U. S. Marine Corps Detachment, Fort Benning

The United States Marine Corps has maintained a permanent presence aboard Fort Benning, GA since 1950. As a result of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) decision, Marine Detachment Fort Knox relocated to Fort Benning, GA, and in 2011 consolidated with Marine Corps Representative Fort Benning, GA, into a single organization designated as Marine Corps Detachment Fort Benning, GA.

In 2010, prior to the consolidation, Marine Corps Representative Fort Benning was comprised of 17 permanent personnel responsible for integrating Marine students into the United States Army Infantry School. Specifically, the representative was responsible for the Basic Airborne Course, Static Line Jumpmaster, Ranger School, and Infantry Captains Career Course.

The Marine Corps Detachment spent 2011 and 2012 settling into their new facilities as they joined the US Army’s combining of their Infantry and Armor training communities to develop the Maneuver Center of Excellence (MCoE) at Fort Benning.
The result was an expansion of the size and mission of the Marine Corps Detachment. By the end of 2012 the Detachment had grown to 77 permanent personnel responsible for 5 co-located courses and 11 army quota based courses.

In 2014, Marine Detachment Fort Benning grew to its peak of 79 total permanent personnel supporting 6 co-located courses and 12 army quota based courses. However, by the beginning of 2015 cuts would reduce the Detachment to 66 personnel supporting the same number of courses.

Today’s Marine Corps Detachment at Fort Benning consists of 69 permanent party Marines, supporting 6 Marine Corps programs of instruction and 13 Army courses, training of over 1,200 Marine students a year. This number is in addition to the thousands of soldiers, airman and sailors that our Marine instructors have the honor to train here at the US Army Maneuver Center of Excellence.

Even in the face of personnel reductions, every year Marine Detachment Fort Benning has found a way to do more with less and make another Army Course accessible to the Marine Corps.