There are a lot of forts and military bases in the United States and one of them is Fort Lee. Fort Lee is a United States Army post and serves as the headquarters of the United States Army Combined Arms Support Command, the U.S. Defense Commissary Agency, the U S. Army Quartermaster School, the U.S. Army Ordinance School, and the U.S. Army Transportation School of the Army Logistics University. It has been designated to become the Army Sustainment Center of Excellence, a focused training base for maintenance, military supply, munitions, subsistence, and transportation, hence the nickname of The home of logistics.

Map of Fort Lee

Mission of Fort Lee

Named after Confederate General Robert E. Lee, Fort Lee is located along the Tri-cities of Colonel Heights, Hopewell, and Virginia-Petersburg. Fort Lees vision is to be recognized as the leader in base operations that set the standard, inspires success, and promotes innovation in the United States Army. The Fort Lee mission aims to provide base operations support, improve the quality of life inside the garrison, and to provide for the services needed by the Fort Lee community.

Because it has been designated to the U.S. Armys home of logistics, Fort Lee has undergone a massive modernization program with the help of a huge budget. Among the things that changed in Fort Lee include the addition of new facilities, administrative areas, dining facilities, barracks, and additional support for the hundreds of military families that stay inside the fort.

The people who run Fort Lee have four goals: to sustain, to prepare, to reset, and to transform. Fort Lee aims to strengthen soldier and army family readiness to make the army family covenant become a reality. It also aims to maintain and improve the forts energy and environmental sustainability, facilities, infrastructure, and services so it can benefit everyone who lives inside the fort. It also hopes to provide a standard and predictable support services that optimizes the resources within the fort for the betterment of the whole Fort Lee community. Furthermore, it also intends to adapt various Fort Lee programs according to the needs of the soldiers and their families who live inside the fort.

History of Fort Lee

Before it was Fort Lee, it was once a hunting ground for the Native Americans who lived in the area. The place where Fort Lee is located is the site of the Powhatan Confederation, whose tribes met the first European settlers in Jamestown when they arrived in 1607. Once the Europeans settled down, they soon established plantations of tobacco, corn, beans, root crops, and vegetables along the river.

During the American Revolution, Major General William Phillips crossed the area of Fort Lee to defeat the small patriot force in the area. The area also served as a silent witness when Washington and Rochambeaus combined armies defeated and captured Cornwallis in the Battle of Yorktown which secured Americas independence from the British.

During the American Civil War, an army of Yankees crossed Fort Lee in a surprise effort to cut off Confederate General Robert E. Lee from his supply base. It resulted in what is known as the longest siege in American history.

During the First World War, the first Camp Lee was chosen as a state mobilization camp just 18 days after the United States declared war against Germany. Later on, it became a division training camp. By the time construction of the camp ended, the camp housed more than 60,000 soldiers. It was named after the confederate commander in July 1917. After the war, it became as an out-processing center then after the buildings were torn down, the area was used as a game preserve.

In the Second World War, a second Camp Lee was constructed on the site of the first Camp Lee, and the Quartermaster Replacement Training center started its operations in February 1941. It also became a home for the Medical Replacement Training Center.

After the war, the Army decided to keep on using Camp Lee as a center for Quartermaster training. Its permanent status as this type of facility was bestowed in 1950 and it was renamed as Fort Lee. After the Korean and Vietnam Wars, Fort Lee expanded its facilities to include Army Logistics Management Center, Readiness Group Lee, Material Systems Analysis Activity, among others. New petroleum and water field training facilities were also constructed and these received all new, state-of-the-art headquarters and facilities in 2000. After 9/11, Fort Lee had to adopt new policies to protect the fort from future terrorist attacks.

Today, the facilities inside Fort Lee are continuing to get long term physical improvements, and more and more organizations are relocating and consolidating their operations in Fort Lee. Dozens of new buildings are under construction as well, including new classrooms, fitness and dining facilities, outdoor training sites, and high-rise housing projects.

Other Information

The largest and most diverse military posts are located in Fort Lee. The major commands that are housed in Fort Lee include Combined Arms Support Command, the U.S. Army Quartermaster School, and the Defense Commissary Agency. It also supports a number of the Armys units including the 217th Military Police Detachment, 23rd Quartermaster Brigade, and the Marine Corps Detachment. It is also home to various organizations in the Army including Combines Arms Support Command, Sustainment Center of Excellence, Military Entrance Processing Station, and Defense Military Pay Office.

Today, the Fort Lee Garrison Command Group is lead by the Garrison Commander, Colonel Rodney D. Edge. Helping him are Melissa S. Magowan, Deputy to the Garrison Commander, and Command Sergeant Major June E. Seay, Garrison Command Sergeant Major.

If you are planning to visit Fort Lee, you can choose four routes to go there: the I-95 Southbound from Arlington, the I-95 Northbound from Rocky Mount, the I-64 Eastbound from Charlottesville, or the I-64 Westbound from Virginia Beach. If you will be coming in by plane, you will be landing in the Richmond International Airport where you can catch an airport shuttle that will take you inside Fort Lee. You can also take one of the authorized taxi services in order to visit Fort Lee. Remember to visit the Visitor Center located near the Lee Gate if you have any inquiries.

Video – History of Fort Lee, VA