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Thursday, September 24th, 2009
Marines have camps, Army has forts?
Maybe this is obvious, but I just realized that most places where Marines live and train are called “camps”, and most places Soldiers live and train are called “forts”.
Is this due to the fact that Marines are a smaller force geared toward quick response, kind of “get in, do your business, and get out”? A “camp” does denote transience and mobility. Set up shop, do what you have to do, pack up and move on. And the Army has “forts”, a more permanent fixture, because they are large and tend to dig in for the long haul when they go somewhere?
Or do these characteristics have nothing to do with the nomenclature?
You are correct with your assumption regarding the historical origins of Fort, Camps, and Barracks.
The U.S Army has all three, plus a couple of more designations (such as Depots and Army Airfields). There is Ft Bragg, NC, Ft. Lewis, WA, Camp Hialeah, S. Korea / Camp Clatsop, OR and Schofield BKS, HI / Campbell BKS, Germany.
Historically, Camps or barracks is a semi-permanent facility that was not designed to be defended or fought from. Fort, short for fortification, was designed to be defended.
This is moot, historical distinction though. Schofield BKS, HI is no different then Ft. Knox, KY and Fort Hamilon, NY (actually under the Brooklyn bridge) is only a MEPS station and NY district headquarters for the Army Corp of Engineer.
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