Fort Hood facts

Posted Friday, Nov. 06, 2009 Comments   (0) Print Share Share Reprints
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Facts about the base
Fort Hood is perhaps the largest military base in the world. It covers about 340 square miles — slightly smaller than the land area of Fort Worth — outside Killeen, about halfway between Austin and Waco.

Named in honor of Gen. John Bell Hood, the base was created in 1942 as the United States was mobilizing for World War II.

Hundreds of thousands of soldiers have been trained there through the years, including a young Elvis Presley in 1958. Until recently, the base was home to two Army divisions, the 4th Infantry and 1st Cavalry, or roughly 10 percent of the Army. The 4th Infantry was moved to a Colorado base in the spring. Troops from the base played a major role in the first Gulf War and have been deployed almost constantly since the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq began.

About 52,000 soldiers operate out of the base, although many are deployed at any given time.

The installation is the major economic driver for the surrounding towns of Killeen, Temple and Belton. Lights from the base can be seen for miles at night, and the sound of heavy-weapons fire often echoes across Lake Belton, on the base’s eastern edge.

— Mike Lee and Anna M. Tinsley

Facts about the base

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