Fort Leavenworth

Fort Leavenworth
Leavenworth, Kansas
Grant Hall headquarters of the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center
Type	Army post
Site information
Controlled by	United States Army
Site history
Built	1827
In use	1827–present
Garrison information
Past commanders	LTG David G. Perkins
Garrison	U.S. Army Combined Arms Center Command and General Staff College 15th Military Police Brigade (705th Military Police Battalion)

Fort Leavenworth (/ˈlɛvənˌwɜːrθ/) is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth.^[1] Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., and the oldest permanent settlement in Kansas.^[2] Fort Leavenworth has been historically known as the "Intellectual Center of the Army."^[3]

During the country's westward expansion, Fort Leavenworth was a forward destination for thousands of soldiers, surveyors, immigrants, American Indians, preachers and settlers who passed through.

Today, the garrison supports the US Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) by managing and maintaining the home of the US Army Combined Arms Center (CAC). CAC's mission involves leader development, collective training, and Army doctrine and battle command (current and future).

Fort Leavenworth is also home to the Military Corrections Complex, consisting of the United States Disciplinary Barracks – the Department of Defense's only maximum security prison – and the Midwest Joint Regional Correctional Facility. In addition, the Fort Leavenworth Garrison supports numerous tenant organizations that directly and indirectly relate to the functions of the CAC, including the United States Army Command and General Staff College and the Foreign Military Studies Office.

The fort occupies 5,600 acres (2,300 ha) and has 7,000,000 square feet (650,000 m²) of floor area in 1,000 buildings and 1,500 quarters. It is located on the Frontier Military Scenic Byway (U.S. Route 69 and K-7 corridor), which was originally a military road connecting to Fort Scott and Fort Gibson.

Fort Leavenworth was also the base of African-American soldiers of the U.S. 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, formed on 21 September 1866 at Fort Leavenworth. They became known as Buffalo Soldiers, nicknamed by the Native American tribes whom they fought. The term eventually was applied to all of the African-American regiments formed in 1866.