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The 550-square-mile base straddles the Texas and New Mexico border and spans about the size of Rhode Island. Its 1,500 square miles of restricted airspace made it prime for missile and artillery training and testing, including captured Nazi V-2 rockets and modern Patriot missile batteries. However, from now through 2011, Fort Bliss will see a transition from air defense to heavy armor training as the 1st Armored Division rolls in. More than 30,000 troops will transfer from Germany to El Paso, boosting the area’s population and economy.
Fort Bliss was established in 1846, during the Mexican-American War; afterward, it primarily served to protect settlers against Apache and Comanche raids. It was renamed in 1854 after Brevet Lt. Col. William Wallace Smith Bliss, Gen. Zachary Taylor’s adjutant general during the Mexican-American War.
Gen. John Pershing launched his unsuccessful punitive pursuit of Pancho Villa from Fort Bliss following Villa’s attack on Columbus, N.M. (George Patton was an aide to Pershing). While Pershing’s 1916-1917 campaign into Mexico failed to track down Villa, it did afford the testing of new armored vehicles, cars, and airplanes that were used extensively in World War I. Fort Bliss began its transition from a cavalry post to a modern warfare proving ground. With the increased use of airplanes in modern warfare, antiaircraft artillery became more important, and the wide-open spaces of Fort Bliss provided the perfect training ground, as adjacent White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico provided perfect testing grounds.
After World War II, captured German rocket scientists, including Wernher von Braun, were taken to Fort Bliss to continue their research for the United States. The German V-1 and V-2 guided missiles were transported and studied here as well, giving rise to the U.S. guided missile and space programs.
Today, Fort Bliss serves as a major deployment center for troops headed to Iraq and Afghanistan. It employs more than 6,800 civilians, making it El Paso’s second largest employer after the El Paso Independent School District.
In 2008, Fort Bliss pumped almost $2 billion into the El Paso economy. By 2013, that figure could grow to $6.3 billion, mayor John Cook said in his state of the city address.
You can learn more about the history of Fort Bliss and the different roles it has played in U.S. defense by visiting the Fort Bliss Museum and Study Center and Air Defense Artillery Museum. As the 1st Armored Division moves to Fort Bliss, 17 tanks from the division’s distinguished history will be displayed at the museum. The museum’s V-2 rocket remains on display as well. Towering decommissioned missiles, tanks, and other military equipment greet you in the museum’s parking lot. Inside, examine more vehicles, weapons, and photos dating to the early days of the base.
In the nearby Old Fort Bliss Magoffinsville Post museum, see what the barracks looked like when saddle design was considered state-of-the-art technology.
From the El Paso International Airport, travel north on Airport Road to Airway Boulevard. The Robert E. Lee entrance is on the left. Be prepared to show the guard your identification, vehicle insurance, and registration. You will receive a day pass and directions. The museum is free and open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Call (915) 568-3390 or (915) 568-4518.
