The History of FT. McClellan, AL started July 1917-1999. It was located near Anniston, AL, which was the first and only military post in the surrounding area. On July 1, 1929, Camp McClellan was officially upgraded to Fort McClellan, which became a permanent mission 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 had an average of 10,000 military personnel on the installation (Transition Force, 2014). After the conclusion of the war with Japan, large numbers of trainees were slowly reduced, causing the workforce to do the same. After World War I and World War II, the military's budget was cut by two billion dollars. In response to this reduction, Fort McClellan was placed on inactive status and remained that way regardless of the pressure Alabama politicians placed on 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, had mentioned that he felt Fort McClellan was the best among all other military installations, but he still favored cutting the budget. Things changed quickly in 1950, once Brigadier General Theodore R. Wessels became leader. He was also responsible...... middle of paper ......adiness. As soon as it was final that Fort McClellan was closing, the military was informed and civilian employees were forced to seek work elsewhere. Although many civilians were unemployed, the military contributed by establishing programs to help displaced employees seek employment. After more than 81 years of memories, all soldiers trained at Fort McClellan, Maj. Gen. Ralph G. Wooten, the commanding general and the chemistry school commandant, sent a moving thank you 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. (March 5, 2014). Fort McClellan. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_McClellan