Camp Blanding facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Camp Blanding Joint Training Center |
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| Clay County, near Starke, Florida | |
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| Coordinates | 29°57′07″N 81°58′48″W / 29.9519°N 81.9799°W |
| Type | Military Reservation |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | Florida National Guard |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1940 |
| In use | 1940–present |
| Garrison information | |
| Garrison | 53rd Infantry Brigade 3rd Battalion, 20th Special Forces |
Camp Blanding Joint Training Center is a large military base in Clay County, Florida. It's the main training spot for the Florida National Guard. This includes both the Florida Army National Guard and parts of the Florida Air National Guard that don't fly planes. Even though it uses a Starke address, the base is completely inside Clay County.
Camp Blanding is huge, covering about 73,000 acres (about 29,500 hectares). It even includes Kingsley Lake. Many different parts of the U.S. military train here. This includes the Army, Navy, and Air Force Reserve units.
Contents
What Happens at Camp Blanding?
Training for Future Leaders
Camp Blanding is a busy place for training. Many ROTC (Reserve Officers' Training Corps) groups come here. ROTC helps college students become officers in the military. For example, students from Jacksonville University and the University of South Florida often have a week-long orientation here.
Each April, Camp Blanding hosts the Audie Murphy Field Training Exercise. This is where Army ROTC units from Florida, Georgia, and Puerto Rico gather. They practice small-unit tactics, learn how to navigate the land, and develop leadership skills.
The base also hosts the Florida Wing Summer Encampment for the Civil Air Patrol. This is a special program for young people who are part of the Civil Air Patrol/US Air Force Auxiliary.
Home to Important Military Units
Camp Blanding is the main training site for most of Florida's National Guard units. This includes the 53rd Infantry Brigade, which is a key combat group. It's also home to other important units. These include parts of the 3rd 20th Special Forces Group and the 2-111th Airfield Operations Battalion.
Some non-flying units of the Florida Air National Guard are also based here. These include the 125th Regional Support Group and the 202nd RED HORSE Squadron. The base also serves as a backup center for emergencies in Florida.
Specialized Courses and Practice Areas
In 2008, Camp Blanding started hosting the Army's special course for moving troops by helicopter. This is called the United States Army Air Assault School. It helps soldiers learn how to use helicopters for quick movements.
The southern part of the base has a special area where military planes practice. Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force planes use it for bombing and shooting practice.
Unique Training Centers
Camp Blanding is home to the Multijurisdictional Counterdrug Task Force Training. This center offers free training to police and military members.
There's also the Combating Transnational Organized Crime Center of Excellence. This center provides free training to help stop big criminal groups that work across different countries.
The base also hosts the annual FBI National Academy Associates Youth Leadership Academy (YLA). This summer program selects 14-16 year olds from Florida. It lets them learn from top law enforcement experts.
History of Camp Blanding
Camp Blanding began in 1939. It was set up as a training place for the Florida National Guard. Their old base was taken over by the Navy. The new camp was named after Albert H. Blanding. He was a Major General in the Florida National Guard.
In 1940, as World War II began, Camp Blanding became a big federal base. Many U.S. Army infantry divisions trained here between 1940 and 1943. These included famous groups like the 1st Infantry Division. Over 800,000 soldiers trained at Camp Blanding during World War II.
During World War II
The base was also a holding center for Japanese, German, and Italian immigrants during the war. From 1942 to 1946, it held German prisoners of war (POWs). At its busiest, it held 1,200 German prisoners. There is a small cemetery on the base where six German prisoners were once buried. Their bodies were later moved to another cemetery.
At one point during the war, Camp Blanding was like the fourth-largest city in Florida. It had 10,000 buildings and 125 miles of paved roads. It also had the biggest hospital in the state. Several newspapers were published at the camp, like The Bulletin. These papers helped show what daily life was like there.
After the war, Camp Blanding became the main office for the Military District of Florida. In the 1970s, two gravel runways were added for aircraft like the C-130 Hercules. They also reactivated the artillery training range and parachute drop zones.
Camp Blanding Museum and Memorial Park
The Camp Blanding Museum and Memorial Park opened in 1990. It's located right outside the main entrance of the base and is open to everyone.
The museum is inside a restored World War II building. It's free to enter. Inside, you can see displays and items from Florida's military history. These cover from World War I up to today.
The outdoor memorial park is a self-guided tour. It has military vehicles and aircraft from World War II to the present. There are also memorials to all the units that trained at Camp Blanding during World War II. You can also find memorials for Florida National Guard members who died serving their country.
The park has an "airpark" with several planes and helicopters on display. There's also "Firebase Florida," which looks like a Vietnam-era artillery base. Besides American military machines, you can see armored vehicles captured during the 1991 Gulf War and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Florida National Guard was part of both of these conflicts.
