Guide to Military Installations by Dan Cragg

Author:Dan Cragg [Cragg, Dan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780811751391
Publisher: Stackpole Books
Published: 2001-05-31T18:30:00+00:00

FORT INDIANTOWN GAP

Fort Indiantown Gap (FTIG) is a major reserve component installation situated in a scenic and historic part of south-central Pennsylvania. It is 23 miles east of Harrisburg, easily accessible from Interstates 81 and 78 and State Route 72.

History. Fort Indiantown Gap draws its name from the many Indian villages that once flourished in the vicinity during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. During the French and Indian War, many forts and blockhouses were constructed in the area. In 1930, the Pennsylvania National Guard conducted horse cavalry maneuvers at Fort Indiantown Gap, and between 1933 and 1940, the commonwealth of Pennsylvania acquired the land there and erected buildings for a National Guard campsite. The federal government leased the site from the state in 1941.

Today FTIG consists of 19,200 acres of land. The major tenant units at FTIG include the Pennsylvania Department of Military Affairs, the National Guard Training Site, the Eastern Army National Guard Aviation Training Site, and the 56th Ordnance Detachment (EOD). The Department of Military Affairs is the headquarters of the Pennsylvania National Guard. These activities are staffed by approximately 200 military personnel and 2,000 civilian employees.

Housing and Schools. Housing at FTIG is very limited. The waiting period for on-post quarters is 18 to 24 months for all ranks. There is one mobile-home park at FTIG; sites are available only to personnel who own their own trailers. Additional government quarters are available at the Defense Distribution Center, New Cumberland, about twenty miles southwest of FTIG. Most accompanied personnel find accommodations in the surrounding communities, where a two-bedroom unfurnished apartment rents for about $400 a month plus utilities from $80 to $140 a month. Dependent children attend various public and parochial schools in the school districts adjacent to FTIG. Day-care and preschool facilities are available at the installation.

Personal Services. Medical care at FTIG is provided by a small health clinic. Dependents of active-duty personnel are supported by the Dunham Clinic at Carlisle Barracks. Billeting can be reached at (717) 861-2512, and post information can be reached at (717) 861-2000. Hours of operation for most other services at FTIG are seasonal, or extended during the training season (May through September) and somewhat shorter during the rest of the year. Personal services available include passports, ID cards, information management, and Army Community Service/Army Emergency Relief. There is no commissary at FTIG, but the commissaries at the Defense Distribution Center, New Cumberland, and Carlisle Barracks are available. The post exchange is a modern, self-service facility open to eligible National Guard, reserve, active-duty, and retired personnel and their dependents. The post exchange offers a snack bar, a barber shop, a shopette and service station, and an alterations shop.

Recreation. Recreational facilities include six ballfields (two lighted), tennis courts, picnic areas with pavilions, and an outdoor swimming pool. A sports arena features one full-size basketball court convertible to two volleyball courts, as well as two racquetball courts and a sauna. Skiing and boating are available at nearby Marquette Lake. Hunting and fishing are permitted on the installation during season.

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