So how do you say Huachuca? “wuh·choo·kuh” Yes, I had a problem with it too.
What does the word Huachuca mean?
“The word “Huachuca” comes from a later Indian tribe, the Sobaipuri, who used it in describing their village at the base of the mountains. It is usually translated as “Place of thunder,” a notable feature of summer month in the area.”
We were told that the Buffalo Soldier Museum at Fort Huachuca was not to be missed. So that is where we went today. Our first stop was at the Buffalo Soldier Gate – oops! We needed a visitor’s pass and that was at the main gate. So back to the main gate, got the visitor’s pass and away we went.
This base is HUGH and yes, it is an active base.
Some background and history:
“In February 1877, Col. August V. Kautz, commander of the Department of Arizona, ordered Capt. Samuel Marmaduke Whitside to set up a cavalry camp protecting settlement and travel in southeastern Arizona’s San Pedro Valley. The site he chose on March 3, 1877, is Fort Huachuca today. With its fresh running water, an abundance of trees, excellent observation in three directions and protective high ground essential for security, Camp Huachuca was a superb location for the mission, leading the Army to make it a permanent fort in 1882. In 1886, Gen. Nelson A. Miles used the Fort as his advance headquarters and forward supply base during the Army’s final Arizona campaigns. Following this, the Army would close more than 50 garrisons in the Arizona Territory, leaving Fort Huachuca as its sole active post.
Fort Huachuca’s strategic location continued to make it an effective guard for the restive border areas and its troops the best protection for the mining, transportation and ranching enterprises growing nearby. Twenty years of patrolling, shootouts with outlaws and gunrunners, and general peace-keeping efforts followed, establishing the post as the federal government’s principal presence and protection for the settlements growing throughout the region.
In 1913, the 10th Cavalry "Buffalo Soldiers" became Fort Huachuca’s garrison regiment, remaining until 1933. The 10th Cavalry would win honors during Gen. John J. Pershing’s 1916 Mexican Expedition and secure a vast stretch of the border region from German infiltration during World War I. In 1933, another Buffalo Soldier unit, the 25th Infantry Regiment, took over and performed similar duties until 1942 when it was absorbed into the 93rd Infantry Division. When the 93rd departed for the Pacific in 1943, the 92nd Infantry Division arrived at the Fort for training and subsequent assignment to the European Theater. More than 30,000 Black Soldiers, men and women, passed through Fort Huachuca on their way to service in every theater of the War between 1941 and 1945.
At war's end, the Fort was declared surplus and closed briefly. It was reactivated in 1950 as a training area for Army Engineers. In 1954, Fort Huachuca emerged as a key national defense asset when the Electronic Proving Ground began testing electronic and communications equipment, along with pilotless planes carrying photographic equipment for reconnaissance missions. This new role continues to grow and now includes the Joint Interoperability Test Command and resulted in the establishment of the Buffalo Soldier Electronic Test Range consisting of 2,500 square miles of electromagnetically quiet, high-altitude bowl to conduct full-frequency, full-power jamming as part of the DoD’s cyber warfare testing. From "pilotless planes" to today's Unmanned Aircraft Systems, the Fort is home to the world's largest UAS training center with over 125,000 square feet of training space, four hangars and three runways.
In 1967, Fort Huachuca became the headquarters of the U.S. Army Strategic Communications Command. The Strategic Communications Command became the U.S. Army Communications Command in 1973, subsequently changing to the U.S. Army Information Systems Command in 1984 and then to the U.S. Army Signal Command in 1997. On Oct. 1, 2002, the U.S. Army Signal Command was renamed the U.S. Army's Network Enterprise Technology Command.
Meanwhile, in 1971, the Military Intelligence Corps relocated to the post, establishing the U.S. Army Intelligence Center and School thereby consolidating all military intelligence training at Fort Huachuca. In October 1990, the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command became the new host command of the installation.
Today, Installation Management Command operates the post with a Garrison team responsible for delivering superior base support to enable readiness and the highest quality of life for Soldiers, Families and Civilians. Fort Huachuca remains the largest military installation and economic engine in Arizona serving a prominent role in national defense missions. “
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Huachuca
We parked the car and walked to the front of the first museum. This statue greeted us:
There are two museums in this area. The main one and the annex. Surrounding the museums are the original camp. The buildings are still used for living quarters, offices and education.
The parade grounds:
Colonel Row:
Each house has a marker with the rank and the person living there. We were told that during the holidays, each home is decorated inside and out and there is a Christmas open house event.
Cavalry Halls – constructed in 1883 now used as administrative buildings:
The Museum Annex – built mainly with troop labor, this theater opened for business in 1933:
Brayton Hall – built in 1905 to serve primarily as a gymnasium, library, and theater. In the basement was a restaurant for the officers:
The Bandstand on the Parade Grounds – This is a replica of the original bandstand that was built in 1920:
6th Cavalry Hall – These buildings were all constructed as double barracks in 1883 to house 87 men:
Hazen House – constructed in 1891 and used as “double officers” quarters. Today, it is used to house distinguished guests to the post:
There is an audio tour of all of these buildings. We decided to just stay with the museums and come back another time.
We started with the museum annex that contained the history of Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones):
Aircraft camera first used in the Korean War then used in drones:
The MQM-105:
The museum contained much information on the history and uses of unmanned aircraft up to the present time. They had a great movie about this also.
“Today, Fort Huachuca is the largest unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) training facility in the world. Its $10 million facility contains 25,000 square feet of space and 10 simulators, while managing 964 square miles of restricted air space above the community. Top entrepreneurs and experienced defense agencies come from around the world to test and evaluate their unmanned aircraft systems at Fort Huachuca. For this reason Sierra Vista is home to some of the nation’s leading civilian contractors that develop UAS technology, like Northrop Grumman and Raytheon.”
Very interesting.
Next is the main museum – see Part 2!
