Fort Sam Houston is a U.S. Army post in

San Antonio San Antonio ( ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the ...

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

. "Fort Sam Houston, TX • About Fort Sam Houston" (overview),

US Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

, 2007, webpage
SH-Army
. Known colloquially as "Fort Sam", it is named for the first president of the

Republic of Texas The Republic of Texas (), or simply Texas, was a country in North America that existed for close to 10 years, from March 2, 1836, to February 19, 1846. Texas shared borders with Centralist Republic of Mexico, the Republic of the Rio Grande, an ...

Sam Houston Samuel Houston (, ; March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863) was an American general and statesman who played a prominent role in the Texas Revolution. He served as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas and was one of the first two indi ...

. The installation's missions include serving as the command headquarters for the Fourth United States Army,

United States Army North The United States Army North (ARNORTH) is a formation of the United States Army. An Army Service Component Command (ASCC) subordinate to United States Northern Command (NORTHCOM), ARNORTH is the joint force land component of NORTHCOM.

United States Army South United States Army South is an Army service component command of United States Southern Command whose area of responsibility includes 31 countries and 15 areas of special sovereignty in Central and South America and the Caribbean. It is headquar ...

, the Army Medical Command (MEDCOM) headquarters, the Army Medical Department (AMEDD) Center and School, the Fifth Recruiting Brigade, Navy Regional Recruiting, the San Antonio Military Entrance and Processing Station, and the Medical Education and Training Campus (METC). On 1 October 2010, Fort Sam Houston joined

Lackland Air Force Base Lackland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located in Bexar County, Texas, United States. The base is under the jurisdiction of the 802d Mission Support Group, Air Education and Training Command (AETC) and an enclave of ...

and

Randolph Air Force Base Randolph Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Bexar County, Texas, ( east-northeast of Downtown San Antonio). Opened in 1931, Randolph has been a flying training facility for the United States Army Air Corps, the United ...

to create

Joint Base San Antonio Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) is a United States military facility located in San Antonio, Texas, US. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force 502d Air Base Wing, Air Education and Training Command (AETC). The wi ...

, under

Air Force An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...

administration.

Hosted units

Line up for chow in camp at Fort Sam Houston

U. S. Department of Defense (DoD) Elements :* Medical Education and Training Campus (METC) : United States Military Entrance Processing Command (USMEPCOM) Elements :*MEPS San Antonio U. S. Army Elements : U.S. Army North (ARNORTH) Elements :* HQ, U.S. Army North (Fifth US Army) :* 323rd Army Band : U. S. Army Installation Management Command (IMCOM) Elements :* HQ, U.S. Army IMCOM :*
Mission Training Complex
: U. S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM) Elements :* HQ, U.S. Army MEDCOM :* U.S. Army Veterinary Command (VETCOM) :* U.S. Army Dental Command (DENCOM) :* :** Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) :***Troop Command, Brooke Army Medical Center, HHC & companies A–D :*** Warrior Transition Battalion, Brooke Army Medical Center
U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research (ISR)
:* :** :** 32nd Medical Brigade :***187th Medical Battalion, HHD & companies A–D :***232rd Medical Battalion, HHD & companies A–H :***264th Medical Battalion, HHD & companies A–F :***Training Support Company (TSC) :***U.S. Army Medical Department Student Detachment :
Non-Commissioned Officer Academy
:** :* : U.S. Army South (ARSOUTH) Elements :* HQ, U.S. Army South (Sixth US Army) : U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) Elements
5501st US Army Hospital
:* :*591st Medical Logistics Company :*

: U.S. Army Recruiting Command (USAREC) Elements :*U.S. Army Fifth Recruiting Brigade :*5th Brigade, U.S. Army Cadet Command :'
Army Contracting Command Elements
'' :*410th Contracting Support Brigade :'
Mission and Installation Contracting Command
'' :*412th Contracting Support Brigade :

U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command The United States Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID or DACID), previously known as the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command (USACIDC), is the primary federal law enforcement agency of the United States Depa ...

