Fort Custer Training Center
Encyclopedia
Fort Custer Training Center, often known simply as Fort Custer, is a federally-owned and state-operated Michigan Army National Guard
training facility, but is also used by other branches of the armed forces and armed forces from Illinois
, Indiana
, and Ohio
. It is one of the most heavily used Midwest training facilities, and is used mainly for company level small arms and maintenance training. The 20th Century Tactical Studies Group (based in the US Midwest), holds two battles there every year.
Fort Custer occupies land in both Kalamazoo County, Michigan
to the west and Calhoun County, Michigan
to the east.
Most Fort facilities are located north or south of Rt 96 about four miles west of Battle Creek, Michigan
in Calhoun County
,
and two miles east of Augusta, Michigan
in Kalamazoo County
. This locates the Fort about 14 miles north & east of the town of Kalamazoo, Michigan
and mostly south of Rt 96, and divided east & west by the Kalamazoo and Calhoun county line that runs north and south.
The current Fort Custer Training Center
is located south of Rt 96 & mostly east of the county line at 2501 26th Street, Battle Creek, Calhoun county, MI 49037.
The Battle Creek VA Medical Center is located north of Rt 96 in NW Calhoun County at 5500 Armstrong Rd, Battle Creek, Calhoun county, MI 49037.
Fort Custer National Cemetery
is located north of Rt 96 in Kalamazoo County
about 2 miles east of Augusta, Michigan
, at 15501 Dickman Rd, Augusta, MI
Fort Custer Recreation Area
is located well south of Rt 96 in Kalamazoo County
at 5163 Fort Custer Dr, Augusta, Kalamazoo county, MI 49012.
. Named after Civil War
cavalry officer General George Armstrong Custer
, the facility trained or demobilized more than 100,000 troops during WWI.
In the years following World War I, the camp was used to train the Officer Reserve Corps and the Civilian Conservation Corps
.
, the post had an area of 16,005 Acres, and Quarters for 1,279 Officers and 27,553 Enlisted Personnel. More than 300,000 troops trained there, including the 5th Infantry Division (also known as the "Red Diamond Division") which was sent to Iceland in 1942 to protect the North Atlantic convoy routes, and in 1944 landed in France shortly after D-Day. The division saw much combat and sustained heavy casualties, particularly at the Battle of Metz
. In 1943, Fort Custer was the activation point for many Army inductees from Chicago, Illinois and other parts of the midwest. New troops received their equipment before being sent by train to Basic Training or other duty assignments. Fort Custer also served as a prisoner of war
camp for 5,000 German
soldiers until 1945. It was also an Army hospital receiving casualties from Europe. The primary purpose of the camp was to function as a Military Police Replacement Training Center.
in 1949 and to a Marine Corps Reserve Tactical Bridge Company in 1952. Also during that time, approximately 17,000 troops were trained for the Korean War
and Fort Custer served as an induction center for draftees. Beginning in 1959, Fort Custer served for a decade as part of the North American Air Defense system. In 1968, the state of Michigan took over operation of the base although it remains federally owned.
Fort Custer offers a distance learning center, barracks and dining facilities for visiting units, and plenty of training areas. The small arms ranges are recently upgraded and the maneuver training areas offer a variety of terrain.
ROTC cadets use Fort Custer for their bi-annual CFTXs (Combined Field Training Exercises). These exercises consist of day and night land navigation, and Situational Tactical Exercise (STX)lanes. Cadets are placed into squads with other cadets
from different schools, and graded on their performances.
The 3000 acres (12.1 km²) Fort Custer Recreation Area
is a state park adjoining the Fort, donated from base land in 1971. It includes 22 miles (35.4 km) of hiking
trails, 20 miles (32.2 km) of mountain bike
trails and 16 miles (25.7 km) of bridle trails. There is cross-country skiing
in the winter. Mini cabins and rustic cabins are available for rent, one rustic cabin fronting the Kalamazoo River
. Ft. Custer Recreation Area is located north of I-94 between Battle Creek and Kalamazoo at Exits #85 or #92 and go north to M-96. The park is just east of Augusta on M-96.
