Fort Hood Fort Hood is a United States military post located in Killeen , Texas . The post is named after Confederate General John Bell Hood . It is located halfway between Austin and Waco , about from each , within the U . S . state of Texas . Its origin was the need for wide - open space to test and train with World War II tank destroyers . The War Department announced the location in January 1942 , and the initial completion was set for that August . As originally constructed , Fort Hood had an area of 158 , 706 acres , with billeting for 6 , 007 officers and 82 , 610 enlisted personnel . The main cantonment of Fort Hood had a total population of 53 , 416 as of the 2010 U . S . Census . It is in Bell County , with some portions of the post in Coryell County . History . Origins . During World War II , tank destroyer s were developed to counter German mobile armored units . These were mobile anti - tank guns on armored halftrack s or specially developed tanks . Wide - open space was needed for the tank destroyer testing and training , which Texas had in abundance . Andrew Davis ( A . D . ) Bruce was assigned to organize a new Tank Destroyer Tactical and Firing Center , and he chose Killeen , Texas for the new camp . The War Department announced the selection on 15 January 1942 . An initial acquisition of 108 , 000 acres ( 169 mi² / 437 km² ) was made , and it was estimated that the camp would cost $ 22 , 800 , 000 for the land , facilities , and development of utilities . The date of completion was set for 15 August 1942 . About 300 families had to move from their homes to make room for the camp area and the communities of Clear Creek , Elijah , and Antelope were demolished to facilitate construction of the base . The old Sugar Loaf community , historically called the " Cradle of Killeen , " provided the city with many of its first citizens in 1882 . All that remains of the community is the mountain from which it took its name , located in the Fort Hood area . To lessen the burden of moving , the Army agreed to allow land to be used for grazing for a nominal grazing fee . This grazing arrangement still continues today . In mid - August the camp was occupied and the official opening took place on 18 September 1942 . Fort Hood was named for the Confederate General John Bell Hood , who gained recognition during the Civil War as the commander of Hood ' s Texas Brigade . The original facilities provided housing and training sites for nearly 38 , 000 troops . In January 1943 , an additional 16 , 000 acres ( 65 km² ) in Bell County and 34 , 943 acres ( 141 km² ) in Coryell County near Gatesville , Texas were purchased . The site near Gatesville was known as the sub - camp and later as North Fort Hood . During the war years , North Fort Hood housed nearly 40 , 000 troops and 4 , 000 prisoners of war , and was the site for the southern branch of the United States Disciplinary Barracks . At the end of 1942 there were about 45 , 000 troops living and training at Camp Hood . Camp Hood reached its peak population of almost 95 , 000 troops in late June 1943 . These strengths were maintained until early 1944 . In 1944 the number of tank destroyer battalions in training at Camp Hood declined rapidly . Field artillery battalions and the Infantry Replacement Training Center replaced them in March 1944 . By September , the Infantry Center was the largest activity on post , reaching a peak of 31 , 545 troops . The total camp population on the last day of 1944 was 50 , 228 . The last year of World War II saw a major shift of emphasis in Camp Hood ' s mission and a drastic reduction in population . As the war came to an end , the training of troops slowed and equipment reclamation and demobilization planning became the priorities . A separation center was established in September 1945 , and as the year ended , post strength had fallen to 1 , 807 prisoners and about 11 , 000 troops . In mid - 1954 , III Corps moved from California to Fort Hood . The Corps supervised the training of combat units at Fort Hood and other Fourth Army stations from 1954 to 1959 when III Corps was inactivated . Probably , the most famous trainee to come through Fort Hood was Elvis Presley , arriving on 28 March 1958 . Other than receiving record amounts of mail ( 3 - 4 bags per day ) , Presley was treated like all other trainees . On 19 September , Presley shipped out for Germany . Also during this period , the 4th Armored Division was reactivated at Fort Hood and deployed to Germany as part of the " Gyroscope " concept of unit movement . In September 1961 , Fort Hood again became the home for the III Corps , and in February 1962 , III Corps was assigned as part of the U . S . Army Strategic Army Corps ( STRAC ) . On 15 June 1963 Killeen Base was turned over to the Army . In October 1969 , Killeen Base was designated as West Fort Hood and the airfield ' s name was designated as Robert Gray Army Airfield . The base was named after a Killeen native who was a pilot of a B - 25 bomber on the famous Doolittle Raid on Tokyo in 1942 . He was killed later in World War II flying combat missions . With the redesignation came a change in mission at West Fort Hood . Nuclear weapons were removed ; they had been secretly kept there since 1947 . During the late 1960s Fort Hood trained and deployed a number of units and individuals for duty in Vietnam . As the United States ended its role in the conflict , thousands of returning soldiers completed their active duty with one of the divisions . During this time , the post began a modernization effort . In 13 September 1965 Darnall Hospital opened and began providing medical care to the Fort Hood community . In 1970 , construction began on Palmer Theater and Venable Village was dedicated . Modern barracks were springing up around post . The wood buildings of Fort Hood were quickly being replaced with modern brick structures . In September 1967 , Fort Hood was officially designated a two - division post with the 1st and 2d Armored Divisions . In 1971 the colors of the 1st Cavalry Division came to Fort Hood from Vietnam , resulting in the reflagging of the 1st Armored Division , the colors of which were sent to Germany to reflag the 4th Armored Division . Elements of the 13th Support Brigade deployed to the 1972 Nicaragua earthquake to assist in disaster relief from 23 December 1972 to 19 January 1973 , with its soldiers serving at Camp Christine , Managua , Nicaragua . Since the early 1970s , Fort Hood has played a major role in the training , testing , and introduction of new equipment , tactics , and organizations . A primary player in the test and evaluation mission has been the U . S . Army Training and Doctrine Command ' s Test and Experimentation Command ( now the U . S . Army Operational Test Command ) , located at West Fort Hood . Fort Hood has been instrumental in the fielding of the M1 Abrams tank , M2 / 3 Bradley Infantry / Cavalry Fighting Vehicle , the Multiple Launch rocket System ( MLRS ) , and the AH - 64 Apache helicopter . In January 1975 , the 1st Cav " First Team " was reorganized , as the Army ' s newest armored division . Since fielding the M - 1 Abrams in 1980 , force modernization has continued as a major focus . The First Team became the first division to field the AH - 64 Apache attack helicopter , M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle , the Humvee , the Multiple Launch Rocket System and Mobile Subscriber Equipment ( MSE ) tactical communications . Army expeditions since 1958 . The 4th Infantry Division was selected in 1958 to be the sole infantry component in the Strategic Army Corps ( STRAC ) and assigned the mission to suppress aggression wherever American interests were threatened . In August 1990 , Fort Hood was alerted for deployments to Southwest Asia as part of the joint forces participating in Operation Desert Shield . The deployment to Saudi Arabia began in September , extending into mid - October . Upon its return to the United States , the 1st Cavalry Division became the largest division in the Army , with the reactivation of its 3rd Brigade ( " Greywolf " ) on 21 May 1991 . October 1992 saw the activation of the Engineer Brigade , 1st Cavalry Division . Through the Engineer Restructuring Initiative , the nucleus of the brigade was formed around the 8th Engineer Battalion . The 20th Engineer Battalion was brought from Fort Campbell , KY , to join the brigade , and the 91st Engineer Battalion was activated to complete the brigade . In November 1992 , the unit designations for the battalions remaining from the former " Tiger ' Brigade of the 2nd Armored Division were returned prior to 2nd AD ' s activation at Fort Hood on 2 December 1992 . This action was done to realign the historical designations of units to their parent divisions . On 29 November 1992 , the 3d Battalion , 41st Infantry was designated as the 1st Battalion , 9th Cavalry ; 1st Battalion , 67th Armor to 3d Battalion , 8th Cavalry , and 1st Battalion , 3rd Field Artillery to 2d Battalion , 82d Field Artillery . On 16 December 1992 , 1st Cavalry Division units designated to accomplish realignments for historical purposes and included the 1st Battalion , 32d Armor reflagged as 2d Battalion , 12th Cavalry ; 3d Battalion , 32d Armor to 1st Battalion , 12th Cavalry ; and Battery A , 333d Field Artillery to Battery B , 26th Field Artillery . During the post war periods called Operation Desert Calm and Operation Provide Comfort , Fort Hood units continued to serve in the Persian Gulf area . From December 1992 to May 1993 , Fort Hood soldiers deployed to Somalia for Operation Restore Hope to command and control the Joint Task Force Support Command . In the fall of 1994 , Fort Hood units participated in the largest deployment since Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm executed split base operations in the Caribbean Basin , Central America and Southwest Asia , in support of Operations Vigilant Warrior and Sea Signal V , as well as other contingency operations . 