Spread across four counties in North Carolina, Fort Bragg is a 251 square mile military installation run by the U.S. Army. According to the last census, there are over 39,000 people living at this fort. It is located near Fayetteville, NC, but portions of it are in Cumberland, Moore, Hoke, and Harnett counties. This base is home to the Special Forces, the U.S. Army Forces Command, the U.S. Army Airborne Forces, and the U.S. Army Reserve Command. The fort was named after Braxton Bragg, who was a Confederate general. Approximately one third of the square miles of this base is made up of water, with land and water equaling 160,700 acres altogether.
The demographics of this base include 58.1% Caucasian, 25.3% African-American, 15.8% Hispanic, and 1.2% Native American. Out of the roughly 4,000 households on base, 85% of them have children under the age of 18 and 88% are married couples. When the age of the population was examined, it was shown that 25.8% of the population is under 18, but the majority is between the ages of 18 and 24. The median income for each household is $30, 106 and the median income for a family is not widely different at $29,836. Out of the population, approximately 10% are currently living below the poverty line.
The military base at Fort Bragg first began in 1918 as a training facility for artillery. It was decided that six artillery brigades would be stationed at this base and in 1919, an airfield was added. It was called Pope Field after an airman who was killed in a flying accident near the base. Airplanes, balloons, and artillery spotters were able to use this air field. Construction finished on the base in November of 1919 and it was named after the commander of the Confederate Army during the American Civil War.
The fort did not continue to be home to the six original brigades. World War I ended in 1918 and demobilization began. Equipment and men from Camp McClellan in Alabama relocated to Fort Bragg. They used the base to test weapons that were produced because of the war, like long range weapons. In 1921, the 13th and 17th Field Artillery Brigades moved to the base to begin training. This almost did not last for long due to budget cutbacks after the war. In fact, the War Department gave orders to close it. Due to the tireless efforts by the commander of Fort Bragg, they were able to get the closure changed. In 1922, the Field Artillery Board set up base at the fort. It was also during this year that the name of the fort was officially changed from Camp Bragg to Fort Bragg. The reason this name change was so significant was because it showed that it was now a permanent army post.
In the years following the decision to make Fort Bragg a permanent base, construction expanded, some of which may still be seen today. By the beginning of the next world war, there were 5,400 people stationed at the fort. By 1942, the population skyrocketed to 67,000 people. With World War II in full swing, units like the 82nd Airborne Division, the 9th Infantry Division, the 100th Infantry Division, and more moved there to train. The population continued to increase until it reached 159,000. Today, there are numerous airborne units at the fort. If you have more questions about life on Fort Bragg or what you should do if you were arrested for a crime on the base, please do not hesitate to contact our team at The Federal Practice Group Worldwide Service. Call our office today to schedule a consultation.
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