shuttle service".United States Army.Retrieved2017-06-25.
  30. ^ab"Army senior leaders meet with Fort Meade residents, Soldiers and housing staff".U.S. Army.February 14, 2019.RetrievedFebruary 16,2019.
  31. ^"US Army statement on military housing".U.S. Army.February 13, 2019.RetrievedFebruary 16,2019.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fort_Meade&oldid=1227746549"