Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune

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The Marine Corps Base (MCB) Camp Lejeune is a base of the US Marine Corps near Jacksonville , North Carolina , on the Atlantic coast of the United States .

General

Camp Lejeune is u. a. the home base of the II Marine Expeditionary Force and the US 2nd Marine Division . In 2000, the population of surrounding Onslow County was 143,491, of which 43,100 were soldiers stationed on the base. The base covers an area of ​​approximately 637 km² and there are 6,946 buildings on it. In addition, Camp Lejeune has approximately 23 km of beach line, which makes it an ideal environment for training in amphibious warfare . In addition, the two nearby deep sea ports of Wilmington and Morehead City make the base a departure point for rapid troop transfers around the world. The main base is complemented by five smaller facilities: Camp Geiger , Stone Bay , Courthouse Bay , Camp Gilbert H. Johnson and the Greater Sandy Run Training Area . Adding these facilities and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point and Camp Lejeune together results in the largest concentration of Marines and Sailors in the US Navy anywhere in the world.

Stationed units

history

In April 1941 it was decided to set up the base on an area of ​​approx. 45 km². On May 1 of the same year, Lieutenant Colonel William PT Hill began the construction of the Marine Barracks New River, North Carolina . In 1942 the base was renamed Camp Lejeune in honor of the 13th Commandant of the Marine Corps , John A. Lejeune. One of the facilities surrounding the base temporarily served as a third training camp alongside Parris Island and San Diego .

Were between 1942 and 1949 after US President Franklin D. Roosevelt on June 25, 1941, Executive Order 8802 was signed and racial discrimination in the US armed forces ban, about 20,000 African-Americans on the basis of the newly established Montford Point to Marines trained. On July 26, 1948, US President Harry S. Truman extended Roosevelt's previous order with Executive Order 9981 and thus enforced the general equal treatment of members of all races and religions in the armed forces. After this command, Montford Point was renamed Camp Gilbert H. Johnson and has since been home to the US Marine Corps Combat Service Support Schools .

Today, in addition to the beaches for amphibious exercises, Camp Lejeune is home to 78 training firing ranges, 98 maneuvering areas, 540 tactical landing zones and a modern training area for house-to-house fighting. These facilities are used by many foreign soldiers under bilateral and NATO treaties.

Between 1957 and 1987, the drinking water on the base was contaminated with more than 70 chemicals; a legal dispute is pending due to health problems.

On April 9, 2014, an incident occurred on the premises of the naval base. In the "incident among soldiers" one soldier was killed and several people injured. The perpetrator opened fire on his comrades with his service rifle, an M4 carbine , at 5:30 p.m. After the crime, the perpetrator was overpowered by security forces and taken into custody. The authorities ruled out an act of terrorism during the day.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Jacksonville Daily News : Officials release more details about fatal Camp Lejeune shooting April 8, 2014
  2. ^ Marine guard fatally shoots fellow guard at Camp Lejeune, NC April 8, 2014

Web links

Coordinates: 34 ° 35 ′ 34.1 ″  N , 77 ° 20 ′ 32.6 ″  W.