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| Fort Bliss | |
|---|---|
| Part ofArmy Forces Command (FORSCOM) | |
| El Paso County, Texas andDoña Ana /Otero counties,New Mexico, Southwestern United States | |
 A1-37AR, 1st Armored DivisionAbrams tank crew on Fort Bliss' Orogrande Range Camp, 2019 | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Military base |
| Controlled by |  United States (1849–1861) Confederate States (1861–1862) United States (1862–present) |
| Facilities[1] | Biggs Army Airfield McGregor Range |
| Location | |
  Fort Bliss Location of Fort Bliss Show map of Texas Fort Bliss Fort Bliss (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates | 31°48′07″N106°25′29″W / 31.801847°N 106.424608°W /31.801847; -106.424608 |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1849–1893[2] |
| In use | 1849–present[3] |
| Garrison information | |
| Current commander | Major general Curtis D. Taylor[4] |
| Past commanders | John J. Pershing |
| Garrison |  1st Armored Division
|
| Occupants | DCG:
|
Fort Bliss is aUnited States Army post inNew Mexico andTexas, with its headquarters inEl Paso, Texas. Established in 1848, the fort was renamed in 1854 to honorBvt.Lieut.Colonel William W.S. Bliss. It is the largest installation in the United States Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) and second-largest in the Army overall, the largest being the adjacentWhite Sands Missile Range. Fort Bliss provides the largest contiguous tract (1,500 sq mi or 3,900 km2) of restricted airspace[7] in theContinental United States, used for missile and artillery training and testing, and at 992,000 acres (401,000 ha) has the largest maneuver area, ahead of theNational Training Center, which has 642,000 acres (260,000 ha).[1]In August 2025Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) opened a detention facility named " Camp East Montana" with a capacity of 1,000, eventually 5,000, detainees on Fort Bliss.
Fort Bliss is located inEl Paso County, Texas andDoña Ana /Otero counties,New Mexico in the Southwestern United States. It has an area of about 1,700 square miles (4,400 km2). The garrison's land area is 1.12 million acres (0.45×10^6 ha), ranging to the boundaries of theLincoln National Forest andWhite Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.[8] Fort Bliss includes theCastner Range National Monument. The portion of the post located in El Paso County, is acensus-designated place with a population of 8,591 in the2010 census.
Fort Bliss is home to the1st Armored Division, which returned to US soil in 2011 after 40 years in Germany.[9] The division is supported by the1st Armored Division Sustainment Brigade. The installation is home toJoint Task Force North (JTF), a joint service command. JTF North supports federal law enforcement agencies in the conduct of counterdrug/counter transnational organized crime operations. It facilitates DoD training in theUnited States Northern Command area of responsibility to disrupt transnational criminal organizations and deter their freedom of action to protect the homeland and increase DoD unit readiness.
The32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command is a theater-level Army air and missile defense multicomponent organization with a worldwide, 72-hour deployment mission. It is theArmy Forces Command andJoint Force Land Component Commanders' organization that performs critical theater air- and missile-defense planning, integration, coordination, and execution functions.
TheJoint Modernization Command (JMC) plans, prepares, and executes Joint Warfighting Assessments and other concept and capability assessments, provides objective analysis and feasible recommendations to enhance Multi Domain Command and Control, and informs Army Modernization decisions. On order, JMC conducts directed assessments in support of the Cross Functional Teams ofArmy Futures Command.
The 1st Armored Division units include: 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division ("Ready First") is prepared to deploy, conduct decisive and sustainable land operations in support of a division, Joint Task Force, or Multinational Force. The Brigade will be trained and ready to conduct decisive action as part of Combined Arms Maneuver or Wide Area Security operations IOT disrupt or destroy enemy military forces, control land, and be prepared to conduct combat operations to protect U.S. national interests.
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division ("Strike") is prepared to deploy, conduct decisive and sustainable land operations in support of a division, Joint Task Force, or Multinational Force. The Brigade will be trained and ready to conduct decisive action as part of Combined Arms Maneuver or Wide Area Security operations IOT disrupt or destroy enemy military forces, control land, and be prepared to conduct combat operations to protect U.S. national interests.
