Joint Base Myer–Henderson Hall is a
joint base of the
United States Armed Forces
The United States Armed Forces are the Military, military forces of the United States. U.S. United States Code, federal law names six armed forces: the United States Army, Army, United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps, United States Navy, Na ...
, located across multiple sites in the
National Capital Region. It is jointly made up of
Fort Myer
Fort Myer is the previous name used for a U.S. Army Military base, post next to Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, and across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. Founded during the American Civil War as Fort Cass and ...
(in
Arlington),
Fort McNair
Fort Lesley J. McNair, also historically known as the Washington Arsenal, is a United States Army post located on the tip of Buzzard Point, the peninsula that lies at the confluence of the Potomac River and the Anacostia River in Washington, D ...
(in
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
), and
Henderson Hall (in Arlington). It is the local residue of the
Base Realignment and Closure, 2005
The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission preliminary list was released by the United States Department of Defense on May 13, 2005. It was the fifth Base Realignment and Closure ("BRAC") proposal generated since the process was created in ...
process. It is commanded by the
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 ...
but has resident commands of Army, Navy, and Marines. Most conspicuous is the
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia.
...
Honor Guard.
The two eponymous bases are co-located along the west boundary of the cemetery, and
Fort McNair
Fort Lesley J. McNair, also historically known as the Washington Arsenal, is a United States Army post located on the tip of Buzzard Point, the peninsula that lies at the confluence of the Potomac River and the Anacostia River in Washington, D ...
is across the Potomac River, in Washington, D.C., on the
Anacostia River
The Anacostia River is a river in the Mid-Atlantic states, Mid Atlantic region of the United States. It flows from Prince George's County, Maryland, Prince George's County in Maryland into Washington, D.C., where it joins with the Washington Ch ...
.
On
Fort McNair
Fort Lesley J. McNair, also historically known as the Washington Arsenal, is a United States Army post located on the tip of Buzzard Point, the peninsula that lies at the confluence of the Potomac River and the Anacostia River in Washington, D ...
sits Grant Hall which is the location of the 1865 military tribunal of the conspirators of the
assassination of Abraham Lincoln
On April 14, 1865, Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, was shot by John Wilkes Booth while attending the play '' Our American Cousin'' at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. Shot in the head as he watched the play, L ...
. Each quarter the Hall is open to the public where people can visit the courtroom and learn more about the trials.
Operations

Fort Myer is headquarters to service personnel working throughout the
National Capital Region. The post provides housing, support, and services to thousands of active-duty, reserve, and retired military, members of the U.S. Coast Guard, and their families stationed in the
United States Army Military District of Washington
The United States Army Military District of Washington (MDW) is one of nineteen major commands of the United States Army. It is headquartered in Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, D.C. The missions of the units in the Military District of Was ...
. The JBMHH's mission is to operate the Army's community and support
Homeland Security
Homeland security is an American national security term for "the national effort to ensure a homeland that is safe, secure, and resilient against terrorism and other hazards where American interests, aspirations, and ways of life can thrive" to ...
in the nation's capital.
Stationed here are The First and Fourth battalions of the
3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard); since August 2011, 'A' Company (Commander in Chief's Guard), which was stationed at Fort McNair, D.C; and
The U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own". The gravesite of
Black Jack, the
riderless horse in the state funerals of General of the Army
Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American general who served as a top commander during World War II and the Korean War, achieving the rank of General of the Army (United States), General of the Army. He served with dis ...
and U.S. Presidents
John F. Kennedy,
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was the 31st president of the United States, serving from 1929 to 1933. A wealthy mining engineer before his presidency, Hoover led the wartime Commission for Relief in Belgium and ...
,
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was the 34th president of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, he was Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionar ...
, and
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, under whom he had served a ...
, is located on Summerall Field, northeast of the parade ground's flagpole.
Due to its proximity to
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia.
...
, this is also the base of operations for most
Honor Guards services and burial teams. A large percentage of burials in
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia.
...
originate from Old Post Chapel, one of the two chapels on Fort Myer. Visitors are also given access to the
caissons,
stables
A stable is a building in which working animals are kept, especially horses or oxen. The building is usually divided into stalls, and may include storage for equipment and feed.
Styles
There are many different types of stables in use tod ...
and the
Old Guard Museum.
The military's largest
child development center, named the Cody Child Development Center (CDC), is located here.
''The Pentagram''is written and produced here. It is a weekly newspaper that is delivered to the joint base and
the Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense, in Arlington County, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. The building was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As ...
.
References
External links
Joint Base Myer–Henderson Hall website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall
Joint bases of the U.S. Department of Defense
Military installations in Virginia