Fort George G. Meade: The First 100 Years

Citizen Soldiers
Gen. Leonard Wood was the visionary to see the need for
the United States to have a military preparedness plan and
he and a few others organized the “Plattsburgh camps”,
a volunteer pre-enlistment training program organized by
private citizens before U.S. entry into WWI. The Citizen
Military Training Camp program was a continuation of
the Plattsburg Camp and was designed to offer male
citizens basic military training without an obligation to
be called up for active duty like the National Guard or
Reserve.
CMTC camps were a month-long and Camp Meade,
later Fort Meade, was one of about 50 Army posts
nationally that hosted a CMTC program each summer
from 1921 to 1940. Young men who attended the CMTC
at Meade were schooled as infantry, signal, cavalry or
artillery and they were assigned a color. Blue for their first
BETWEEN THE WARS
By Barbara Taylor
year, red if they successfully completed their second level
of training, and white if they successfully completed their
third level. Three levels of successful training meant they
were then eligible for a commission in the regular Army.
The last few days were spent practicing for their
graduation ceremony, which was attended by military and
civilian VIPs. They would march in formation as well
as any regular Army in front of senators, generals and
war department officials. Pershing often reviewed Camp
Meade's CMTC graduations.
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CMTC camps lasted a month and Meade was one of about
50 Army posts nationally that hosted a CMTC program each
summer from 1921 to 1940.
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