3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division ("Bulldog") is prepared to deploy, conduct decisive and sustainable land operations in support of a division, Joint Task Force, or Multinational Force. The Brigade will be trained and ready to conduct decisive action as part of Combined Arms Maneuver or Wide Area Security operations IOT disrupt or destroy enemy military forces, control land, and be prepared to conduct combat operations to protect U.S. national interests.
1st Armored Division Combat Aviation Brigade ("Iron Eagles") conducts aviation operations to support geographic combatant commanders conducting unified land operations.
1st Armored Division Artillery ("Iron Steel") provides direct support, precision strike, and Joint Fires capability to the 1st Armored Division for Unified Land Operations in support of the Division's contingency operations. 1AD DIVARTY provides trained and ready fire support forces and assists BCT Commanders in training their fire support systems.
1st Armored Division Sustainment ("Muleskinners") provides mission command of assigned, attached, and OPCON Echelons above Brigade sustainment units and synchronize distribution and sustainment operations in support of 1st Armored Division, and other aligned units. On order, rapidly deploy to designated contingency areas; receive, integrate, and provide mission command of sustainment units providing operational and tactical sustainment; and perform theater opening, theater distribution, and sustainment operations in support of Unified Land Operations.
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The NCO Leadership Center of Excellence (NCOL CoE): Academic institution for noncommissioned officers aligned under Army University and the Combined Arms Command, with additional reporting to Training and Doctrine Command. Provides professional military education to DoD and allied noncommissioned officers.
The United States Army Sergeants Major Academy (USASMA) was accredited as a branch campus of the Command and General Staff College (CGSC) in 2018.[10] In March 2018, the CGSC Combined Arms Center Execution Order, made USASMA the 4th campus of CGSC. In June 2019, USASMA Class 69 became the first students from the Sergeants Major Course to earn Bachelors of Arts in Leadership and Workforce Development (Staff College) through USASMA.[10] The accreditation process took 10 years, beginning with the last officer commandant, Col. Donald E. Gentry.[10]
The11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade: Known as the "Imperial" Brigade, it strategically deploys combat ready units globally in support of the 32nd AAMDC to conduct joint and combined air and missile defense operations in order to protect the Combatant Commander's critical priorities. O/O, conducts reset and training of Patriot, Avenger Iron Dome, andTerminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) units.
William Beaumont Army Medical Center (WBAMC)
The 5th Armored Brigade: The brigade plans, coordinates, synchronizes, and supports the pre/post mobilization training and demobilization of Army National Guard and United States Army Reserve units in order to provide trained and ready forces for worldwide contingencies. On order, deploys exportable OC/T teams in support of the Army Total Force Policy.
The Fort Bliss Mobilization Brigade: The brigade provides all administrative and logistical aspects of Title 10 support to mobilizing/demobilizing units. Act as focal point for installation support and quality of life issues. Coordinate requirements and integrate mobilization support. Provides personnel and logistical readiness validation input.
The CONUS Replacement Center: CRC receives, processes, equips, and conducts Theater Specific Individual Requirements Training (TSIRT) for military Non Unit Related Personnel (NRP), Department of Defense (DoD) Civilians, and Non Logistics Civil Augmentation Program (Non LOGCAP) Contactors deploying to and redeploying from theaters of operations in support of overseas contingency operations.
The Army Field Support Battalion (AFSBn): AFSBn is responsible for enhancing the readiness of Active, Reserve and National Guard units and continuously synchronizing the distribution of sustainment materiel and force projection at the Installation and field level in order to support the Materiel Enterprise and combat readiness of supported units and contingency operations.
The Network Enterprise Command: This unit defends the security of the Army Global Network Construct, provides transparent[clarification needed] delivery of Command, Control, Communications and Computer (C4) Information Technology (IT services to customers).
The Civilian Personnel Advisory Center (CPAC) -- Desert Mountain: CPAC is responsible for assisting customers in recruiting, developing and sustaining a professional civilian workforce through human resource products[clarification needed] and advisory services.
