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United States Naval Training Center Bainbridge (USNTC Bainbridge) was the U.S. Navy Training Center at
Port Deposit, Maryland Port Deposit is a town in Cecil County, Maryland, United States. It is located on the east bank of the Susquehanna River near its discharge into the Chesapeake Bay. The population was 653 at the 2010 census. Geography Port Deposit is located a ...
, on the bluffs of the northeast bank of the
Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River (; Lenape: Siskëwahane) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, overlapping between the lower Northeast and the Upland South. At long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the ...
. It was active from 1942 to 1976 under the Commander of the Fifth Naval District, based in
Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 cen ...
. Located on the appropriated campus of the
Tome School The Tome School is a private school in North East in Cecil County in the U.S. state of Maryland. Founded in 1894 by Jacob Tome, it is one of the oldest schools in Maryland. It enrolls grades K–12. As of 2022, the Head of School is Christine Szyma ...
for boys, the training center sat between various important naval centers of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
: about northeast of
Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
, and from Washington, D.C., and
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
. It was reached via Maryland Route 222, about halfway between US 1 and US 40.


History


Origin

President
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
personally approved the site, which was seized from the
Tome School The Tome School is a private school in North East in Cecil County in the U.S. state of Maryland. Founded in 1894 by Jacob Tome, it is one of the oldest schools in Maryland. It enrolls grades K–12. As of 2022, the Head of School is Christine Szyma ...
by Congressional order. Roosevelt also chose the name to honor Commodore
William Bainbridge William Bainbridge (May 7, 1774July 27, 1833) was a Commodore in the United States Navy. During his long career in the young American Navy he served under six presidents beginning with John Adams and is notable for his many victories at sea. He ...
, who commanded the frigate ''Constitution'' when it defeated the British frigate HMS ''Java'' during the
War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It ...
. The campus was expanded by government purchase from to . More than five hundred new buildings were built, some designed by Eggers & Higgins.


World War II


Recruit training

The center was activated on 1 October 1942, and the first batch of recruits arrived 10 days later to begin "boot camp" training. They came in busloads from transportation collection points at Havre de Grace and
Perryville, Maryland Perryville is a town in Cecil County, Maryland, United States. The population was 4,361 at the 2010 census. The town is located near an access for Interstate 95, on the north side of the outlet of the Susquehanna River. History Perryville was fi ...
. The recruits were given a battery of tests to determine their educational and skill levels, then trained in ordnance and gunnery, seamanship, fire fighting, physical training, and military drill. Recruits were trained in shipboard duties aboard the R.T.S. ''Commodore'', a 200-foot "ship" built on dry land. The trainer was equipped with deck guns, a pilot house,
davit Boat suspended from radial davits; the boat is mechanically lowered Gravity multi-pivot on Scandinavia'' file:Bossoir a gravité.jpg, Gravity Roller Davit file:Davits-starbrd.png, Gravity multi-pivot davit holding rescue vessel on North Sea ferr ...
s with
whaleboat A whaleboat is a type of open boat that was used for catching whales, or a boat of similar design that retained the name when used for a different purpose. Some whaleboats were used from whaling ships. Other whaleboats would operate from the sh ...
s, and mooring lines fastened to earth-bound
bollard A bollard is a sturdy, short, vertical post. The term originally referred to a post on a ship or quay used principally for mooring boats. It now also refers to posts installed to control road traffic and posts designed to prevent automotive ...
s, so that crew members could learn casting off
hawser Hawser () is a nautical term for a thick cable or rope used in mooring or towing a ship. A hawser passes through a hawsehole, also known as a cat hole, located on the hawse.The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, third edition ...
s and other lines connecting the ship to its dock. Halfway through boot camp, recruits had a "service week", which generally included kitchen duty, peeling potatoes, mopping, picking up cigarette butts, etc. Recruits with desirable skills, such as typing, could end up on an office typewriter rather than in a kitchen. One winter, recruits were sent to shovel snow off roads to a largely rural area near Colora and Rising Sun. By the end of World War II, the center had trained 244,277 recruits who transferred to various ships and stations throughout the world.


