Week 1: The Finalization of Base Selection

Welcome back everyone!

During this week, I finalized the selection of the three bases I will research and build over the next several weeks. I made sure my list of bases was diverse enough to make seeing and building each base more interesting and fun.

The first base I chose was Fort Point, a base located under the Golden Gate Bridge in the Bay Area. This fort, along with two other bases protected the San Francisco Bay. Although made for that purpose, the base was ultimately used as a training ground for soldiers and housing for military personnel. It is a relatively small fort with most of it being land for training but the fort itself is under the Golden Gate Bridge. I chose this base because it was convenient to visit. I and other future soldiers and army recruiters went on a field trip to explore the base.

I also selected Fort Cavasos. Located near Austin Texas, it is one of the largest military bases in the United States. It is home to the 1st Cavalry Division Museum, 3rd Armored Cavalry Museum, and the 4th Infantry Division OIF Memorial Monument. I will be checking out all four museums. I chose this fort not just because of its size (one of the biggest forts which will contrast well with the small Fort Point) but because it was also convenient to visit. I will be visiting family in cities near Fort Hood.

Finally, I decided on Fort Polk. This fort, located in Vernon Parish, Louisiana is a fort used primarily for combat training. The fort’s swamp-style environment is what makes this location great for combat training. I chose this location because of the environment. It will not only be fun to build but will be a unique base that stands out among the other two.

These three bases are my final selection and I look forward to researching more about them, visiting their museums, and building the models.