Fort Leonard Wood

Fort Leonard Wood
Pulaski County, Missouri,
near St. Robert, Missouri
The schools located on Fort Leonard Wood
Coordinates37°46′21″N 92°06′50″W / 37.77250°N 92.11389°W / 37.77250; -92.11389
TypeArmy post
Site information
Controlled byUnited States
Websitehome.army.mil/wood/
Site history
Built1940; 84 years ago (1940)
In use1940–present
Garrison information
GarrisonUnited States Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear School
United States Army Engineer School
United States Army Military Police School
United States Army Transportation Corps

Fort Leonard Wood is a U.S. Army training installation located in the Missouri Ozarks. The main gate is located on the southern boundary of the city of St. Robert. The post was created in December 1940 and named in honor of General Leonard Wood (former Chief of Staff) in January 1941. Originally intended to train infantry troops, in 1941 it became an engineer training post with the creation of the Engineer Replacement Training Center.[1] During World War II Italian and German POWs were interned at the fort. In 1984, as part of the Base Realignment and Closure process, most of the U.S. Army Engineer School's operations were consolidated at Fort Leonard Wood. Before that, officer training was conducted at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.[1]

In 1999, again as part of the Base Realignment and Closure process, Fort McClellan, Alabama, was closed, and the U.S. Army Chemical Corps and Military Police Corps schools were transferred to Fort Leonard Wood, which was concurrently redesignated the U.S. Army Maneuver Support Center.[1]

In 2009, the U.S. Army Maneuver Support Center was redesignated the U.S. Army Maneuver Support Center of Excellence (MSCoE); the "center of excellence" designation was placed on almost all U.S. Army training institutions.[1]

The current commanding general is Major General Christopher G. Beck and the command sergeant major is Command Sergeant Major Jorge Arzabala.

  1. ^ a b c d "The History of Fort Leonard Wood". Archived from the original on 6 April 2009. Retrieved 7 January 2011.