The headquarters for theEl Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC), a federal tactical operational intelligence center, is hosted at Fort Bliss. ItsDoD (United States Department of Defense) counterpart,Joint Task Force North, is atBiggs Army Airfield. Biggs Field, a military airport[11] located at Fort Bliss, is designated amilitary power projection platform.[12]
Fort Bliss National Cemetery is located on the post. Other forts in the frontier fort system were FortsGriffin,Concho,Belknap,Chadbourne,Stockton,Davis,Richardson,McKavett,Clark,McIntosh,Inge, andPhantom Hill in Texas, andFort Sill inOklahoma.[13] There were "sub posts or intermediate stations" including Bothwick's Station on Salt Creek between Fort Richardson and Fort Belknap, Camp Wichita near Buffalo Springs between Fort Richardson andRed River Station, and Mountain Pass between Fort Concho and Fort Griffin.[14]
In 1846,ColonelAlexander Doniphan led1st Regiment of Missouri mounted volunteers throughEl Paso del Norte, with victories at theBattle of El Brazito and theBattle of the Sacramento. On 7 November 1848, War Department General Order no. 58 ordered the establishment of a post[15] across fromEl Paso del Norte, now Ciudad Juárez.[16] On 8 September 1849, the garrison party of several companies of the3rd U.S. Infantry, 'The Old Guard', currently the oldest active duty regiment in the US Army, commanded byMajor Jefferson Van Horne, found only four small and scattered settlements on the north side of theRio Grande.[15]: 21
ThePost Opposite El Paso del Norte was first established at the site of Coon's Ranch, often erroneously referred to as Smith's Ranch, now downtownEl Paso[15]: 21 It, along withFort Selden and other Southwestern outposts, protected recently won territory from harassingApaches andComanches, provided local law and order, and escorted theforty-niners.[15]: 17 Van Horne also had nominal command of thePost at San Elizario, the formerPresidio of San Elizario, seventeen miles downstream from El Paso del Norte.[15]: 9, 17 With constant Indian raids, garrisons had to be moved frequently to meet the shifting threats. In September 1851, the Post Opposite El Paso and the Post at San Elizario were closed, and the soldiers were moved 40 miles (64 km) north toFort Fillmore.[15]: 20–21
On 11 January 1854, Companies B, E, I and K of the8th Infantry, under the command of Lt. Col.Edmund B. Alexander, established Post of El Paso at Magoffinsville under orders fromSecretary of WarJefferson Davis.[15]: 23 [17] The post was named 'Fort Bliss' on 8 March 1854, in honor of Lt. Col.William Wallace Smith Bliss, (1815–1853), U.S. Army officer, private secretary, and son-in-law of PresidentZachary Taylor.[18][19] Bliss was a veteran of the Mexican War (1846–1848) who was cited for gallantry in action.[15]: 23
Fort Bliss remained there for the next 14 years, serving as a base for troops guarding the area against Apache attacks. Until 1861 most of these troops were units of the 8th Infantry Regiment.[20] At the outbreak of theAmerican Civil War,David E. Twiggs, the Commander of theDepartment of Texas, ordered the garrison to surrender Fort Bliss tothe Confederacy, which Col.Isaac Van Duzen Reeve did on 31 March 1861.[15]: 29 Companies B, E, F, H, I, and K were captured by the Confederacy and remained prisoners of war until 25 February 1863 in Texas. Company A returned safely to the North with their Colors on 26 May 1861.[21]
Confederate forces consisting of the 2nd Regiment of Texas, under the command of Col.John R. Baylor, took the post on 1 July 1861,[15]: 29 and used it as a platform to launchattacks into New Mexico and Arizona in an effort to force the Union garrisons still in these states to surrender. Initially the Confederate Army had success in their attempts togain control of New Mexico, but following theBattle of Glorieta Pass, the Confederate soldiers were forced to retreat when their supply lines were cut.[22]
In 1862, the Confederate garrison abandoned Fort Bliss without a fight when aFederal column of 2,350 men under the command of ColonelJames H. Carleton advanced from California.[15]: 30 The Californians maintained an irregular garrison at Fort Bliss until 1865, when5th Infantry units arrived to reestablish the post. These were relieved by the25th Infantry,Buffalo Soldiers, on 12 August 1866, followed by the 35th Infantry two months later.[15]: 33, 35
After May 1867Rio Grande flooding seriously damaged the Magoffinsville post, Fort Bliss was moved to a site called 'Camp Concordia' in March 1868.[15]: 35 Camp Concordia's location was immediately south of what is nowInterstate 10, across from Concordia Cemetery in El Paso. TheRio Grande was about a mile south of the camp at that time. Water was hauled daily by mule team to the camp. On 11 March 1869 the old name of Fort Bliss was resumed.[15]: 36
Water, heating, and sanitation facilities were at a minimum in theadobe buildings of the fort. Records reveal that troops suffered severely fromdysentery andmalaria and that supplies arrived irregularly over theSanta Fe Trail bywagon train. In January 1877, the Concordia post was abandoned.[15]: 36 After the troops left, El Paso was without a garrison for more than a year. By that time, El Paso and its environs on the north side of the river had swelled to a population of almost 800.
