File:Fort Detrick Facts (IA FortDetrickFacts).pdf

Fort Detrick is the home of the U.S. Army's biological research program. Its mission is to investigate military biological agents and weapons and the defenses against them.

Located outside Frederick, Md., the post occupies about 1300 acres of
land with a physical plant value of more than $90,000,000. Before April, 1943, the area was a small Maryland National Guard aircraft landing strip known as Detrick Field. It was named in honor of Major Frederick Louis Detrick who was flight surgeon of the 29th Infantry Division Aviation Detachment during World War I.

Since then, the installation has grown to be the county's largest industry and employer. Nearly 3,000 military and civilian personnel work here, contributing to the national defense and to scientific progress and human welfare in general as well as to the fiscal advance of the area.

Government research and development here are carried out in a broad spectrum. Almost one-fourth of the employees hold degrees at the bachelor
level or beyond. Among them are bacteriologists, chemists, statisticians, science administrators, physicists, plant physiologists and pathologists, biologists, veterinarians, entomologists, meteorologists, engineers, physicians, and a wide range of machinists , electricians, plumbers, carpenters, clerks, typists and housekeepers.

Fort Detrick and its tenant activities provide an environment most favorable to the research scientist. It i s located near universities, libraries and cultural centers in Baltimore and Washington. In addition, on post classes and seminars are conducted in many areas of fundamental interest and more than 100 manuscripts and documents a year are prepared by staff members and submitted to recognized scientific societies and journals.