Road Trip: Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia

Marine Corps Base Quantico is located near Triangle, Virginia. Known as the "Crossroads of the Marine Corps", it is a major Marine Corps training base, covering nearly 100 square miles. The Corps's Combat Development Command is based here, which develops strategies for Marine combat, and makes up most of the community of over 12,000 military and civilian personnel, including families.

Spaniards visited Quantico 40 years before Jamestown was settled and Captain John Smith explored the Potomac banks in 1608. Tobacco was the main product of early Scottish settlers in the Quantico area, which was the home of many Revolutionary War heroes. American, British and French armies used nearby roads to move from one battlefield to another. During the Civil War, Confederates used the Potomac's banks as gun positions to halt Union traffic on the river. By the 1880s the land had been acquired by speculators, who sold it to the Corps in 1917.

Prospects of a Pacific War in the 1920s showed a need for revolutionary new tactics and hardware. The techniques of amphibious warfare were conceived and perfected here. Marines at the predecessor of today's Marine Corps Systems Command designed equipment to ensure successful amphibious operations. Quantico aviators developed close-air support tactics to aid troops on the ground.

In 1947, Quantico Marines conceived of carrying troops from ship to shore by helicopter and formed a special squadron to test the idea, Marine Helicopter Squadron One, commonly referred to as HMX-1. The helicopter techniques they used here later proved invaluable during the Korean and Vietnam wars. More recently, Quantico played a large part in the development of V/STOL aircraft and amphibious assault ships.

Since its inception in 1917, Marine Corps Base, Quantico, has been the "frontline of innovation." Marine concepts, doctrine, training, and equipment of the future are initiated aboard the Base. The techniques of amphibious warfare, for which the Corps is renowned, were conceived and perfected here.

Quantico also serves as the focal point for professional military education. The Marine Corps University provides the academic platform the Corps uses to shape and hone leaders at every milestone of their professional lives. Officers in the Marine Corps begin their careers at the Officer Candidates School and The Basic School. Enlisted marines receive additional leadership training at the University's Staff Non-Commissioned Officers Academy.

The National Museum of the Marine Corps is the new historical museum of the United States Marine Corps. Designed by Fentress Architects, the exterior design is meant to "evoke the image of the flag raisers of Iwo Jima," an image that is also preserved by the USMC War Memorial. The 100,000 square foot museum is a tribute to the U.S. Marines who have served their country since 1775.

The National Museum of the Marine Corps preserves and exhibits the material history of the U.S. Marine Corps; honors the commitment, accomplishments, and sacrifices of Marines; supports recruitment, training, education, and retention of Marines; and provides the public with a readily accessible platform for the exploration of Marine Corps history.

The National Museum of the Marine Corps will be the centerpiece of a complex of facilities called the Marine Corps Heritage Center. This multi-use, 135-acre campus will include the Semper Fidelis Memorial Park and Chapel; a demonstration area with parade grounds; hiking trails and other outdoor recreational offerings; a conference center and hotel; and an archive facility to restore and preserve Marine artifacts.

Learn More About The History of MCB Quantico Here!

http://www.quantico.usmc.mil/activit...ction=BaseInfo

Learn More About The National Museum Of The Marine Corps Here

http://www.usmcmuseum.org/index.asp

Ellie