Military Installations and Attractions

Ft. Carson, The Mountain Post:   

History: Fort Carson was established in 1942, following Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor . The city of Colorado Springs, Colorado purchased land south of the city and donated it to the War Department. Construction began immediately and the first building, the camp headquarters, was completed January 31 , 1942 . CampCarson was named in honor of the legendary Army scout, Gen. Christopher "Kit" Carson , who explored much of the West in the 1800's.

At the construction's peak, nearly 11,500 workers were employed on various construction projects at the new camp. Facilities were provided for 35,173 enlisted men, 1,818 officers and 592 nurses. Nearly all of the buildings were of the mobilization type construction with wood sided exteriors. The hospital was of the semi-permanent type concrete block and had space for 1,726 beds with an expansion capability of 2,000 beds. The 89th Infantry Division was the first major unit to be activated at CampCarson. During World War II, over 100,000 soldiers trained at CampCarson. Along with three other infantry divisions - the 71st Infantry Division , 104th Infantry Division and 10th Mountain Division - more than 125 units were activated at CampCarson and more than 100 others were transferred to the Mountain post from other installations.

Nurses, cooks, mule packers, tank battalions, a Greek infantry battalion, and an Italian ordnance company - literally soldiers of every variety - trained at CampCarson during the war years. CampCarson was also home to nearly 9,000 Axis prisoners of war - mostly Italians and Germans. The internment camp at CampCarson opened on the first day of 1943. These POWs alleviated the manpower shortage in Colorado by doing general farm work, canning tomatoes, cutting corn, and aiding in logging operations on Colorado's Western Slope.

Between 1942 and 1956, pack mules were a common sight at CampCarson. The first shipment arrived by train from Nebraska in July 1942. The mules were used by Field artillery (Pack) battalions to carry equipment, weapons and supplies over mountainous terrain. The most famous of these animals was Hambone, the pride of the 4th Field Artillery Regiment . For 13 years, he carried First Sergeants up UtePass to Camp Hale . CampHale, located near Leadville, Colorado was where the Army conducted cold weather and mountain warfare training. Hambone died in March 1971, and was buried with full military honors.

Activity at CampCarson was greatly reduced following the end of World War II. By April 1946, the military strength at the Mountain Post had dropped to around 600. It appeared that CampCarson would be closed. With the onset of the Korean War however, activity once again increased. Many Reserve and National Guard units were called to active duty and stationed at CampCarson during this time.

Camp Carson became "FortCarson" in 1954. In the 1960s, mechanized units were assigned to the Mountain Post. At this time additional training land was purchased, bringing the post to its current size of 140,000 acres. Throughout its history FortCarson has been home to nine divisions. An additional training area, comprising 237,000 acres, was purchased in September 1983. Named the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site , this training area is located approximately 100 miles to the southeast, and is used for large force-on-force maneuver training. Comprehensive maneuver and live fire training also occurs down range at FortCarson.

Exercises and deployments continually hone the skills of the Fort Carson Soldiers. When not deployed, soldiers train annually at Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site and the NationalTrainingCenter in California. Additionally, units participate in joint exercises around the world, including Central and South Africa, Europe, and Southwest Asia. In 2003, most FortCarson units were deployed in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Troops were also sent in support of the guard mission at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base , Cuba. President George W. Bush addressed the troops and family members on November 24, 2003, in praise of the soldier's determination and the sacrifices their families have made. FortCarson's beautiful scenery has made it one of the most requested duty stations in the U.S. Army.

In January 1950, the Service Academy Board, headed by Dwight D. Eisenhower, then president of Columbia University, concluded that the needs of the Air Force could not be met by the two existing U.S. service academies and that an air force academy should be established. The Congress authorized the construction of the Air Force Academy on April 1, 1954 (to current cadets and graduates this is often noted to be the greatest April Fools joke in history)[citation needed], and established an advisory commission to help determine the site of the new school. Among the panel members were Charles Lindbergh, General Carl Spaatz, and Lieutenant General Hubert R. Harmon, who later became the Academy's first superintendent. The original 582 sites considered were winnowed to three: Alton, Illinois; Lake Geneva, Wisconsin; and the ultimate site at Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Secretary of the Air Force, Harold E. Talbott, announced the winning site on June 24, 1954.

