Fort George G Meade

Fort George G. Meade
Odenton, Maryland
Main entrance to the base as seen from within the base looking out toward MD Route 175
Type	Joint-service intelligence command

National Security Agency headquarters at Fort Meade, Maryland

Post Cemetery with German war graves

Current Officer Housing at Fort Meade

Fort George G. Meade, located adjacent to Odenton, Maryland, in Anne Arundel County, is an active U.S. Army installation. The fort, established in 1917, is named for General George Meade, a Union Army general in the American Civil War. It covers 5,067 acres (20.51 km²) in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.

Fort Meade is also home to Meade Senior High School and the National Cryptologic Museum.

History

Fort Meade was established in 1917 when the United States Department of War acquired 19,000 acres (77 km²) of land west of Odenton to develop a training camp. First known as Camp Annapolis Junction, the fort was named Camp Admiral at its opening in 1917. Other name changes occurred after construction of 1,460 buildings on the site when it became Camp George Gordon Meade then in the 1920s it became Fort Leonard Wood, but by the 1930s it reverted back to Fort George G. Meade.

Fort Meade was used as a basic training post and a prisoner of war camp during World War II. In the 1950s, the post became headquarters of the National Security Agency (NSA). The post was scheduled to close in the 1990s, but was kept open to support the NSA. Today, Ft. Meade is often used as a metonym for the NSA.

Expansion

Due to its location near Washington, D.C., it is increasingly being used by government and military tenants like the Defense Information School, the headquarters of the Defense Courier Service, the United States Army Field Band, and an United States Environmental Protection Agency facility. As part of the U.S. Defense Department's 2005 Base Realignment and Closure process, several additional activities are scheduled to move to Fort Meade around 2010, including the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), Adjudication and Office of Hearing and Appeals Offices, and several DoD media activities. Several parcels of land have been made available for commercial lease. In October 2007 the Army estimated that Fort Meade will gain about 5,700 jobs directly, and the area will see an increase of thousands more jobs for related businesses.^[1]

A September 2007 environmental impact report described the expansion, and particularly the proposed two additional 18-hole golf courses, as a "significant threat to the biological and territorial integrity of the Patuxent Research Refuge, a unique national interest in the forefront of scientific research and protection." In response, the Army said that it is taking steps to limit the environmental damage but that the golf courses are needed for "maintaining the quality of life for soldiers and their families."^[2]

Hazardous waste cleanup

On August 27, 2007, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued an order directing the Army to assess the nature and extent of the contamination, determine appropriate corrective measures, and implement such measures for fourteen hazardous waste sites on the base, plus three sites on 8,100 acres (33 km²) of land transferred to the Patuxent Research Refuge. The sites include an ordnance disposal area, a 1940s waste dump, and a closed sanitary landfill.^[3]

Fort George G. Meade Museum

The Fort George G. Meade Museum exhibits historical artifacts, uniforms, weapons, tanks, photographs, documents and paintings pertaining to the history of Fort George G. Meade. On the museum's grounds are displayed historic military equipment including tanks, armored personnel carriers, a Nike "Ajax" missile, and a helicopter. The museum is located at 4674 Griffin Avenue, Fort George G. Meade.

See also

• Fort Meade, Maryland, the census-designated place in Maryland
• National Security Agency, one of many federal users of Ft. Meade land
• Fort Meade, Florida
• Fort Meade can also refer to Old Fort Meade Museum outside of Sturgis, South Dakota which is sometimes listed as simply "Fort Meade" on some national maps.
• Military Intelligence Civilian Excepted Career Program (MICECP) is located on the base

References

1. ^ Raymond McCaffrey, "BRAC Plan Expected to Bring 22,000 Homeowners", Washington Post, October 25, 2007
2. ^ Steve Vogel, "U.S. Agency Assails Ft. Meade Plan: Impact Report Cites Concerns About Traffic and Environment, Washington Post, September 22, 2007
3. ^ Fort George G. Meade: Current Site Information, Environmental Protection Agency, retrieved January 24, 2008

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Fort Meade

• Fort Meade Army web site
• Fort George G. Meade Museum

Coordinates: 39°06′32″N 76°44′42″W / 39.109°N 76.745°W / 39.109; -76.745