13th COSCOM Commander Brig . Gen . Billy K . Solomon deployed along with a portion of the headquarters in December 1992 to Mogadishu to serve as the nucleus of Joint Task Force Support Command . Their major units included the 593d Support Group ( Fort Lewis ) , 36th Engineer Group ( Fort Benning ) , 7th Transportation Group ( Fort Eustis ) , and 62d Medical Group ( Fort Lewis ) . Soldiers of the Lucky 13th returned to Fort hood in May 1993 . As a result of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission ( BRAC ) reductions , the 5th Infantry Division ( Mechanized ) , then located at Fort Polk Louisiana , was reflagged as the U . S . 2nd Armored Division in late 1992 . By mid - 1993 the division at Fort Hood had completed changes of unit names to those associated with the 5th Division , and began participation in the early stages of the Army ' s Experimental Force , Force XXI . In 1995 , the 2nd Armored Division was reflagged as the U . S . 4th Infantry Division . Twenty - five years after making its home in Colorado , the Ironhorse Division was again restationed to meet the Army ' s requirements but this move would be quite different from others . The Ironhorse Division became a split - based organization with six brigades and three separate battalions stationed at Fort Hood and the 3rd Brigade Combat Team remaining at Fort Carson . By December 1995 The 4th Infantry Division ( Mechanized ) assumed responsibility as the Army ' s Experimental Force ( Force XXI ) , and on 15 December 1995 its colors were unfurled for the first time over central Texas and Fort Hood . Since the 1990s , Fort Hood units have supported Operation Joint Endeavor in Bosnia and Herzegovina . In October 1998 , The 1st Cavalry Division was the first United States division to assume authority of the Multinational Division ( North ) area of operation in Bosnia - Herzegovina . The mission was to conduct operations to enforce the military provisions set forth by the Dayton Peace Accords . In 1998 , the Ironhorse Division was designated to be the Army ' s first Multi - Component unit . The main objective being to enhance Total Force integration , optimize the unique capabilities of each component , and improve the overall readiness of the Army . The program was developed to leverage the strengths of the Army ' s three components ( active , reserve and National Guard ) . As such , 515 positions within the division have been designated as reserve component . These positions include individuals , a unit from the Wyoming National Guard and dual - mission units from the Texas Army National Guard . In addition to peacekeeping efforts , Fort Hood units routinely participate in national and international disaster relief efforts . Hours after the 1985 Mexico City earthquake , III Corps units were ready to move out to provide assistance . Fort Hood units also aided Managua , Nicaragua , after an earthquake ravaged the city . During the 1990s , Fort Hood continued an extensive building program to modernize the post . This modernization continues today , with emphasis on quality of life , force projection and training . The Robertson Blood Center , Soldier Development Center , and a new commissary at Warrior Way have been completed . Many other improvements were made to improve the Power Projection Mission of the post such as improvements to the railhead and the runway at Gray Army Airfield . Training ranges have been upgraded . The beginning of 21st century saw modernization in the Army in full swing . Some of these new advances in technology and war fighting include the fielding of the M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank , the M2A2 Operation Desert Storm ( ODS ) Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle , the M109A6 Paladin Howitzer , the OH - 58D Kiowa Warrior , the AH - 64D Apache Longbow Helicopter , and the M6 Bradley Linebacker . Fort Hood was the first installation selected to privatize post housing under the residential communities initiative . Under this initiative , new housing units , remodeled housing and community improvements will be added to the post . The year 2001 ushered in a new era for Fort Hood as