The story of FT. McClellan, AL began July 1917-1999. It was located near Anniston, AL, which was the first and only military post in that vicinity. On July 1, 1929, Camp McClellan was formally changed to Fort McClellan, which became a permanent duty assignment for the active Army. Fort McClellan is named for Major General George B. McClellan, who served as general-in-chief of the Army from 1861 to 1862. It was the first Southern military installation named for a Northern general. McClellan was used as a mobilization camp where World War II soldiers trained. During World War II, McClellan was considered one of the largest military installations, where approximately half a million soldiers were trained. From the end of the war until the day the base closed, McClellan averaged 10,000 military personnel on the installation (Transition Force, 2014). After the conclusion of the war with Japan, a large number of trainees slowly reduced, which caused the post complement to do the same. After World War I and World War II the Army appropriations budget was cut by two billion dollars. In response to the cut, Fort McClellan was placed inactive and remained so despite pressure from Alabama politicians in Washington. Alabama's congressional delegation went so far as to invite Dwight D. Eisenhower, then Army Chief of Staff, and collectively they sat down to review the situation. Dwight D. Eisenhower, during his visit, said that he thought Fort McClellan was the best of all the other military installations, but he still favored cutting the budget. Things changed quickly in 1950, when Brigadier General Theodore R. Wessels became leader. He was also responsible... half of the paper... adiness. As soon as it was finally decided that Fort McClellan would be closed, the military was notified and civilian employees were forced to look for work elsewhere. Although several civilians were out of work, the military contributed by putting in place programs to help displaced employees look for work. After more than 81 years of memories, all the soldiers who trained at Fort McClellan, Major General Ralph G. Wooten, the Commanding General and the Commandant of the Chemical School, extended a heartfelt thanks from the Department of the Army to Fort McClellan and surrounding communities (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 2014). Works Cited Transition Force. (March 20, 2014). Fort McClellan. Retrieved from http://www.mcclellan.army.milWikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (2014, March 5). Fort McClellan. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_McClellan