Battle Creek Unlimited built Fort Custer industrial park containing over ninety businesses which provide over 8,000 jobs. It was developed on base land in the 1970s and lies between the Fort Custer Military Reserve and W.K. Kellogg Airport (civilian and Air National Guard). Goods produced include shopping carts, noodles, fiber optic traffic signals, automotive parts, water purification pumps, and instruments for microscopic study of surgical specimens. An master plan was developed and implemented. "The charge to retain, develop and attract employers led to resounding success in Fort Custer Industrial Park, at 3,000 acres the largest modern industrial park in Michigan."
The 770 acres (3.1 km²) Fort Custer National Cemetery
lies on land from Fort Custer and from the VA Medical Center. The United States Department of Veterans Affairs
indicates that as of September 30, 1999 the cemetery had 11,955 total burials. During FY 1999 (Oct 98-Sept 99) there were 1,112 burials. The VA estimates Fort Custer National Cemetery has sufficient space to continue providing full casket gravesites beyond the year 2030.
Michigan Army National Guard
- Units :* Joint Forces Headquarters, Lansing, MI* 177th Military Police Brigade, Taylor, MI* 210th Military Police Battalion, Taylor, MI* 1st Battalion, 182nd Field Artillery, Detroit, MI* 1st Battalion, 119th Field Artillery, Lansing, MI...
training facility, but is also used by other branches of the armed forces and armed forces from Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, and Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. It is one of the most heavily used Midwest training facilities, and is used mainly for company level small arms and maintenance training. The 20th Century Tactical Studies Group (based in the US Midwest), holds two battles there every year.
Fort Custer occupies land in both Kalamazoo County, Michigan
Kalamazoo County, Michigan
-Air Service:*The Kalamazoo & Battle Creek Metro Area is served by Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport.-Interstates:* I-94* I-94 Business Loop-US highways:* US-131* BUS US 131-Michigan State Trunklines:* M-43* M-89* M-96...
to the west and Calhoun County, Michigan
Calhoun County, Michigan
-Interstates:* I-69* I-94* I-194* I-94 Business Loop serves the city of Albion.* I-94 Business Loop serves the city of Battle Creek.* I-94 Business Loop serves the city of Marshall.-Michigan State Trunklines:* M-37* M-60* M-66* M-78* M-89* M-96* M-99...
to the east.
Most Fort facilities are located north or south of Rt 96 about four miles west of Battle Creek, Michigan
Battle Creek, Michigan
Battle Creek is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, in northwest Calhoun County, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek Rivers. It is the principal city of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area , which encompasses all of Calhoun county...
in Calhoun County
Calhoun County, Michigan
-Interstates:* I-69* I-94* I-194* I-94 Business Loop serves the city of Albion.* I-94 Business Loop serves the city of Battle Creek.* I-94 Business Loop serves the city of Marshall.-Michigan State Trunklines:* M-37* M-60* M-66* M-78* M-89* M-96* M-99...
,
and two miles east of Augusta, Michigan
Augusta, Michigan
Augusta is a village in Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 899 at the 2000 census. The village is mostly within Ross Township, though a small portion extends south into Charleston Township....
in Kalamazoo County
Kalamazoo County, Michigan
-Air Service:*The Kalamazoo & Battle Creek Metro Area is served by Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport.-Interstates:* I-94* I-94 Business Loop-US highways:* US-131* BUS US 131-Michigan State Trunklines:* M-43* M-89* M-96...
. This locates the Fort about 14 miles north & east of the town of Kalamazoo, Michigan
Kalamazoo, Michigan
The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
and mostly south of Rt 96, and divided east & west by the Kalamazoo and Calhoun county line that runs north and south.