security and the war on terrorism became a prime focus . Fort Hood transitioned from an open to a closed post with the help of military police from reserve units . The 1st Cav sent additional troops to Kuwait as a protective measure against possible aggressive actions from Iraq . The 4003rd Garrison Support Reserve unit fills vacancies left by deploying units at Fort Hood . Fort Hood also has a key role as a training base for mobilizing Reserve and National Guard units to support the Homeland Defense effort . Many Fort Hood units have deployed to Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom , and to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom . The 4th Infantry Division was able to capture Saddam Hussein in December 2003 . The 1st Cavalry Division will follow on the heels of the 4th Infantry Division as they deploy to Iraq in the spring of 2004 . Task Force ODIN was created at Ft . Hood . 13th COSCOM and key enablers were called into action in support of Joint Task Force Katrina / Rita hurricane relief efforts in September 2005 and went on to serve as the senior joint logistical support command for JTF Katrina . 13th COSCOM eventually provided one hundred million rations , collected human remains with dignity , executed emergency engineering operations , transported , distributed and stored over one billion dollars in humanitarian relief from both non - governmental and federal sources from across the nation . In 2009 , Fort Carson , Colorado ' s First Army Division West re - stationed to Fort Hood in order to consolidate its mission to conduct Reserve Component mobilization training and validation for deployment , switching places with 4th Infantry Division , which relocated to Fort Carson . Today , Fort Hood has nearly 65 , 000 soldiers and family members and serves as a home for the following units : Headquarters III Corps ; First Army Division West ; the 1st Cavalry Division ; 13th Sustainment Command ( formerly 13th Corps Support Command ) ; 89th Military Police Brigade ; 504th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade ; 21st Cavalry Brigade ( Air Combat ) ; 4th Combat Aviation Brigade ; and the 31st Air Defense Artillery Brigade . Fort Hood also includes Carl R . Darnall Army Medical Center and the Medical And Dental Activities as tenant units . 2007 navigation exercise incident . On 12 June 2007 , the body of Lawrence George Sprader , Jr was found at about 8 : 30 p . m . in a brushy area located within the Central Texas Army post ' s training ground . He had gone missing for days while conducting the exercise for testing basic map - reading and navigation skills . A massive search had been conducted , with over 3000 parties scouring the countryside . According to autopsy records , he had died from hyperthermia and dehydration . According to an Army investigatory report , there were " a multitude of procedural violations , judgment errors and alleged acts of misconduct by Army trainers that not only contributed to Sprader ' s death but put some 300 other soldiers in danger that day , including about two dozen who required medical attention . " 2009 shooting . On 5 November 2009 , a gunman opened fire in the Soldier Readiness Center of Fort Hood and killed thirteen people while wounding thirty others . Nidal Malik Hasan , a U . S . Army Major and psychiatrist , was alleged to be the gunman . He was non - fatally shot and then arrested by Department of the Army police officers Sergeant Mark Todd & Sergeant Kimberly Munley . Eye witnesses to the actual events said : " . . . Major Hasan wheeled on Sergeant Munley as she rounded the corner of a building and shot her , putting her on the ground . Then Major Hasan turned his back on her and started putting another magazine into his semiautomatic pistol . It was at that moment that Senior Sgt . Mark Todd , a veteran police officer , rounded another corner of the building , found Major Hasan fumbling with his weapon and shot him . " On 12 November , Hasan was charged with thirteen counts of premeditated murder and now also faces thirty - two counts of attempted premeditated murder for the thirty soldiers and two civilian police officers injured in the shooting . Anti - war activity . Fort Hood has served as a hub for anti - war activity during both the Vietnam War ( e . g . the " Fort Hood Three " incident ) and the War on Terror . From 1968 - 1972 , the Oleo Strut was a G . I . coffeehouse located near post in Killeen , Texas . The coffee house was featured in the documentary " Sir ! No Sir ! " . In 2009 , the tradition of The Oleo Strut continued when the Under the Hood Café opened . The location serves as an outreach center for antiwar activists to reach out to area soldiers , and provide them with support . Recently several soldiers supported by Under the Hood haven taken public acts of resistance , including Amnesty International Prisoner of Conscience Travis Bishop . Demographics . As of the census of 2000 , there were 33 , 711 people , 5 , 819 households , and 5 , 679 families residing in the CDP . The population density was 2 , 255 . 