We arrived at Fort Huachuca on Feb. 28. The RV Park here on the Army base is called "Apache Flats RV Park" and we will be here until at least until March 12. Peggy has a military ID card that allows her to come on the base, be able to stay at the RV Park, and also to use all the facilities on the base, like all the other people that live on the base in military housing. This first morning on base we awoke to a very sunny morning, so our stay is starting out well.
There are two museums here. The Fort Huachuca Museum takes up two buildings, the annex is across the street of the main one. It tells the story of the U.S. Army in the American Southwest.
The second museum is the U.S. Army Intelligence Museum which takes for its theme the evolution of the intelligence art within the U.S.Army. As a formal organization, Military Intelligence made a late appearance in the U.S.Army, waiting more than 100 years. It would have to wait another three decades for the demands of the 20th century warfare to validate Military Intelligence as an equal partner on the War Department staff. It took the leadership of many officers to sell a simple idea, "Intelligence is for commanders." Today that principle is the cornerstone of U.S. Army intelligence doctrine. How that idea has evolved over the last 200 years is the subject of a new museum at Fort Huachuca. The museum was established in 1960 to tell the story of the U.S.Army on the Southwestern frontier. Starting with the Army of the west in 1846. Fort Huachuca had its beginnings in March 1877. Its location was so well situated along Chiricahua Apache escape routes into Mexico that it was decided by the War Department to make it a permanent fort in 1882. In the latter half of the 20th century, the post has been a proving ground for electronic weaponry, a home station for the U.S. Army's major communications command, and most recently the center for all military intelligence training.
Two towns that are near the fort that we are going to visit are Tomestone and Bisbee. We will post later about our visit to them.