The current Fort Custer Training Center
Fort Custer Training Center
Fort Custer Training Center, often known simply as Fort Custer, is a federally-owned and state-operated Michigan Army National Guard training facility, but is also used by other branches of the armed forces and armed forces from Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio...
is located south of Rt 96 & mostly east of the county line at 2501 26th Street, Battle Creek, Calhoun county, MI 49037.
The Battle Creek VA Medical Center is located north of Rt 96 in NW Calhoun County at 5500 Armstrong Rd, Battle Creek, Calhoun county, MI 49037.
Fort Custer National Cemetery
Fort Custer National Cemetery
Fort Custer National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located just outside of the Village of Augusta in Kalamazoo County, Michigan. It encompasses , and as of the end of 2005, had 20,656 interments.- History :...
is located north of Rt 96 in Kalamazoo County
Kalamazoo County, Michigan
-Air Service:*The Kalamazoo & Battle Creek Metro Area is served by Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport.-Interstates:* I-94* I-94 Business Loop-US highways:* US-131* BUS US 131-Michigan State Trunklines:* M-43* M-89* M-96...
about 2 miles east of Augusta, Michigan
Augusta, Michigan
Augusta is a village in Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 899 at the 2000 census. The village is mostly within Ross Township, though a small portion extends south into Charleston Township....
, at 15501 Dickman Rd, Augusta, MI
Fort Custer Recreation Area
Fort Custer Recreation Area
Fort Custer Recreation Area is a state park located between Battle Creek and Kalamazoo, Michigan. The area features lakes, the Kalamazoo River, over 25 miles of multi-use trails, second growth oak barrens and dry-mesic southern forests.-History:...
is located well south of Rt 96 in Kalamazoo County
Kalamazoo County, Michigan
-Air Service:*The Kalamazoo & Battle Creek Metro Area is served by Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport.-Interstates:* I-94* I-94 Business Loop-US highways:* US-131* BUS US 131-Michigan State Trunklines:* M-43* M-89* M-96...
at 5163 Fort Custer Dr, Augusta, Kalamazoo county, MI 49012.
History
Camp Custer was built in 1917 for military training during World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Named after Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
cavalry officer General George Armstrong Custer
George Armstrong Custer
George Armstrong Custer was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. Raised in Michigan and Ohio, Custer was admitted to West Point in 1858, where he graduated last in his class...
, the facility trained or demobilized more than 100,000 troops during WWI.
In the years following World War I, the camp was used to train the Officer Reserve Corps and the Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
.
World War II
On August 17, 1940, Camp Custer was designated Fort Custer and became a permanent military training base. During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the post had an area of 16,005 Acres, and Quarters for 1,279 Officers and 27,553 Enlisted Personnel. More than 300,000 troops trained there, including the 5th Infantry Division (also known as the "Red Diamond Division") which was sent to Iceland in 1942 to protect the North Atlantic convoy routes, and in 1944 landed in France shortly after D-Day. The division saw much combat and sustained heavy casualties, particularly at the Battle of Metz
Battle of Metz
The Battle of Metz was a three-month battle fought between the United States Army and the German Army during World War II. It took place at the city of Metz following the Allied breakout after the Normandy landings. The attack on the city by the U.S. Third Army faced heavy resistance from the...
. In 1943, Fort Custer was the activation point for many Army inductees from Chicago, Illinois and other parts of the midwest. New troops received their equipment before being sent by train to Basic Training or other duty assignments. Fort Custer also served as a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
camp for 5,000 German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
soldiers until 1945. It was also an Army hospital receiving casualties from Europe. The primary purpose of the camp was to function as a Military Police Replacement Training Center.
Cold War
Fort Custer became home to units of the Navy ReserveUnited States Navy Reserve
The United States Navy Reserve, until 2005 known as the United States Naval Reserve, is the Reserve Component of the United States Navy...
in 1949 and to a Marine Corps Reserve Tactical Bridge Company in 1952. Also during that time, approximately 17,000 troops were trained for the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
and Fort Custer served as an induction center for draftees. Beginning in 1959, Fort Custer served for a decade as part of the North American Air Defense system. In 1968, the state of Michigan took over operation of the base although it remains federally owned.
