Camp Forrest, originally named Camp Peay after Tennessee Governor Austin Peay, was established near Tullahoma in 1926 as a National Guard Camp. 

Key Facts about Camp Forrest:

• Size: Camp Peay covered 1,040 acres, while Camp Forrest expanded to 85,000 acres just beyond it.
• Training Roles: The camp served as a training area for infantry, artillery, engineer, signal organizations, and cooks. It also functioned as a hospital center and temporary encampment area for troops during maneuvers.

Prisoner of War Camp:

• Camp Forrest officially became a prisoner-of-war camp on May 12, 1942, housing Italian and German POWs.
• Prisoners were employed as laborers at the camp, working in hospitals and on local farms.
• The camp also detained Japanese, German, and Italian American civilians arrested at the outbreak of the war under the "Alien Enemy Control" program.

Intellectual Diversion Program:

• In 1945, the U.S. government initiated an Intellectual Diversion Program to educate German POWs about American life, utilizing educational and recreational media.
  

Population Growth:

• In 1940, Tullahoma's population was 4,500; by the end of the war, it had surged to 75,000 due to the influx of military personnel.
• In 1942, the William Northern Army Airfield was completed in Tullahoma, named after William Northern, Jr., the first Tennessean to perish in WWII.

Post-War Changes:

• After the war in 1946, Camp Forrest and the airfield were declared surplus property. 
• Buildings were dismantled, and infrastructure was sold as salvage, leaving behind roads, brick chimneys, and concrete foundations.
• In 1951, President Harry Truman dedicated the center, renaming it the Arnold Engineering Development Center in honor of General Henry H. “Hap” Arnold, the only air force officer to hold 5-star rank.

Arnold Air Force Base:

• Today, Arnold Air Force Base is one of the most prestigious aeronautical development and testing facilities in the United States.
• The city of Tullahoma was designated a Great Defense Community in 2022.
• Arnold Air Force Base is currently under the command of Colonel Randel J. Gordon.

To learn more about Camp Forrest, visit our online gift shop!