On New Year's Day 1878, Fort Bliss was established as a permanent post.[15]: 36 The Company LBuffalo Soldiers of theNinth Cavalry and Company C of the15th Infantry, were sent to Fort Bliss to prevent furthertrouble over the salt beds and the usage of Rio Grande water for irrigation purposes.[15]: 36, 39 Prior to this date, the government had a policy of leasing property for its military installations. A tract of 135 acres (0.55 km2) was purchased at Hart's Mill on the river's edge in the Pass, near what is today theUTEP.[15]: 50
With a $40,000 appropriation, a building program began. The first railroad arrived in 1881, and tracks were laid across the military reservation, solving the supply problems for the fort and the rapidly growing town of El Paso. By 1890, Hart's Mill had outlived its usefulness, and Congress appropriated $150,000 for construction of a military installation on the mesa approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) east of El Paso's 1890 city limits.[15]: 50 Although no money was appropriated for the land, $8,250 was easily raised by the local residents, who realized the economic benefit to the area.[23]
The present site of Fort Bliss on La Noria mesa,[24][25] was laid out by Captain John Ruhlen from 1891 to 1892. In October 1893, it was occupied by four companies of the18th Infantry.[15]: 50 [26]
In January 1914,John J. Pershing arrived[27] in El Paso to take command of the Army 8th Brigade that was stationed at Fort Bliss. At the time, theMexican Revolution was underway in Mexico, and the 8th Brigade had been assigned the task of securing theMexico–United States border. In March 1915, under the command of GeneralFrederick Funston, Pershing led the 8th Brigade on the failed 1916–1917Punitive Expedition into Mexico in search of outlawPancho Villa.[28]
On 11 March 2016, members of the 2nd Squadron, 13th Cavalry Regiment, (3rd BCT, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss) conducted astaff ride atPancho Villa State Park, NM, the former site of Camp Furlong, 2nd Squadron's billet in 1915. They reviewed the terrain of the 9 March 1916 raid byPancho Villa's forces on the unit 100 years before. The 2nd Squadron then participated in a parade withreenactors, and Roll Call of the fallen.[29]
During this time, themilitary airfield in El Paso became one of the homes to theUnited States Army Border Air Patrol and the1st Aero Squadron, the U.S. Army's first tactical unit equipped with airplanes.
AsAmerican Expeditionary Forces (AEF) commander (1917–1918),John J. Pershing transferred to Fort Bliss and was responsible for the organization, training, and supply of an inexperienced force that eventually grew from 27,000 men to over 2,000,000—theNational Army ofWorld War I.
From 10 December 1917 – 12 May 1918, the wartime15th Cavalry Division existed at Fort Bliss. Similarly, theHeadquarters, 2nd Cavalry Brigade was initially activated at Fort Bliss on 10 December 1917 and then deactivated in July 1919, and reactivated at Fort Bliss on 31 August 1920. Predominantly a cavalry post since 1912, Fort Bliss acquired three lightarmored cars, eight medium armored cars, two motorcycles, and two trucks in November 1928.[15]
DuringWorld War II, Fort Bliss focused on traininganti-aircraft artillery battalions (AAA). In September 1940, the Coast Artillery's anti-aircraft training center was established. In 1941, the1st Tow Target Squadron arrived to flytarget drones.[15] The6th, 19th, and 27th Tow Target Squadrons were at the nearbyBiggs Field. On 3 August 1944, theAnti-Aircraft Artillery School was ordered fromCamp Davis to Fort Bliss to make the training of anti-aircraft gunners easier, and they became the dominant force at Fort Bliss following the departure of theU.S. 1st Cavalry Division.[15] On 15 September 1942, the War Dept. made space available for handling up to 1,350 POWs, while POW camps could be constructed.[30] During the war, the base was used to hold approximately 91German,Italian, andJapanese Americans from Hawaii (then a territory), who were arrested as potentialfifth columnists but, in most cases, denied due process.[31]