Non-recruit training

USNTC Bainbridge also trained new boot camp graduates and other sailors in technical and other skills. During World War II, 24,484 sailors completed various programs under the direction of the Service School Command. These included: *Coast Guard School *Rockefeller Research Unit (Report to Naval Training Station). *Stewards Mates' School Roll * Naval Academy Preparatory School, founded in 1943. *Naval Hospital *Hospital Corps School *Naval Training School (Radio) *Naval Training School (Fire Controlmen) *Fire Fighters School *Naval Training School (Electrical) *Naval Training School (Physical Instructors) *Naval Training School (Instructors) *Naval Training School (Sound Motion Picture Technician) *Fire Fighters Training Unit *Naval Training School (Motion Picture Operators) *Naval Training School (Recruit Instructors – C)


First deactivation

After the war, the center continued limited operations until 30 June 1947, when it was first inactivated as a Navy training center. The sole remaining training activity on campus was the Naval Academy Prep School (NAPS). A maintenance staff remained active to protect the buildings from weather and other damage.


Reactivation

In mid-1950, with the advent of the
Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top: ...
crisis, plans were made to reactivate the center, and it was officially reopened on 1 February 1951, with Captain Robert Hall Smith in command. Despite the care of the maintenance staff, the buildings were in severe disrepair. A contract was awarded to Consolidated Engineering Company of
Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
. The necessary renovations and road work were accomplished ahead of schedule, and the center reopened its gates for recruits on 5 April 1951. Initially, the center admitted 500 recruits per week, but the rate soon doubled. The first class of 500 seamen recruits graduated on 23 June 1951. In 1962, the Naval Nuclear Power School was installed on the center; this was eventually moved to
Naval Training Center Orlando A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It inclu ...
, Florida in 1976.


Second deactivation

The Navy deactivated the Center on 31 March 1976 and on the evening of 30 June 1976, Chief Petty Officer Stephen Kowalki locked the gates for the final time. Some of the facilities were used by the Department of Labor as a
Job Corps Job Corps is a program administered by the United States Department of Labor that offers free education and vocational training to young men and women ages 16 to 24. Mission and purpose Job Corps' mission is to help young people ages 16 throug ...
Training Center until 1990.


Base closing

On 3 November 1986, the
United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washi ...
authorized the
Secretary of the Navy The secretary of the Navy (or SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department (component organization) within the United States Department of Defense. By law, the se ...
to dispose of Naval Training Center Bainbridge by sale to private parties or transfer to other government agencies. NTCB is the federal facilities equivalent of a
brownfield In urban planning, brownfield land is any previously developed land that is not currently in use. It may be potentially contaminated, but this is not required for the area to be considered brownfield. The term is also used to describe land prev ...
site; the Navy's primary goal was effective re-use of the former property by the State of Maryland and the people of
Cecil County Cecil County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland at the northeastern corner of the state, bordering both Pennsylvania and Delaware. As of the 2020 census, the population was 103,725. The county seat is Elkton. The county was n ...
. Congress specified that before any sale, the Secretary of the Navy was required to "restore such property to a condition that meets all applicable Federal and State of Maryland environmental protection regulations" (Public Law 99-956).


21st century

As of June 2006, the U.S. Navy had transferred this site to the Bainbridge Development Corporation and declared the cleanup complete. Various buildings have since caught fire due to arson, including, but not limited, to: *On 21 September 2014, the main building at the Tome School on the Bainbridge Naval Base property was partially incinerated, leaving only a skeleton of the building. *On 10 February 2019, an abandoned home on the property was incinerated. *On 6 May 2020, a wooden/stone two-story home-style building, later identified as a former hotel or inn, was incinerated. *On 12 June 2020, a large stone building caught fire. Crews arrived to find the roof already collapsed. The department allowed the building to incinerate completely and later ruled it a total loss. Offers have been made to the Bainbridge Development Corporation, or BDC, the property owner, about crowdsourcing funds to restore the buildings due to their dilapidated state, historical value, and the financial strain they have placed toward fire departments' resources. Unfortunately, due to the BDC being a quasi-government owned corporation, this is not legally possible. ''Security Measures'' To preserve the remaining buildings until potential restoration can begin, professionally monitored cameras, provided by security company DeepSentinel, have been installed and activated at the
Tome School The Tome School is a private school in North East in Cecil County in the U.S. state of Maryland. Founded in 1894 by Jacob Tome, it is one of the oldest schools in Maryland. It enrolls grades K–12. As of 2022, the Head of School is Christine Szyma ...
site since August 2020. The cameras, and other deterrent equipment, have the ability to detect and communicate with intruders, and the ability to automatically call police if an intruder continues to loiter. This is a, supposed, long-term solution to the preservation of the three remaining buildings.


