Fort Gulick was a
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
base in the former
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone (), also known as just the Canal Zone, was a International zone#Concessions, concession of the United States located in the Isthmus of Panama that existed from 1903 to 1979. It consisted of the Panama Canal and an area gene ...
located on the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal near
Fort Davis, on
Gatun Lake
Gatun Lake () is a mostly freshwater (slightly saline near the locks) reservoir to the south of Colón, Panama. At approximately above sea level, it forms a major part of the Panama Canal, carrying ships of their transit across the Isthmus of P ...
.
History
The post was constructed and opened in 1941, and named for
John W. Gulick, a U.S. Army
major general who served as the
Chief of Coast Artillery from 1930 to 1934, and commanded a brigade in Panama in 1935 and 1936. It was perhaps best known as the home installation of the
8th Special Forces Group (Airborne) (Special Action Force) from 1962 until the 8th SFG (A) inactivation, and the location of the
School of the Americas
The Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC), formerly the School of the Americas, is a United States Department of Defense school located at Fort Benning (briefly known as Fort Moore) in Columbus, Georgia, the school bein ...
. In 1984, control of the fort was turned over to the Republic of
Panama
Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...
who renamed it Fuerte Espinar. The U.S. retook over administration of the fort as a result of the 1989
United States invasion of Panama
The United States invaded Panama in mid-December 1989 during the presidency of George H. W. Bush. The purpose of the invasion was to depose the '' de facto'' ruler of Panama, General Manuel Noriega, who was wanted by U.S. authorities for rack ...
, but kept the name of Fort Espinar.
The former site of Fort Gulick is now part of the municipal district of
Colón, Panama
Colón () is a city and Port#Seaport, seaport in Panama, beside the Caribbean Sea, lying near the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal. It is the capital of Panama's Colón Province and has traditionally been known as Panama's se ...
, and is the location of the Hotel Melia.
Military history

During the period of 1973–1979, Fort Gulick was home to Company B, 4th Battalion
10th Infantry. The rest of the 4th Battalion 10th Infantry was located at Fort Davis while construction of the barracks was on-going. This assignment gave Company B a unique training environment. The Company supported the U.S. Army School of the Americas during its tactical exercises at
Fort Sherman
Fort Sherman is a former United States Army base in Panama, located on Toro Point at the Caribbean (northern) end of the Panama Canal, on the western bank of the Canal directly opposite Colón, Panama, Colón (which is on the eastern bank). It w ...
and the Pina Training area as well as supporting the 3rd Battalion
7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) based at Fort Gulick.
The 7th Special Forces was headquartered at
Fort Bragg
Fort Bragg (formerly Fort Liberty from 2023–2025) is a United States Army, U.S. Army Military base, military installation located in North Carolina. It ranks among the largest military bases in the world by population, with more than 52,000 m ...
, North Carolina, but had the 3rd Battalion at Fort Gulick. Prior to the 7th SFG (A) deploying to Canal Zone, the 8th Special Forces Group had operated in the Central and South American area. One of the 8th SFG (A) historic participation was in the training of a Bolivian Ranger unit to pursue Ernesto "Che" Guevara and his guerrillas.
Along with the above-mentioned units, the
549th MP Company also called Fort Gulick home for extended periods of time. The companies moved from Fort Gulick to Fort Davis and back multiple times (two confirmed moves happened in 1962 and 1984) for various administrative reasons. The 549th MP and 3/7 SFG barracks were "next-door neighbors" on Fort Gulick, with only 20 meters separating the buildings.

The
Panama Canal Treaties of 1977 called for the United States to turn Fort Gulick over to the Panamanian government in August–September 1984. In fulfillment of these terms, the
549th MP Company, The Provost Marshal's Office (PMO) and 3/7 SFG moved their commands and barracks back to
Fort Davis, which had been their former and long time home while in the Republic of Panama. These units remained on Fort Davis until The United States turned over all installations to the Panamanian government.
During (and previous to) this time, Fort Gulick had been jointly occupied by the U.S. Army and the
Panamanian Defense Forces (PDF). The PDF barracks also enjoyed residence on Fort Gulick, as did the U.S. Army School of The Americas. In late 1984, the School of The Americas lost its home at Fort Gulick and was relocated to
Fort Benning
Fort Benning (named Fort Moore from 2023–2025) is a United States Army post in the Columbus, Georgia area. Located on Georgia's border with Alabama, Fort Benning supports more than 120,000 active-duty military, family members, reserve compone ...
in the United States.
Fort Gulick went through several rapid name changes when control was given over to the Panamanian government, among those being Fort
Manuel Antonio Noriega and Fort Jose Domingo Espinar. It was eventually given its current name, Fort Espinar.
See also
*
List of former United States military installations in Panama
This is a list of United States military installations in Panama, all of which fall within the former Panama Canal Zone, Canal zone. The U.S. military installations in Panama were turned over to local authorities by 1999.
Transition phases
In 190 ...
*
Naval Base Panama Canal Zone
Naval Base Panama Canal Zone refers to a number of United States Navy bases used during World War II to both protect the Panama Canal and the key shipping lanes around the Panama Canal Zone. Bases were built and operated on the Atlantic Ocean ...
Notes
References
* Fort Gulick Dependent School 227298 (used after school for Martial Arts Classes).
* 3rd Bn, 7th SFG(A) Buildings 232298 to 234298.
* School of Americas building 243293 (now Hotel Melia).
* Atlantic Area Command (USARSO) 233297 (at bottom of building was Post Office.
* Company B, 4th Battalion 10th Infantry (two buildings, formerly of 3rd Bn, 7th SFG(A) 233296. (Note: UTM designators are not added.)
* Military Railroads on the Panama Canal Zone by Charles S. Small, Railroad monographs 1982
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Former installations of the United States Army
Panama Canal Zone
Military installations of the United States in Panama
Colón, Panama
Buildings and structures in Colón Province