By February 1946, over 100Operation Paperclip German scientists and engineers had arrived to developrockets, and were attached to the Office of the Chief ofOrdnance Corps, Research and Development Service, Suboffice (Rocket), headed by Major James P. Hamill.[33] Although these men were initially "pretty much kepton ice", resulting in the nickname "Operation Icebox",[33] they were divided into a research group and a group who assisted withV-2 test launches atWhite Sands Proving Grounds.[34]
German families began arriving in December 1946.[33] By the spring of 1948, the number of German rocket specialists, nicknamed "Prisoners of Peace", in the US was 127.[33] Fort Bliss rocket launches included firings of thePrivate missile at theHueco Range in April 1945.[35] In 1953, funding cuts caused the cancellation of work on theHermes B2 ramjet work that had begun at Fort Bliss.[36]
In late 1953, after troops had been trained at the Ft Bliss Guided Missile School, field-firing operations of theMGM-5 Corporal were underway at Red Canyon Range Camp, WSPG.[37]: 263 In April 1950, the 1st Guided Missile Group named theRepublic-Ford JB-2 the Army Loon.[37]: 249
Fort Bliss trained thousands of U.S. Soldiers during theCold War. As the United States gradually came to master the art of building and operating missiles, Fort Bliss andWhite Sands Missile Range became more important to the country, and were expanded accordingly. In July 1957, the U.S. Army Air Defense Center was established at Fort Bliss. Located at this center, in addition to Center Headquarters, are theU.S. Army Air Defense School; Air Defense; the 6th Artillery Group (Air Defense); the 61st Ordnance Group; and other supporting elements.[38][39] In 1957, Fort Bliss and its anti-aircraft personnel began usingNike Ajax,Nike Hercules,Hawk,Sprint, Chaparral, andRedeye missiles.[15][40] Fort Bliss took on the important role of providing a large area for troops to conductlive fire exercises with the missiles.
Because of the large number of Army personnel enrolled in the air defense school, Fort Bliss saw two large rounds of construction in 1954 and 1958. The 1954 build was aimed at creating more barracks facilities. Construction in 1958 built new classrooms, materials labs, a radar park, and a missile laboratory.[15] Between 1953 and 1957, the Army expanded McGregor Range in an effort to accommodate live fire exercises of the new missile systems.[15] Throughout theCold War, Fort Bliss remained a premier site for testing anti-aircraft equipment.
Fort Bliss was used as the Desert Stage of theRanger School training course, to prepare Ranger School graduates for operations in the deserts of the Middle East. From 1983 to 1987, Fort Bliss was home to the Ranger School's newly formed 4th (Desert Ranger) Training Company. In 1987, this unit was expanded to form the newly createdRanger Training Brigade's short-lived 7th Ranger Training Battalion, which was then transferred to theDugway Proving Grounds inUtah. The deserts of Utah proved to be unsuitable, so the 7th Ranger Training Battalion was returned to Fort Bliss from 1991 until the Ranger School's Desert Phase was discontinued in 1995.
While theUnited States Army Air Defense Artillery School develops doctrine and tactics, training current and future soldiers has always been Fort Bliss' core mission. Until 1990, Fort Bliss was used forBasic Training andAdvanced Individual Training (AIT), under the 1/56 ADA Regiment and the 2/56 ADA Regiment, part of the 6th ADA. Before 1989, 1/56 had three basic training companies and two AITbatteries. After 1990, 1/56 dropped basic training, that mission assumed byFort Sill. The unit now had four enlisted batteries for enlisted AIT, one battery for the Officer's Basic Course and Captain's Career Course, added in 2004, and one company that trained army truck drivers inMOS 88M.
In 1995, the Department of Defense recommended that theU.S. 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment be relocated toFort Carson, Colorado. Efforts to consolidate units from another post with those units that remained at Fort Bliss were overruled by theBase Realignment and Closing Commission, leaving Fort Bliss without any armored vehicles. Units operating the US Army'sMIM-104 Patriot Missile Defense System relocated to Fort Bliss during the 1990s. The Patriot system played an important role in thePersian Gulf War/Operation Desert Storm in 1991. In commemoration, theUS 54 expressway in northeastEl Paso was designated the Patriot Freeway.