Organization

The center was divided into four activities, each with its own commanding officer:


Administrative Command

The Administrative Command was responsible for the various tasks and services necessary in running a center containing about 35,000 inhabitants. Tasks included base maintenance, physical security, fire protection, logistics, material procurement, medical care, religious services, transportation, and so on.


Recruit Training Command

The Recruit Training Command was the largest of the center's commands and was responsible for the basic training of recruits. It consisted of four independent commands – known as camps—each of which had its own regimental drill hall, mess hall, barracks, class rooms, and so on: *Camp Rodgers *Camp Perry *Camp James *Camp Barney Each camp contained 5,000 male recruits. A training school was established for
WAVE In physics, mathematics, and related fields, a wave is a propagating dynamic disturbance (change from equilibrium) of one or more quantities. Waves can be periodic, in which case those quantities oscillate repeatedly about an equilibrium (r ...
recruits in October 1951. Circa 1959, male recruit training at Bainbridge was closed and male recruit training was only in Great Lakes, Illinois and San Diego, California. Bainbridge was the sole recruit training center for Waves until moving to Orlando, Florida in 1972.


Service School Command

The Service School Command was organized to train selected personnel who had completed "recruit" basic training and demonstrated an aptitude for a skill during initial recruit testing. The command had a capacity of providing specialty training to 4,000 sailors at a time. These personnel were assigned to training in gunnery, fire control, radio, telemetry, and other technical subjects. The training center was also the home to the Naval Hospital Corps school. The Naval Academy Preparatory School was a component of the Service School Command and was chartered to train enlisted personnel for acceptance into the U.S. Naval Academy at
Annapolis, Maryland Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east ...
. The school also trained sailors and marines in necessary academic skills required for admission to colleges and universities under the
Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps The Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) program is a college-based, commissioned officer training program of the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps. Origins A pilot Naval Reserve unit was established in September 192 ...
.


Naval Hospital

The naval hospital was established as a 500-bed hospital to care for the center's operating staff, recruits, students, and dependents, with provision to increase capacity to 1,000 beds or more. Some care was provided by the roughly 1,200 students studying to become Hospital Corpsmen at the Hospital Corps School.


Bainbridge Commodores

Bainbridge Commodores football team had many notable players, such as Al Vandeweghe and
Joe Davis Joseph Davis (15 April 190110 July 1978) was an English professional snooker and English billiards player. He was the dominant figure in snooker from the 1920s to the 1950s, and has been credited with inventing aspects of the way the game is ...
. The 1943 team and the 1944 team had full seasons playing against other military service teams.


Famous people who served at the USNTC

* Al Cartwright, sportswriter * Charlie "Choo Choo" Justice, football player at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill *Admiral Frank B. Kelso II (1933–2013), who later became Chief of Naval Operations, commanded the U.S. Naval Nuclear Power School at the U.S. Naval Training Center Bainbridge from 1969 to 1971. *
Paul Pierce Paul Anthony Pierce (born October 13, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player. He played 19 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), predominantly with the Boston Celtics. He was most recently an analyst on ESPN ...
, who later became head football coach at Sul Ross State University and Sam Houston State University *
Bill Cosby William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and media personality. He made significant contributions to American and African-American culture, and is well known in the United States for his eccentri ...
, actor and comedian.


See also

* Commodores football *
Naval Station Great Lakes Naval Station Great Lakes (NAVSTA Great Lakes) is the home of the United States Navy's only recruit training, boot camp, located near North Chicago, Illinois, North Chicago, in Lake County, Illinois. Important tenant commands include the Recruit ...


References

*


External links


USNTC Bainbridge Association
*[https://mde.maryland.gov/programs/LAND/MarylandBrownfieldVCP/Documents/Former%20Bainbridge%20Naval%20Training%20Center%20FS%20122011.pdf Bainbridge Residential Phase 1A Property (Voluntary Cleanup Program), Maryland Department of the Environment. December 2011] {{Coord, 39, 36, 45, N, 76, 05, 30, W, display=title Training installations of the United States Navy Buildings and structures in Cecil County, Maryland 1942 establishments in Maryland 1976 disestablishments in Maryland Military installations closed in 1976 Closed installations of the United States Navy