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~The FReeper Canteen Presents~ Road Trip: Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington 
Joint Base Lewis-McChord, (JBLM), formerly Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base, is a joint United States military installation in Pierce County and Thurston County, Washington, United States. The post is named after Army Captain Meriwether Lewis and Army Air Corps Colonel William Caldwell McChord. The principal Fort Lewis maneuver units are U.S. I Corps, 2nd Brigade, 3rd Brigade and 4th Brigade 2nd Infantry Division; all of which are constituted as Stryker brigades. It is also home to 17th Fires Brigade, the 62nd Medical Brigade, the 593rd Sustainment Brigade, the 555th Engineer Brigade, the 42nd Military Police Brigade, the 201st Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, the 11th Signal Brigade, the I Corps NCO Academy, Headquarters, the Western Region Cadet Command, the 1st Personnel Support Group, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), 2d Ranger Battalion, the 75th Ranger Regiment, and Headquarters, 5th Army (West). 
As early as 1902, Tacoma businessmen had tried to interest the U.S. War Department in establishing a federal military post in the American Lake-Nisqually Plain area. At the time, however, the Army was more interested in a site in the Spokane Valley. Major General Arthur Murray and a party of Army officers visited the prairies and timberland south of Tacoma in 1912 and recommended the area favorably as a potential military reservation. General Murray said, "There is no finer Army post site anywhere in the U.S. In this area there is every physical condition desirable for Army training and maneuvers." 
In October 1916, Major General J. Franklin Bell, Commander of the Western Department of the U.S. Army, sent Captain Richard Park to investigate possible sites for a military post in the Pacific Northwest. The American Lake-Nisqually Plain area was not on Captain Park's itinerary. A Tacoma businessman's committee headed by Stephen Appleby contacted Captain Park and asked him to visit Nisqually Plain. Captain Park, escorted by the committee, visited the area and found it acceptable. General Bell then inspected the site and was favorably impressed: "...the most magnificent field I have ever seen for military maneuvers." Learn More About The History Of Fort Lewis HERE!
On Feb. 1, 2010, Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base became Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) -- one of 12 joint bases worldwide. On that day, JBLM reached its initial operational capability, meaning the installation support functions at Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base began a phased consolidation to Army management under the Joint Base Garrison. The process will be complete on Oct. 1, 2010, when JBLM reaches its full operational capability and all installation support functions have transferred. 
JBLM has more than 25,000 soldiers and civilian workers. The post supports over 120,000 military retirees and more than 29,000 family members living both on and off post. Fort Lewis proper contains 86,000 acres; the Yakima Training Center covers 324,000 acres. JBLM Main & North have abundant high-quality, close-in training areas, including 115 live fire ranges. Additional training space is available at the Yakima Training Center in eastern Washington, including maneuver areas and additional live fire ranges. 
In 2009, the former Fort Lewis Regional Correction Facility was remodeled and renamed the Northwest Joint Regional Correctional Facility (NWJRCF). The facility houses minimum and medium security prisoners from all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. During the summer months (June, July, August), JBLM North hosts the Leader Development and Assessment Course, a capstone program for the U.S. Army's ROTC program. Also adjacent to the post is Camp Murray (Washington National Guard).
Learn More About Joint Base Lewis-McChord HERE!
The Fort Lewis Military Museum collects, preserves, displays and interprets artifacts relevant to the history of Fort Lewis and the units which have served there. The Museum also strives to foster an appreciation for the role that the United States Army played in the exploration, settlement and defense of the Pacific Northwest. 
The Museum features an outstanding collection of uniforms, weapons, military art and memorabilia associated with Fort Lewis and the United States Army. Visit The Fort Lewis Military Museum HERE!
FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT~Showing support and boosting the morale of our military and our allies military and the family members of the above. Honoring those who have served before.
Please remember: The Canteen is a place to honor and entertain our troops. The Canteen is family friendly. Let's have fun! We pray for your continued strength, to be strong in the face of adversity. We pray for your safety, that you will return to your families and friends soon. We pray that your hope, courage, and dignity remain unbroken, so that you may show others the way. God Bless You All ~ Today, Tomorrow and Always |
