Camp Mackall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mackall Army Airfield
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Military | ||||||||||||||||||
| Owner | U.S. Army ATCA-ASO | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Richmond, Scotland counties, North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 376 ft / 115 m | ||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 35°02′11″N 079°29′51″W / 35.03639°N 79.49750°W | ||||||||||||||||||
| Runway | |||||||||||||||||||
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Source: Federal Aviation Administration
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Camp Mackall is an important training center for the U.S. Army. It is located in North Carolina, near a larger army base called Fort Liberty (which used to be known as Fort Bragg). This camp is where soldiers go through special training to become part of the U.S. Army Special Forces. These are highly skilled soldiers who do very important missions.
History of Camp Mackall
Camp Mackall was first called Camp Hoffman. But on February 8, 1943, its name was changed. It was renamed to honor a brave soldier named Private John Thomas Mackall.
Private Mackall was born in Ohio in 1920. He was a paratrooper, which means he jumped out of airplanes as part of his job. During World War II, he was part of an operation called Operation Torch in North Africa. His aircraft was attacked as it landed, and he was seriously wounded. Sadly, he passed away on November 12, 1942. It's interesting to know that construction on the camp actually began on November 8, the same day he was wounded.
Building Camp Mackall was a huge task! In just four months, a large area of wilderness, about 62,000 acres, was transformed into a busy army camp. It had many miles of paved roads, a big hospital with 1,200 beds, movie theaters, and even an airfield with three long runways.
What's at Camp Mackall?
Camp Mackall has its own airfield called Mackall Army Airfield. It has three runways for aircraft.
- One runway is 5,001 feet (1,524 meters) long and has an asphalt surface.
- Another runway is 4,740 feet (1,445 meters) long and has a concrete surface.
- A newer runway, built in 2016, is 5,529 feet (1,676 meters) long and also has a concrete surface. This newest runway is mainly used by unmanned aerial vehicles, which are like drones used by the military.
Training at Camp Mackall
The Colonel James "Nick" Rowe Training Compound is a key part of Camp Mackall. Many important training courses happen here.
- SERE stands for Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape. This training teaches soldiers how to survive in tough situations.
- SFAS is the Special Forces Assessment and Selection. This is where soldiers are tested to see if they have what it takes to join the Special Forces.
- The Q Course is the Special Forces Qualification Course. This is the main training program for soldiers to become Green Berets, who are members of the Special Forces.
There's also a famous obstacle course at the camp. It's known as the "Nasty Nick" and is considered one of the hardest obstacle courses in the U.S. Army. It's named in honor of Colonel James "Nick" Rowe, who was a very brave soldier.
