Fort Leonard Wood was established in 1940 as the US geared up for expected involvement in World War Two. It was created as an infantry training center, but soon became the Engineer Replacement Training Center (later renamed the Army Service Forces Training Center), and trained 300,000 men during the war.


The post was named for Major General Leonard Wood, physician, military governor of Cuba, Governor-General of the Philippines, Chief of Staff, and Medal of Honor recipient. Lieutenant Wood earned his Medal of Honor by carrying dispatches 100 miles on horseback through hostile Indian territory, often in hand-to-hand combat against Apache warriors. Late in his career, General Wood was one of the principal organizers of the Rough Riders, the most famous unit in the Spanish-American War; the General was in command at the Battle of San Juan Hill.


Shortly after World War II Fort Leonard Wood was deactivated for four years, then later reactivated with the onset of the Korean War. In 1956, the United States Army Training Center-Engineer and the First Basic Training Regiment (later renamed the Third Basic Combat Training Brigade) called the post home.


More recently, as a result of the BRAC of 1995, the U.S Army Chemical School and The U.S Army Military Police School relocated to Fort Leonard Wood. It combined with the Engineer and Military Police schools under a command called the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence (MSCoE). To this day, the fort continues to serve in training and developing physically and mentally fit soldiers.