Fort Huachuca, AZ Image 1
    Fort Huachuca, AZ Image 2

    Fort Huachuca, AZ History

    Fort Huachuca was established in February 1877. Colonel August B. Kautz ordered that a temporary camp be established in the shelter of the Huachuca Mountains.A temporary camp was established at the post's current location March 3, 1877, by Capt. Samuel Marmaduke Whitside with 2 companies of the 6th Cavalry. It provided a high-ground refuge for settlers along fresh running water and blocked the path of fleeing Apache to the Mexican border. It became a fort in 1882 and was chosen by General Nelson A. Miles as his headquarters for the Geronimo conflict. 1913 saw the addition of the 10th Cavalry "Buffalo Soldiers." The 10th Cavalry accompanied General John Pershing to Mexico in 1916 and guarded the U.S.-Mexico border during World War I. In 1933, the 10th Cavalry was replaced by the 25th Infantry Regiment which then became part of the 93rd Infantry Division during World War II. During the war, the troops on post numbered at 30,000 though it was regularly suitable for around 10,000. Fort Huachuca was closed in 1947 and given over to the state of Arizona's Game and Fish Department. However, with the outbreak of the Korean War, the fort was reclaimed by the Army and reopened. In the postwar days, Huachuca became a leader in electronic warfare development. The Army's Electronic Proving Ground opened here in 1954. When control passed to the Chief Signal Officer in 1954, he realized what an ideal spot he had for electronic and communications equipment testing and from there the national defense ability of the fort gained recognition. In 1967 it became the headquarters of the U.S. Army Strategic Communications Command. This became the U.S. Army Communications Command in 1973 and finally the U.S. Army Information Systems Command in 1984. Today, Huachuca is the headquarters of the U.S. Army Intelligence Center and the U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command (NETCOM)/9th Army Signal Command.