The early years

On July 11, 1955, the first class of 306 cadets was sworn in at a temporary site at Lowry Air Force Base, Denver while construction was undertaken at the site near Colorado Springs. Because there were initially no upperclass cadets to run the Cadet Wing, a cadre of "Air Training Officers" (ATOs) was selected to supervise and train the new cadets until the upper classes could be populated. On August 29, 1958, the wing of 1,145 cadets moved to the present site, and less than a year later the Academy received accreditation. The first USAFA class graduated and was commissioned on June 3, 1959.

The first classes of cadets wore temporary uniforms while a distinctive Academy uniform was developed. After a number of military tailors fell short, Secretary Talbott turned to Hollywood director Cecil B. DeMille for help. The resulting uniform styles, most notably the distinctive cadet parade dress, are still worn by cadets today.

 Vietnam

The Vietnam War was a challenging time for the Academy. Because the Academy grounds are open to the public, the Academy often became a site for protests by anti-war demonstrators, and cadets often became the targets of their insults. Morale suffered as a consequence. Another aggravating factor was the presence in the cadet wing of members motivated primarily by draft avoidance, as well as a number of highly publicized cheating scandals. Many Academy graduates of this era found themselves with early assignments to Southeast Asia, and many served with distinction in the conflict. F-4 pilot Steve Ritchie '64 and F-4weapon systems officerJeffrey Feinstein '68 each became aces, by downing five enemy aircraft in combat. One hundred forty-one graduates died in the war, and thirty-two graduates became prisoners of war. Lance Sijan, '65, fell into both categories, becoming the first Academy graduate to be awarded the Medal of Honor. Sijan Hall, one of the cadet dormitories, is named in his honor.

Women at the Academy

On October 7, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed legislation permitting women to enter the United States service academies. On June 26, 1976, 157 women entered the Air Force Academy with the Class of 1980. The Air Training Officer model that was used with the first Academy classes was re-implemented, and 15 young female officers were selected to help with the integration process. The women were initially segregated from the rest of the Cadet Wing, but were fully integrated into their assigned squadrons after the first year. On May 28, 1980, 97 of the original female cadets completed the program and graduated from the Academy.

It did not take long for the women in the early classes to achieve success within the wing. Kathleen Conley '80, was the first woman to graduate from the Academy, finishing eighth in her class. Michelle D. Johnson '81, was the first woman to serve as the Academy's Cadet Wing Commander—the senior ranking cadet—and was the Academy's first female Rhodes Scholar. Heather Wilson '82, also received a Rhodes Scholarship, and in 1998 became the first female veteran to serve in the House of Representatives. Tennis standout Gail Allen '82 received the Rolex Lifetime Achievement Award. Terrie Ann MacLaughlin '86, was the first female cadet to graduate top in her class. Brigadier General Susan J. Helms '80, is the first woman graduate astronaut, flying on four Space Shuttle missions and serving five months on the International Space Station. Brigadier General Dana H. Born '83, is the first woman to serve as the Academy's Dean of Faculty, and Brigadier General Susan Y. Desjardins '80 is the first woman to serve as the Academy's Commandant of Cadets. Women currently comprise about 18% of the Cadet Wing. This percentage is a record high (historically, before 2003 the average had been approximately 12%).

Despite these successes, integration issues were long apparent. Many male cadets appeared to believe that the presence of women had softened the rigors of academy life and that women received special treatment. According to Brian Mitchell in his 1998 book, Women in the Military: Flirting With Disaster, as many as 10 percent of male academy graduates in the late 1970s and early 1980s were requesting Army commissions, in part because of disillusionment over such issues.