Fort Chaffee Maneuver Training Center

Fort Chaffee Joint Maneuver Training Center
Part of Arkansas National Guard
United States Army Reserve
Fort Smith, Arkansas
U.S. Army Reserve soldiers of the 652nd Engineer Company (Multi-Role Bridge), from Ellsworth, Wis., launch and position bridge bay sections during River Assault 2011 at Fort Chaffee, Ark. River Assault 2011.
Coordinates35°16′12″N 94°12′07″W / 35.270°N 94.202°W / 35.270; -94.202
TypeNational Guard Training Camp
Site information
OwnerArkansas
Controlled byArkansas National Guard
Open to
the public
Prior Permission needed
Site history
Built1941
Built byUnited States Army
In use1941-Present
Battles/warsWorld War II, Cold War
Garrison information
OccupantsU.S. Army, Arkansas National Guard

Fort Chaffee Joint Maneuver Training Center, also known as Fort Chaffee, is an Arkansas Army National Guard installation located in western Arkansas, adjacent to the city of Fort Smith. Established as Camp Chaffee in 1941, renamed to Fort Chaffee in 1956, it has served as a U.S. Army base, training camp, prisoner-of-war camp, and refugee camp. The fort was realigned following the 1995 Base Realignment and Closure Commission round. Since that time, the Arkansas National Guard has been using 66,000 acres (270 km2) as a training facility. The State of Arkansas received 6,000 acres (24 km2), about half of which have been redeveloped as of 2014. The main environmental concern has been asbestos, released during various fires.