7 people per square mile ( 870 . 6 / km² ) . There were 5 , 941 housing units at an average density of 397 . 5 per square mile ( 153 . 4 / km² ) . The racial makeup of the CDP was 50 . 7 % White , 31 . 6 % African American , 1 . 2 % Native American , 2 . 1 % Asian , 0 . 8 % Pacific Islander , 8 . 7 % from other races , and 4 . 8 % from two or more races . 16 . 7 % of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race . There were 5 , 819 households out of which 87 . 6 % had children under the age of eighteen living with them , 87 . 1 % were married couples living together , 8 . 2 % had a female householder with no husband present , and 2 . 4 % were non - families . 2 . 0 % of all households were made up of individuals and 0 . 0 % had someone living alone who is sixty - five years of age or older . The average household size was 3 . 92 and the average family size was 3 . 95 . The age distribution was 33 . 3 % under the age of eighteen , 32 . 3 % from eighteen to twenty - four , 33 . 1 % from twenty - five to forty - four , 1 . 2 % from forty - five to sixty - four , and 0 . 1 % who were sixty - five years of age or older . The median age was twenty - one years . For every one hundred females there were 163 . 4 males . For every one hundred females over the age of eighteen there were 209 . 4 males . All of these statistics are typical for military bases . The median income for a household on the base was $ 32 , 552 , and the median income for a family was $ 32 , 296 . Males had a median income of $ 18 , 884 versus $ 17 , 101 for females . The per capita income for the CDP was $ 11 , 078 . 9 . 5 % of the population and 8 . 3 % of families were below the poverty line . Out of the total population , 11 . 0 % of those under the age of eighteen and 25 . 8 % of those sixty - five and older were living below the poverty line . Military base . Fort Hood is one of the largest United States military installations in the world , and is the home of III Corps , 1st Cavalry Division , 13th Sustainment Command , First Army Division West , 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment , 41st Fires Brigade and many other Forces Command and other units . The 4th Infantry Division recently completed its move from Fort Hood to Fort Carson , Colorado , exchanging positions with several units . The 4th Infantry Division Museum closed at Fort Hood for the last time on 29 May 2009 to complete its move to Colorado . Before the Breakup of the Soviet Union , Fort Hood was billed as the largest military base in the free world ( Fort Benning is larger in personnel though not in land area ) . During peacetime , Fort Hood is a gated post , with the 1st Cavalry Division Museum , the Belton Lake Outdoor Recreation Area ( BLORA ) , and a number of other facilities that are open to the public . Access to the cantonments became restricted starting on 12 September 2001 . However , passes are available to visit the two museums on post , and the lake area remains open to the public without restriction since it is outside the cantonments . Various events , including the annual Independence Day celebration , which has one of the largest fireworks displays in the country , are open to the public . Shortly after the 2000 census , responsibility for post housing was turned over to privatized partnership with Actus Lend Lease . Under the terms of the contract , most of the housing has been remodeled or rebuilt , and hundreds of new units have been built or are in the process of being built , operating as Fort Hood Family Housing . The nine schools on Fort Hood are part of the Killeen Independent School District . Fort Hood consists of three sections : the main cantonment , West Fort Hood , and North Fort Hood . The main cantonment is bounded by Killeen on the east and Copperas Cove on the west . The Fort Hood main cantonment area , otherwise referred to as Main post , holds its own airfield , Hood Army Airfield . North Fort Hood is bounded by Gatesville to the northwest . West Fort Hood , bounded by Killeen and Copperas Cove , includes Fort Hood ' s second airfield , Robert Gray Army Airfield , which has been expanded for civilian use ( Killeen - Fort Hood Regional Airport ( GRK ) ) and additional training areas . To the east and southeast , the reservation is bounded by Harker Heights , Nolanville , Belton , and Morgan ' s Point Resort .