Fort Irwin

Fort Irwin was a major US military base. The area was used by General George S. Patton for tank maneuvers as early as the 1930s. The Armor and Desert Training Center was established on this site by presidential decree in August 1940. The Army used part of the Center beginning in October 1940 for the establishment of the Mojave Antiaircraft Range. A year later, the Range was renamed Fort Irwin and was used by several Army units, including the famous "Desert Commandos". Fort Irwin was closed in 1944, but was opened several times during the Cold War.