After theSeptember 11, 2001 attacks, Fort Bliss provided ADA Battalions for US and NATO use in Afghanistan and Iraq, and has served as one of the major deployment centers for troops bound forIraq andAfghanistan. This mission is accomplished via nearbyBiggs Army Airfield, which is included in the installation's supporting areas. Following theWar in Afghanistan (2001–2021) in 2001 Fort Bliss began training Afghan security forces at theU.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy at Fort Bliss, with the hope that these newly trained soldiers would eventually be able to take control of their own national security.
In 2005, the Pentagon recommended transforming Fort Bliss into a heavy armor training post, to include approximately 11,500 new troops from theU.S. 1st Armored Division – at that time stationed in Germany – as well as units fromFort Sill andFort Hood.[41] An estimated 15,918 military jobs and 384 civilian jobs were planned to be transferred to Fort Bliss, brought the total number of troops stationed at Fort Bliss under this alignment to 33,500 by 2012.[42] Officials from Fort Bliss and the City of El Paso were thrilled with the decision. The general mood of the city government was perfectly captured by 14 May edition of theEl Paso Times, which boldly proclaimed "BLISS WINS BIG".[43]
According toSenatorEliot Shapleigh, the BRAC commission considered three primary factors to make its decision: The military value of Fort Bliss, the potential for other branches of the armed service to use a post as large as Fort Bliss, and the lack of urban encroachment around Fort Bliss that would otherwise hinder its growth.[41] The arrival of the 11,500 troops from the 1st Armored Division was also expected to create some 20,196 direct and indirect military and civilian jobs in El Paso.[44]
According to theDepartment of Defense, this is the largest net gain in the United States tied to the Base Realignment and Closure recommendations. Of the 20,196 new jobs expected to come to El Paso as a result of Bliss's realignment, 9,000 would be indirect civilian jobs created by the influx of soldiers to the "Sun City". When the BRAC commission recommendations were released SenatorKay Bailey Hutchison's spokesman reported that El Paso was the only area that came out with a major gain of forces.[44]
The news that El Paso had been selected to receive major elements of the 1st Armored Division was met with joy, but at the same time many expressed surprise at the panel's recommendation to transfer the Air Defense Artillery School,6th ADA Brigade, and its accompanying equipment, including theMIM-104 Patriot Missile Anti-Aircraft/Anti Missile defense system, toFort Sill.[43] In August, officials representing Fort Bliss went before the BRAC Commission to plead their case for maintaining the ADA school and its accompanying equipment at Fort Bliss, citing among other thing the size of Fort Bliss and the history of the ADA school in the region.[1] The BRAC Commission ultimately ruled against Fort Bliss,[45] and the roughly 4,500 affected soldiers were transferred toFort Sill, Oklahoma. The entire transfer of soldiers to and from Fort Bliss was completed no later than September 2011.[1]
In June 2009, authority over the post was shifted fromTraining and Doctrine Command toForces Command.[46]
A 2010 joint study by Fort Bliss and El Paso-area city governments found that desalination was a viable method for increasing El Paso's water supply by 25%.[47] TheKay Bailey Hutchison Desalination Plant, on Montana Avenue, is located on Fort Bliss property, and desalinates the groundwater of the Hueco Bolson for use by El Paso and Fort Bliss. This reverse-osmosis plant protects the fresh groundwater supplies from invasion by more brackish water.[48] This plant is currently the largest non-seawater desalination plant in the world.[49]
In 2010, with the assumption of command by Major GeneralDana J.H. Pittard, a local that grew up in El Paso, Fort Bliss was made an "open post" which allowed anyone with a valid driver's license to enter the post.[50] From 2015, Fort Bliss was no longer an open post. In 2020, 1st Armored Division's Operations Research and Systems Analysis officer (ORSA) created aCOVID-19 progression rate model for the division. This model was used by the COVID-19 task force for the City of El Paso.[51]
In July 2010, electric power consumption at Fort Bliss had been reduced by three megawatts as the base continued to work towards becoming a "net zero" energy installation.[52] In 2011 the1st Armored Division moved fromBaumholder,Germany to Fort Bliss, prompting significant expansion at the base in order to accommodate the relocated.[53] In April 2013, Major GeneralDana J.H. Pittard announced a $120 million project to be completed by 2015, consisting of the largest solar farm within the U.S. military.[54][55]
