Fort Cavazos

Fort Cavazos
eponym: Gen. Richard E. Cavazos, USA
Killeen, Texas
Shoulder sleeve insignia of major Ft. Cavazos units
Coordinates	31°08′23″N 97°45′57″W / 31.13972°N 97.76583°W / 31.13972; -97.76583
Type	Army post
Area	332.05 sq mi (860 sq km)
Site information
Owner	Department of the Army
Controlled by	United States Army
Status	Active
Website	Official website
Site history
Built	1942
In use	1942–present
Garrison information
Current commander	LTG Sean C. Bernabe
Garrison	III Armored Corps First Army Division West 1st Cavalry Division 36th Engineer Brigade 13th Sustainment Command 3rd Cavalry Regiment 504th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade 89th Military Police Brigade 1st Medical Brigade Operational Test Command 407th Army Field Support Brigade 48th Chemical Brigade 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade 11th Signal Brigade 3rd Security Force Assistance Brigade

Fort Cavazos is a United States Army post located near Killeen, Texas. The post is named after Gen. Richard E. Cavazos, a native Texan and the US Army’s first Hispanic four-star general. Formerly named Fort Hood for Confederate General John Bell Hood, the post is located halfway between Austin and Waco, about 60 mi (97 km) from each, within the U.S. state of Texas. The post is the headquarters of III Armored Corps and First Army Division West and is home to the 1st Cavalry Division and 3rd Cavalry Regiment, among others.

Its origin was the need for wide-open space to test and train with World War II tank destroyers. The War Department announced the location in January 1942, and the initial completion was set for that August. As originally constructed, Fort Cavazos had an area of 158,706 acres (64,226 ha), with billeting for 6,007 officers and 82,610 enlisted personnel. The main cantonment of Fort Cavazos had a total population of 53,416 as of the 2010 U.S. Census. Fort Cavazos was the most populous U.S. military installation in the world.^[1] The main business area is in Bell County, with the training countryside area of the post in Coryell County. In April 2014, the base's website listed 45,414 assigned soldiers and 8,900 civilian employees covering an area of 214,000 acres (87,000 ha).