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Print—Fort Hood is the largest active duty armored post in the U.S and is the only one that is capable of supporting two full-armored divisions. It is a 340 square mile installation located just outside Killeen, Texas, north of Austin. The post stretches 26 miles east to west and 24 miles north to south.
—There are more than 5,000 sets of quarters for enlisted soldiers and their families. An additional 634 quarters are for officers and their family members. During the next five years, more than $200 million is budgeted to renovate and replace the post’s family housing as part of the Residential Communities Initiative.
UPDATE: 12 dead, 31 injured in shooting rampage at Fort Hood
Gunman shoots and kills 12, injures 31 in rampage at Army base. The man was identified as Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, a 39-year-old from Virginia. There was no official word on motive.
Troubled portrait emerges of Army shooting suspect
Nidal Malik Hasan was responsible for the worst mass killing on a U.S. military base, authorities say. He had problems throughout his career and strongly opposed U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan.
—In its arsenal the post has an array of modernized equipment, including more than 500 tanks, 500 Bradley fighting vehicles and about 1,600 other tracked vehicles.
—The post population is estimated at 71,000, nearly 52,000 of whom are soldiers. The rest are family members living on post, employees of the Army Air Force Exchange Service, volunteers and other employees.
—The post is named after Confederate General John Bell Hood. During peacetime, Fort Hood is a gated post. It has two military museums, the Belton Lake Outdoor Recreation Area and a number of other facilities open to the public. Access to military camps was restricted after Sept. 11, 2001.
—According to the New York Times, “Fort Hood has lost more troops in the war in Iraq than any other U.S. home base.”
Source: globalsecurity.org and The New York Times
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