Camp Funston facts for kids

Soldiers ill with Spanish influenza at a hospital ward at Camp Funston, Kansas, when the epidemic began in 1918.

Camp Funston is a special training camp for the U.S. Army. It is located in Kansas, near a place called Fort Riley. The camp is named after a brave soldier, Frederick Funston. It was one of many camps built when World War I started.

History of Camp Funston

Building the Camp

Construction of Camp Funston began in the summer of 1917. It eventually included about 1,400 buildings. The camp covered a very large area of land. Its main job was to get new soldiers ready for duty. They would receive, house, and train soldiers. After the war, they also helped soldiers return home.

Training Soldiers in World War I

During World War I, almost 50,000 new soldiers trained at Camp Funston. These soldiers were part of two large groups called divisions. One famous group was the 89th Division. They went to France in 1918. Other groups, like the 10th Division and parts of the 92nd Division, also trained here.

Camp Funston also held people called conscientious objectors. These were people who, often for religious reasons, did not want to fight in the war. They were sent to military camps but did not take part in military training.

In March 1918, some of the first cases of the "Spanish flu" were reported at Camp Funston. This flu later became a worldwide sickness.

A Place for Learning New Skills

Before 1992, Camp Funston was home to a special program. This program helped military members who had made mistakes. It was not like a typical prison with walls and bars. Instead, it used military rules and discipline. The goal was to help these individuals learn new skills. They could then become good citizens or even return to military service. This program offered education and job training. It aimed to help people live a good life after their time there.

Modern Training Today

Today, Camp Funston is a key place for training military teams. These teams are called military transition teams. They learn how to work with and train other armies in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. Before 2006, these teams trained at different places. But then, the U.S. Army decided to bring all this training to Camp Funston. This helped make sure everyone got the same, high-quality training.

The first teams started training in June 2006. This important training mission later moved to Fort Polk, Louisiana in 2009.