Named in honor of General Leonard Wood, former Chief of Staff of the Army, Fort Leonard Wood has a history of training and educating engineers since 1941. In 1999, the Army moved the schools for the U.S. Army Chemical Corps and the U.S. Army Military Police Corps to Fort Leonard Wood and the base was designated a U.S. Army Maneuver Support Center. If you are part of the chemical, engineer, or military police branches, chances are high that you will pass through Fort Leonard Wood!

Fort Leonard Wood is located in south central Missouri. The area is part of the Ozarks, a region consisting of a high plateau—not a mountain range, as is commonly assumed—stretching across Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. The area surrounding Fort Leonard Wood has caverns to explore and the local rivers are great for fishing and floating. The Lake of the Ozarks, a man-made lake about one hour away, is a frequent weekend destination for those living at Fort Leonard Wood. Branson, Mo., is a country music mecca and is about two hours southwest of Fort Leonard Wood, while St. Louis is two and a half hours to the east.

Life at Fort Leonard Wood (jokingly called Fort Lost in the Woods) moves slowly and lacks suburban perks—the closest Target is more than an hour’s drive!—but it is a very military-friendly area. In fact, it is hard to tell where the base ends and the adjacent town of St. Robert begins, as military members and retirees make up a significant portion of the population.

Perhaps because of the remote location, Morale, Welfare and Recreation plans activities for the community throughout the year. There are various clubs and groups to join, including Keepers of the Castle (a group for Engineers’ spouses), Hearts on a Mission (a fitness group), and the Fort Wood Spouses Club, all of which help keep community members busy and foster relationships among those who call Fort Leonard Wood base home.