Located in New Jersey, Fort Dix received its name from Major General John Adams Dix, a veteran of both the War of 1812 and the Civil War. Construction first began in 1917 on "Camp Dix" as it was first known. It officially became Fort Dix in March of 1939 when it became a permanent army installation. During both World Wars and in between, the base served as a training site, and staging area for troops going to and coming home from the war. Much effort was made to acclimate returning troops to non-war status. A few divisions were housed here until the Vietnam War started up when activity really blossomed.
Like some other army bases, an entire Vietnamese village was constructed at Fort Dix to train soldiers on how to battle the enemy. Fort Dix remains a staging ground for global conflicts all over the world including Iraq and Afghanistan. The US Coast Guard's Atlantic Strike Team is now based at Fort Dix as well as Fort Dix Federal Correctional Institution, which is the largest federal prison in the United States. Currently Fort Dix is scheduled to merge with other nearby army bases to form Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, one of the first army bases of its kind.