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~The FReeper Canteen Presents~ Road Trip: Fort Benning, Georgia 
Fort Benning is a United States Army base, located southwest of Columbus, Georgia, in Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties in Georgia and Russell County, Alabama. Fort Benning is named for Brigadier General Henry L. Benning, a Confederate army general and a native of Columbus, Georgia. It was established in October 1918 as Camp Benning, and did not receive permanent quarters and status until World War II. The base covers 182,000 acres. During World War II, Fort Benning included 197,159 acres, and had billeting space for 3,970 officers and 94,873 enlisted persons. The Chattahoochee River runs through Fort Benning, which straddles the Georgia/Alabama state line. 
Following the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, Benning took an active part in the state convention that voted to secede from the Union, representing Muscogee County. In March 1861, the Southern states that had seceded appointed special commissioners to travel to those other Southern states that had yet to secede. Benning served as the Commissioner from Georgia to the Virginia Secession Convention, trying to persuade Virginia politicians to vote to join Georgia in seceding from the Union. Although he was considered for a cabinet position in the government of the newly established Confederate States of America, he chose to join the army instead and became the Colonel of the 17th Georgia Infantry, a regiment he raised himself in Columbus on August 29, 1861. The regiment became part of Toombs' Brigade in the Right Wing of the Army of Northern Virginia, under General Robert E. Lee. At the Battle of Antietam, Benning's brigade was a crucial part in the defense of the Confederate right flank, guarding "Burnside's Bridge" across Antietam Creek all morning against repeated Union assaults. For most of the rest of the war, Benning continued as a brigade commander ("Benning's Brigade") in the division of the aggressive John Bell Hood of Texas. He missed the decisive Confederate victory at the Battle of Chancellorsville because his brigade was stationed in southern Virginia along with the rest of Longstreet's Corps. However, they returned for active combat in the Battle of Gettysburg. There, on July 2, 1863, Benning led his brigade in a furious assault against the Union position in the Devil's Den, driving out the defenders at no small cost to themselves. Benning's brigade fought against Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant in the Overland Campaign, where Benning was severely wounded in the left shoulder in the Battle of the Wilderness on May 5, 1864. This wound kept him out of the remainder of the campaign and much of the subsequent Siege of Petersburg, but he was able to return in time for the waning days of that lengthy campaign. His brigade withstood strong Union assaults against its entrenchments, but was forced to withdraw along with the rest of Lee's army in the retreat to Appomattox Court House. Benning, heartbroken, was one of the final officers to lead his men to the surrender ceremony. 
Fort Benning is a self-sustaining military community supporting in excess of 100,000 military, family members, reserve component soldiers, retirees, and civilian employees on a daily basis. It is a power projection platform, and possesses the capability to deploy combat-ready forces by air, rail, and highway. Fort Benning is the home of the United States Army Infantry School; the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation; the headquarters of the 75th Ranger Regiment along with the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment; the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized), the 14th Combat Support Hospital, and a myriad of additional tenant units. 
The US Army Sniper School is part of the United States Army 197th Infantry Brigade based at Fort Benning, Georgia. The United States Army Ranger School is an intense, nine-week-long, combat leadership course, oriented to small-unit tactics, and conducted in three separate three-week-long phases - at Fort Benning, Georgia, U.S.A., (the woodland terrain, 'Benning Phase'), at Camp Rogers and Camp Darby, Georgia, 'the Mountain Phase' at Camp Merrill, near Dahlonega, Georgia, and the Florida Phase at Camp Rudder, Eglin AFB, Florida. Read More About Fort Benning here!
The Ranger Monument is one of the most visited military sites located on Fort Benning, Georgia. Since its first corner stones were laid, the monument has become a focal point for Ranger activities, family visits, and other happenings. The Ranger Monument is now part of the Historic Trail of Fort Benning. 
Learn More About The Ranger Memorial Foundation Here
FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT~Showing support and boosting the morale of our military and our allies military and the family members of the above. Honoring those who have served before.
Please remember: The Canteen is a place to honor and entertain our troops. The Canteen is family friendly. Let's have fun! We pray for your continued strength, to be strong in the face of adversity. We pray for your safety, that you will return to your families and friends soon. We pray that your hope, courage, and dignity remain unbroken, so that you may show others the way. God Bless You All ~ Today, Tomorrow and Always |
