Fort George G. Meade: The First 100 Years
You may know Fort George G. Meade as a cyber and intelligence hub, but did you know that the installation used to be the home of Army Tank School after World War I? Or that it housed an internment camp at the start of World War II for primarily German-American and Italian-American citizens and foreign nationals? Learn more about the fascinating history of the third largest Army base in the U.S. in terms of number of workforce in this book.
You may know Fort George G. Meade as a cyber and intelligence hub, but did you know that the installation used to be the home of Army Tank School after World War I? Or that it housed an internment camp at the start of World War II for primarily German-American and Italian-American citizens and foreign nationals? Learn more about the fascinating history of the third largest Army base in the U.S. in terms of number of workforce in this book.
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258 THE FIRST <strong>100</strong> YEARS<br />
acts of terrorism. Additionally, the guidelines required<br />
installations to test Antiterrorism/Force Protection Plans<br />
at least twice per year. We planned, designed, and executed<br />
three exercises per year, exceeding Army requirements,<br />
always keeping in mind the crucial role <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Meade</strong> plays<br />
in national security. Three of the installation’s most<br />
notable exercises were Blue Canary, Valliant Warrior, and<br />
Omega Falls. During a visit in 1998, a Department of<br />
Defense evaluation team rated <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Meade</strong>’s new plan as<br />
“one of the best it had evaluated.”<br />
Unfortunately, the plan was fully tested after the attacks<br />
of 9/11. Once the Military District of Washington<br />
had assessed what was happening and ordered the<br />
upgrade to our security measures, we implemented the<br />
plan immediately and were executing the new security<br />
protocols within the hour. Because the plan was clearly<br />
written, well-defined, and easily understood, <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Meade</strong><br />
was able to transition from normal operations to its<br />
highest security posture with little difficulty. I’m proud of<br />
the role I played in ensuring we had the necessary plans in<br />
place to execute the mission.<br />
Unfortunately, <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Meade</strong>’s gates never reopened for<br />
free passage again.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Installation Anti-terrorism/Force Protection Plan<br />
has served as a model for other installations. Copies were<br />
mailed to installations within the Military District of<br />
Washington and to a few installations assigned to other<br />
commands. <strong>The</strong> plan, a 600-page document at the time<br />
of my departure, has indeed served <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Meade</strong> well.<br />
***<br />
(Pg. 255) An Asymmetric Warfare soldier in Afghanistan.<br />
(Pg. 256) After the terror attack of Sept. 11, 2001, the threat<br />
level at <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Meade</strong> and military installations all over the<br />
world increased. <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Meade</strong> began active entrance control<br />
measures at five of its 13 entrances and closed all other<br />
entrances. (Right) Truemenda Green participates in the<br />
installation’s full scale exercise, Valiant Warrior II, conducted<br />
Oct. 18, 2005. (Pg. 259) Each year the installation holds a<br />
Joint Services Wellness and Remembrance Run to mark the<br />
events of Sept. 11, 2001.
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