:*6th Region CID Ft. Sam Houston :*25th Military Police Detachment : U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) Elements :* :
106th Signal Brigade
: U. S. Air Force Elements :* HQ, 502nd Air Base Wing :*502nd Mission Support Group (replaced the garrison command) :* Camp Bullis

Senior command

is the senior command and responsible for all Army activities on Fort Sam Houston, but not for the post itself. Commanded by LTG Allan Pepin, Army North's primary missions are land-based Homeland Defense, Defense Support of Civil Authorities and Theater Security Cooperation with the Bahamas, Canada and Mexico. Because Fort Sam Houston is part of Joint Base San Antonio, the installation commander is the commander of the 502d Air Base Wing.

History

Construction at Fort Sam Houston began in the mid-1870s under the supervision of the military commander of the Department of Texas, Major General

Edward Ord Edward Otho Cresap Ord (October 18, 1818 – July 22, 1883), frequently referred to as E. O. C. Ord, was an American engineer and United States Army officer who saw action in the Seminole War, the Indian Wars, and the American Civil War. He comma ...

, a

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...

-trained army engineer. Today, as one of the Army's oldest installations, and with more than 900 buildings in its historic districts, Fort Sam Houston boasts one of the largest collection of historic military post structures. The significant contributions of Fort Sam Houston to the United States were recognized in 1975 when the post was designated as a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

. The Sundry Civil Service Bill of 3 March 1873 included a $100,000 allotment for a new army post in San Antonio, on 93 acres of land deeded by the city on Government Hill. Edward Braden Construction Co. won the contract to build the post on 7 June 1876, for $83,900 . Included on the Quadrangle was a combination tall watchtower and water tank designed by General Montgomery C. Meigs, based on one he had seen in Europe, and which he called "his work of art". On 19 February 1877, the new train station on Austin Street opened, connecting San Antonio to

Galveston Galveston ( ) is a Gulf Coast of the United States, coastal resort town, resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island (Texas), Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a pop ...

. The quartermasters soon moved their depot supplies from the

Alamo The Battle of the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836) was a pivotal event and military engagement in the Texas Revolution. Following a 13-day siege, Mexican troops under President General Antonio López de Santa Anna reclaimed the Alam ...

to the Quadrangle, and the headquarters of the "Post at San Antonio" moved in on 22 December 1879. In 1880, fifteen officers' quarters were designed by architect Alfred Giles, west of the Quadrangle, and bordering a parade ground. This included the Commanding General's home, constructed in 1881, now known as the

Pershing House Pershing House has been the residence of the commanding officers of Fort Sam Houston since 1881. Located in Bexar County, San Antonio, Texas, the military post is currently part of Joint Base San Antonio. The house was added to the Nationa ...

, and first occupied by Brig. Gen. Christopher Augur. Between 1885 and 1893, 60 additional buildings were built on , Upper post or Infantry Post, purchased by the army east of the Quadrangle, including the 1893 Band Barracks overlooking another parade ground. The hospital, now known as Sam Houston House, was built in 1886. The post was formally named Fort Sam Houston on 11 September 1890. The Fort Sam Houston Quadrangle, built by George Henry Griebel, is the oldest structure at Fort Sam Houston. The quadrangle was originally a supply depot. During that time, it housed the

Apache The Apache ( ) are several Southern Athabaskan language-speaking peoples of the Southwestern United States, Southwest, the Southern Plains and Northern Mexico. They are linguistically related to the Navajo. They migrated from the Athabascan ho ...

war chief

Geronimo Gerónimo (, ; June 16, 1829 – February 17, 1909) was a military leader and medicine man from the Bedonkohe band of the Ndendahe Apache people. From 1850 to 1886, Geronimo joined with members of three other Central Apache bands the Tchihen ...

and warriors captured with him, while the Federal government decided whether to treat them as

prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...