Current uses
Fort Custer's facilities are used by the Michigan National Guard and other branches of the armed forces (including ROTC students), primarily from Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana. The 177th Regimenthttp://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Heraldry/ArmyDUISSICOA/ArmyHeraldryUnit.aspx?u=7508, Regional Training Institute, Augusta Armory and the Regional Maintenance Training Site are based at Fort Custer. Additionally FBI, the Michigan State Police, and other law enforcement agencies have used the area.Fort Custer offers a distance learning center, barracks and dining facilities for visiting units, and plenty of training areas. The small arms ranges are recently upgraded and the maneuver training areas offer a variety of terrain.
ROTC cadets use Fort Custer for their bi-annual CFTXs (Combined Field Training Exercises). These exercises consist of day and night land navigation, and Situational Tactical Exercise (STX)lanes. Cadets are placed into squads with other cadets
from different schools, and graded on their performances.
Non-military uses
Established during World War I and greatly expanded during World War II, the base reached a size of over 14,000 acres (57 km2). After the wars the size of the base was reduced. In 1923, 675 acres (2.7 km²) were transferred for the Battle Creek Veterans Affairs hospital. The extensive grounds included a 200 acre (0.809372 km²) working farm for vocational therapyThe 3000 acres (12.1 km²) Fort Custer Recreation Area
Fort Custer Recreation Area
Fort Custer Recreation Area is a state park located between Battle Creek and Kalamazoo, Michigan. The area features lakes, the Kalamazoo River, over 25 miles of multi-use trails, second growth oak barrens and dry-mesic southern forests.-History:...
is a state park adjoining the Fort, donated from base land in 1971. It includes 22 miles (35.4 km) of hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
trails, 20 miles (32.2 km) of mountain bike
Mountain bike
A mountain bike or mountain bicycle is a bicycle created for off-road cycling. This activity includes traversing of rocks and washouts, and steep declines,...
trails and 16 miles (25.7 km) of bridle trails. There is cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
in the winter. Mini cabins and rustic cabins are available for rent, one rustic cabin fronting the Kalamazoo River
Kalamazoo River
The Kalamazoo River is a river in the U.S. state of Michigan. The river is long from the junction of its North and South branches to its mouth at Lake Michigan, with a total length extending to when one includes the South Branch...
. Ft. Custer Recreation Area is located north of I-94 between Battle Creek and Kalamazoo at Exits #85 or #92 and go north to M-96. The park is just east of Augusta on M-96.
Battle Creek Unlimited built Fort Custer industrial park containing over ninety businesses which provide over 8,000 jobs. It was developed on base land in the 1970s and lies between the Fort Custer Military Reserve and W.K. Kellogg Airport (civilian and Air National Guard). Goods produced include shopping carts, noodles, fiber optic traffic signals, automotive parts, water purification pumps, and instruments for microscopic study of surgical specimens. An master plan was developed and implemented. "The charge to retain, develop and attract employers led to resounding success in Fort Custer Industrial Park, at 3,000 acres the largest modern industrial park in Michigan."
The 770 acres (3.1 km²) Fort Custer National Cemetery
Fort Custer National Cemetery
Fort Custer National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located just outside of the Village of Augusta in Kalamazoo County, Michigan. It encompasses , and as of the end of 2005, had 20,656 interments.- History :...
lies on land from Fort Custer and from the VA Medical Center. The United States Department of Veterans Affairs
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense...
indicates that as of September 30, 1999 the cemetery had 11,955 total burials. During FY 1999 (Oct 98-Sept 99) there were 1,112 burials. The VA estimates Fort Custer National Cemetery has sufficient space to continue providing full casket gravesites beyond the year 2030.
External links
- Fort Custer Training Center, Michigan National Guard