Located on Mulberry Island, the army created Fort Eustis in 1918 after purchasing the land as part of a build-up for World War 1. Known originally as Camp Abraham Eustis and was home to a balloon observation school. It got its name from Brevit Brigadier General Abraham Eustis, who had commanded at nearby Fort Monroe. In 1923 it became a permanent army installation and was renamed Fort Eustis. It became a federal prison in 1931, when it was used primarily to hold bootleggers. During World War 2 it went back to military use as the Coast Artillery Replacement Training Center.
Today, Fort Eustis is one of just over a dozen Training and Doctrine Command installations for the US Army. It is home to helicopter maintenance technicians and most of the transportation training for the US Army. Fort Eustis is home to some of the Navy's so called Ghost Fleet of decommissioned ships. This has caused some environmental concerns over the years, but effort is being made to clean it up. The U.S. Army Transportation Museum is also located at Fort Eustis and shows the army's varied history when it comes to transporting men and machines to and from the front lines.