(POWs) or common criminals. Legend has it that the deer in the Quadrangle were there because Geronimo refused to eat food he did not hunt. The deer pre-date Geronimo in the Quadrangle. It is unknown why the deer and peacocks were introduced into the confined courtyard of the Quadrangle. The Quadrangle is now an office complex housing the commanding general and staff of U.S. Army North as well as the Fort Sam Houston Museum. The base has maintained the historical integrity of the post's different sections, which represent different eras of construction, and reflect various Army concepts in planning and design. Careful preservation of these areas allows the post to live with its history, surrounded by the traditions established when the first soldier arrived here in 1845. The Gift Chapel was dedicated by President William Taft on 17–18 October 1909. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, space at the fort was made available for up to 1,000 German POWs. This took place on 15 September 1942 while

POW camp A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured as prisoners of war by a belligerent power in time of war. There are significant differences among POW camps, internment camps, an ...

s could be built.

Military medicine

Fort Sam Houston is known as the "Home of Army Medicine" and "Home of the Combat Medic". At the end of World War II, the Army decided to make Fort Sam Houston its principal medical training facility."Visit Fort Sam Houston" (description), VisitMilitaryBases.com, 2007, webpage: . In conjunction with this decision came the determination to develop Brooke General Hospital into one of the Army's premier medical centers. This combined the capabilities of Wilford Hall Medical Center located at nearby

to create the largest medical treatment facility and teaching hospital in the Department of Defense. Construction associated with this transition increased the square footage of the hospital by 50%, including a much larger, variable capacity emergency department, additional surgical suites and recovery facilities, as well as teaching facilities and bed space. Despite the installation transitioning to Air Force control, the command and control of the facility will remain with the Army. The command and other key positions will rotate between the Army and Air Force. Staffing consist of members of both services, as well as a large number of civilians. As of 2011, Fort Sam Houston is the largest and most important military medical training facility in the world."Installation Fact Sheet" (Fort Sam Houston), 2007, PDF webpage
MilCityUSA-FortSH-PDF
: states: "Fort Sam Houston is the largest and most important military medical training facility in the world." Military medical training is provided by numerous elements, including Military Education and Training Campus (METC), AMEDD Center and School, Brooke Army Medical Center, US Army Institute of Surgical Research, The Center for Battlefield Health and Trauma, Defense Medical Readiness Training Institute, as well as many smaller organizations. Known as the brain trust for the AMEDD, the Army Medical Department Center and School annually trains more than 25,000 students attending 170 officer, NCO and enlisted courses in 14 medical specialties. The command maintains several academic affiliations for bachelor's and master's degree programs with major universities such as

Baylor University Baylor University is a Private university, private Baptist research university in Waco, Texas, United States. It was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Te ...

University of Texas The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 students as of fall 2 ...

Health Science Centers at Houston and San Antonio, and

University of Nebraska A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

. As a result of the

Base Realignment and Closure Commission Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) was a process by a Federal government of the United States, United States federal government commission to increase the efficiency of the United States Department of Defense by coordinating the realignment and ...

(BRAC) 2005 recommendations, all military medical training has been consolidated at Fort Sam Houston. This consolidation concluded with the opening of the METC in 2011. The Navy moved its medical training from

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

; Great Lakes, Illinois; and

Portsmouth, Virginia Portsmouth is an Independent city (United States), independent city in southeastern Virginia, United States. It lies across the Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth River from Norfolk, Virginia, Norfolk. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ...

. The Air Force moved its medical training from

Sheppard Air Force Base Sheppard Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located north of the central business district of Wichita Falls, in Wichita County, Texas, United States. It is the largest training base and most diversified in Air Educatio ...

Wichita Falls, Texas Wichita Falls ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Wichita County, Texas, United States. It is the principal city of the Wichita Falls metropolitan area, Wichita Falls metropolitan statistical area, which encompasses all of Archer County, Tex ...

. This increased the average student load and required additional support staff. The expansion in training has required construction approaching one billion dollars, a windfall of federal investment in Texas.