In June 2013, an investigation into above-ground dirt-covered bunkers located on the military reservation was opened. These former nuclear weapons bunkers were used by the Air Force during the Cold War, when Biggs Air Force Base was a SAC base. Low level radiation was detected in Bunker 11507. The bunker interiors were previously painted with epoxy paint to contain the radiation, and the paint has now chipped. The radiation contamination is confined to the area around the bunker. The area was closed in July 2013.[56]
In August 2025 a Fort Bliss tank crewman specialist, who possessed a Top Secret (TS) / Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) security clearance, was arrested and charged with attempting to transmit sensitive defense information to theRussian Ministry of Defence.[57]
On 17 August 2025 anImmigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility opened in Fort Bliss. The facility is called Camp East Montana and has a capacity of 1,000, eventually 5,000, detainees.[58]
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Among Fort Bliss's missions:
Training missions are supported by the McGregor Range Complex, located some 25 miles (40 km) to the northeast of the main post, in New Mexico. Most of Fort Bliss lies in the state ofNew Mexico, stretching northeastward alongU.S. Route 54 fromEl Paso County, Texas to the southern boundary of theLincoln National Forest inOtero County, New Mexico. Much of the northwestward side of Highway 54 is part of the Fort Bliss Military Reservation, ranging from the northern side ofChaparral, New Mexico to the southern boundary ofWhite Sands Missile Range.[65] The main facilities are within the city limits ofEl Paso, Texas. On the city zoning map, the post officially resides inCentral El Paso.
The fort is serviced by theEl Paso Independent School District for K–12 education.[66]
Separate from the main post are theWilliam Beaumont Army Medical Center, which also serves thewarrior transition battalion for the post'swounded warriors, and aDepartment of Veterans Affairs center at the eastern base of theFranklin Mountains. All of these supporting missions serve the military and retired-military population here, including having servedGeneral of the ArmyOmar N. Bradley in his last days. In June 2011, a new warrior transition complex, located at Marshall and Cassidy roads, was opened to replace the older facility serving the warrior transition battalion. A new location for William Beaumont Army Medical Center, to be located at Spur 601 and Loop 375, is rescheduled to be completed in September 2019.[67]
The installation is close to the El Paso Airport (with easy access from the post via Buffalo Soldier Road),[68] Highway 54, and Interstate 10. There is a replica of the Magoffinsville site for Fort Bliss on post, simulating the adobe style of construction.[69] Other items of interest include theBuffalo Soldier memorial statue at the Buffalo Soldier Gate of entry to the post, and a missile museum on Pleasanton Road.
Fort Bliss archaeologists manage 20,000 sites on the 1.12 million acre reservation, and serve as tribal liaison to seven federally-funded Indian tribes.[71] TheHueco Tanks historic site in El Paso county is adjacent to the military reservation. Cultural liaison with the tribes at the sacred sites of the reservation is an annual event.[71] The walls of the old Fort Bliss Officers Club contain adobe bricks that are more than a century old. The building houses aFamily Readiness Group, where new personnel can learn about the post's activities and support groups. The Fort Bliss Welcome center, for new arrivals, is nearby, in the Building 500 area.[citation needed]
Fort Bliss has been designated a "No Drone Zone" by the FAA, out to 400 feet beyond the lateral edges of the military reservation. This is enforced by the Military Police.[72] Counter-UAS training is available on-post.[73]
Fort Bliss is the single largest employer in the area, supporting 167,358 people, with an estimated annual contribution of approximately 25.6 billion.[when?]
Fort Bliss is located among a population of more than 2.5M ("Three States, Two Nations").[citation needed]
Fort Bliss has assisted El Paso during local disasters. In 1897, and in 1925, the fort provided food and housing to those displaced by flood waters.[15] In 2006, Fort Bliss dispatched soldiers and helicopters to the flood-affected areas to help with rescue efforts there.[74]
The Fort Blisscensus-designated place is located at31°48′07″N106°25′29″W / 31.801847°N 106.424608°W /31.801847; -106.424608.[75] According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the census-designated place has an area of 6.2 square miles (16.0 km2), all of it land. In terms of itsUnited States physiographic region, it is a southern part of theBasin and Range Province.
Fort Bliss CDP | |
|---|---|
 Location of thecensus-designated place in El Paso County | |
 | |
| Coordinates:31°50′23″N106°22′29″W / 31.83965°N 106.374712°W /31.83965; -106.374712[76] | |
| Country | United States |
| State |  Texas |
| County |  El Paso |
| Area | |
• Total | 17.92 sq mi (46.4 km2) |
| • Land | 17.92 sq mi (46.4 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Elevation | 3,934 ft (1,199 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 11,260 |
| • Density | 628.3/sq mi (242.6/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CDT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| GNIS feature ID | 2408232[77] |
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 13,288 | — | |
| 1980 | 12,687 | −4.5% | |
| 1990 | 13,915 | 9.7% | |
| 2000 | 8,264 | −40.6% | |
| 2010 | 8,591 | 4.0% | |
| 2020 | 11,260 | 31.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[78] 1850–1900[79] 1910[80] 1920[81] 1930[82] 1940[83] 1950[84] 1960[85] 1970[86] 1980[87] 1990[88] 2000[89] 2010[90] | |||
Fort Bliss first appeared as anunincorporated community in the1970 United States census,[86] and as acensus-designated place in the1980 United States census.[87]
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[91] | Pop 2010[92] | Pop 2020[93] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 4,149 | 5,227 | 4,880 | 50.21% | 60.84% | 43.34% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 2,007 | 1,163 | 1,438 | 24.29% | 13.54% | 12.77% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 79 | 115 | 169 | 0.96% | 1.34% | 1.50% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 185 | 197 | 777 | 2.24% | 2.29% | 6.90% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 54 | 27 | 181 | 0.65% | 0.31% | 1.61% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 16 | 9 | 92 | 0.19% | 0.10% | 0.82% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 178 | 280 | 733 | 2.15% | 3.26% | 6.51% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1,596 | 1,573 | 2,990 | 19.32% | 18.31% | 26.55% |
| Total | 8,264 | 8,591 | 11,260 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
In the 2020 census there were 11,260 people and 2,282 households living on the post.[94] The population density was 628.3 inhabitants per square mile (242.6/km2). The racial makeup of the post was 58.2%White, 16.5%African American, 2.4%Asian, 1.4%Native American, 0.5%Pacific Islander, and 15.9% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 23.5% of the population.
Of the persons living there 12.4% were under the age of 5, 33.8% were under the age of 18 and 0.1% were over the age of 65. The female percentage was 38.2%. The average household size was 3.82.
The median income for a household on the post was $57,283. The per capita income for the post was $22,181. About 13.1% of the population were below the poverty line.
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(July 2021) |
Fort Bliss is within theEl Paso Independent School District.[95]
Bliss Elementary School is inside Fort Bliss,[96] serving family housing areas on the main post.[97] Milam Elementary School is in the Aero Vista development on Fort Bliss.[98] Residents zoned to Bliss Elementary are zoned to Navarrete Middle School andCaptain John L. Chapin High School. Residents zoned to Milam are zoned to Hartley School andAustin High School.[97]
TheBundeswehr maintains a school for German national children at Fort Bliss.[99] The grade 1–12 school was established circa 1976, and in 2016 had 55 students.[100]
The Replica Museum is located next to the Noel Parade Field and depicts the Post at the Magoffinsville site. This five building museum was authentically constructed withadobe bricks and paintedstucco, and includes asutler store, bunkhouse,blacksmith shop,saddlery, and a pottery kiln. The museum depicts the story of Fort Bliss and El Paso from 1848 to 1948 and was dedicated on the 100th anniversary.
The Fort Bliss and Ironsides Museums are located next to the Athletic Field and includes outdoor and indoor exhibits. These include important historical artifacts from the founding of Fort Bliss to the present day, such as General Pershing's Dodge Command Car and aPatriot Missile.
TheFort Bliss Main Post Historic District, a large historic district including 343 buildings deemed to becontributing, was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places in 1998.
{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help){{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)In 1960, organizational control of theMGM-5 Corporal transferred from the ARGMA to the ABMA.
Schools located on the Fort Bliss installation or on federal property fall within the EPISD boundaries, according to the liaison office.
[...]Bliss Elementary School[...]which wouldn't be allowed onto Fort Bliss, where the school is located.
Milam, located within the Aero Vista housing community on the Fort Bliss installation,[...]
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