Community connections

Throughout its existence, a close and harmonious relationship has prevailed between Fort Sam Houston and the City of San Antonio. The two have grown and matured together. The city often has been called the "mother-in-law of the Army" because so many soldiers, including Dwight D. Eisenhower, met their future spouses there. After the

September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...

, in 2003 the Army decided to close New Braunfels Avenue to through traffic. Until this closure, New Braunfels Avenue had been a major north–south thoroughfare used by soldiers and San Antonio citizens alike; this had the result of closing many businesses near the north and south entrances from New Braunfels Avenue. More than 27,000 military and civilian personnel work at the post, with an annual payroll and operating budget of $1.9 billion. Local purchases made by installation activities total almost $105 million annually. Funding for construction projects on post average $30 million annually. Fort Sam Houston has also initiated public–private partnerships to renovate and adaptively reuse significant historic buildings. In June 2006, the ''

San Antonio Express-News The ''San Antonio Express-News'' is a daily newspaper in San Antonio, Texas, founded in 1865. It is owned by the Hearst Corporation and has offices in San Antonio and Austin, Texas. The ''Express-News'' is the third largest newspaper in the sta ...

'' reported that Fort Sam Houston received utility disconnection notices due to budget constraints. Fort Sam Houston is one of three military facilities in Texas (all in the San Antonio area) to have its own school district, the Fort Sam Houston Independent School District. The

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the federal governmen ...

operates the Fort Sam Houston Post Office at 1804 Stanley Road."." ''

''. Retrieved on April 16, 2009.

Notable postings

Several notable figures have served at the fort, including Arthur MacArthur Jr.,

Leonard Wood Leonard Wood (October 9, 1860 – August 7, 1927) was a United States Army major general, physician, and public official. He served as the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, List of colonial governors of Cuba, Military Governor of Cuba, ...

Benjamin Foulois Benjamin Delahauf Foulois (December 9, 1879 – April 25, 1967) was a United States Army general who learned to fly the first military planes purchased from the Wright brothers. He became the first military aviator as an airship pilot, and achie ...

Frederick Funston Frederick Funston (November 9, 1865 – February 19, 1917), also known as Fighting Fred Funston, was a General officer, general in the United States Army, best known for his roles in the Spanish–American War and the Philippine–American ...

, and John J. Pershing. Maj. Gen. John Wilson Ruckman, Commander of the Southern Department, was based at Fort Sam Houston just after the Houston Riot of 1917. Brig. Gen.

Billy Mitchell William Lendrum Mitchell (December 29, 1879 – February 19, 1936) was a United States Army officer who had a major role in the creation of the United States Air Force. Mitchell served in France during World War I and, by the conflict's end, ...

was posted there after being demoted to

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

for disobeying orders.

Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was the 34th president of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, he was Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionar ...

was posted to Fort Sam Houston twice during his career, as was

Walter Krueger Walter Krueger (26 January 1881 – 20 August 1967) was an American soldier and general officer in the first half of the 20th century. He commanded the Sixth United States Army in the South West Pacific Area during World War II. He rose fro ...

. During Eisenhower's first posting from 1915 to 1917, he met and married Mamie Doud. He was posted at the fort when the

attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Empire of Japan on the United States Pacific Fleet at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, its naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu, Territory of ...

occurred in 1941. Their first home is one of the buildings preserved as an historic monument. Gen. Wainwright took command of the Fourth United States Army here in 1946.

References

External links

* * * * *Illustrated postcards depicting Fort Sam Houston at th
University of Houston Digital LibraryFort Sam Houston
Texas, United States of America * {{Authority control 1876 establishments in Texas Buildings and structures in San Antonio

Historic American Engineering Record in Texas Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas Joint Base San Antonio Military installations in Texas Military headquarters in the United States National Historic Landmarks in Texas National Register of Historic Places in San Antonio Sam Houston

Military in San Antonio