Fort Pickett, Virginia is located east of Blackstone, Virginia and is home to the Army National Guard Maneuver Training Center. The fort is a training center not only for Army Guard troops, but also for the United States Marshals Service, FBI, ATF, and the Civil Air Patrol.
Virginia State Police and local law enforcement agencies also share the facility for training purposes. Since Fort Pickett is a Guard training base, it does not include many of the features you might otherwise expect–there is no Child Development Center, there are no on-post schools or School Liaison Office, etc.
Find information about Fort Pickett, including the main commercial and DSN numbers for the base, information on basic services, base transportation, lodging for TDY and PSCing personnel, and inprocessing.
Mission & Units
The Fort Pickett mission is described at the installation’s official site as, “providing realistic and challenging training to our customers” plus maintaining physical security and force protection to “support of soldier readiness and deployment missions”.
The installation features 42,000 acres dedicated to field training including a live fire range, forward operating bases, training villages, and urban assault training zones.
The fort also provides a Regional Collective Training Center for the East Coast, providing “immediate staging” for some five thousand troops at a time.
History
Originally known as Camp Pickett, Fort Pickett covers around 46 thousand acres and was built in 1942. By the time America had entered World War Two, the camp had four hundred buildings plus around 1000 barracks for enlisted troops.
The camp had, at one time, six fire houses, a dozen chapels, four movie theaters, enlisted clubs and much more. When Pickett was operational as a regular Army base, it featured two prisoner-of-war camps housing some six thousand German POWs.
In 1974, Camp Pickett was redesignated Fort Pickett, but DoD leadership chose to inactivate the regular Army garrison at Fort Pickett. It was turned over to the control of the Virginia National Guard 1995 and functions today in that capacity.
In modern times, Fort Pickett serves as a training area for military and civilian agencies; as a Guard base the fort lacks many of the features active duty training bases do including on-post child care, schools, etc.
The fort does provide support services for Guard activities there including supply and logistics, CAC renewal, Post Exchange, etc. Today, Fort Pickett serves as the headquarters and training facility for both the Virginia Army Reserve and National Guard.
Contacts
Main Base Address And Phone Numbers
Fort Pickett
Blackstone, VA 23824
(434) 292-8621
Contact Numbers
- Director/Post S1 (434) 292-2294
- Admin Section (434) 292-8403
- MWR/Gym (434) 292-8626
- Post Exchange (434) 292-8680
- ID Card Section (434) 292-2497
- Family Assistance Center (434) 294-5764
Surrounding Area
You won’t lack for things to do and places to go in the Fort Pickett area but you may need to commit to a bit of driving for the most popular destinations. Just under an hour away, you’ll find the military community around the Fort Lee area to be welcoming and just under three hours away Washington D.C. has no small amount of interest for lovers of sports, history, space exploration, or science. No matter where you start your exploring, there are a few sites in the area worth noting.
Those who love history (especially early American history) should visit the Petersburg National Battlefield, a Civil War historical site. Pocahontas State Park, and Point Of Rocks Park are also good outdoor attractions.
There’s plenty of fun for the family–a kid-friendly day out could include a trip to King’s Dominion amusement park, the Edgar Allen Poe museum, and the Smithsonian in nearby Washington D.C. is just the first place you might try.
There are plenty of other well-known destinations you can find over a three-day weekend or road trip. Try the Vietnam War Memorial, designed by Maya Lin, plus tours of the White House, Korean War memorial, and more.
Inprocessing and Check-In
All inbound troops TDY or PCSing to the Fort Pickett area are directed to contact their gaining unit for inprocessing and check-in procedures as these will vary greatly depending on the nature of training and the duration of your stay.
Services
For assistance with services at Fort Pickett, the best place to begin is with the Family Assistance Center, a facility is dedicated to military and family members including during times of emergency or crisis:
Fort Pickett Family Assistance Center
472 Military Road
Blackstone, VA 23824
(434) 294-5764
Health Care
You will need to contact your TRICARE rep to learn about healthcare options in the surrounding area as there are no emergency services or outpatient care options on post.
Child Care
There are no child care facilities at Fort Pickett. You will be responsible for finding a child care provider in the local community.
Dependent And Retiree ID Card Renewal, Replacement, New Issue
ID card services are administered by the Fort Pickett DEERS/ID Section. Appointments are encouraged and you can schedule them at Fort Pickett via the RAPIDS system or by calling the ID Card Section (434) 292-2497. Two unexpired forms of ID are required for all services and at least one of those IDs may be required to be REAL ID Act compliant. It’s best to call ahead for information on currently accepted ID and other related issues.
Housing
There are no permanent housing services offered at Fort Pickett. Those working on post are responsible for finding housing in the local community
PCS and TDY Lodging
Temporary lodging is offered through Fort Pickett Maneuver Training Center Billeting. Those traveling on orders have priority and limited facilities may be offered as space-available options. It’s best to arrange all billeting as far in advance as possible ahead of a TDY or PCS. Make reservations at (434) 292-2443.
Transportation
Those flying into the area commercially will likely fly into one of two airports–Richmond International (just over 60 miles away) or Raleigh-Durham International (over 110 miles away). The usual ride sharing and commercial taxis are available depending on time of arrival and other factors, but you’ll want to consider the travel distances and consider making arrangements to be picked up at the airport if possible.
Vehicle Registration And Driver’s License
Contact your gaining unit or training unit at Fort Pickett to get the latest guidance on on-post driving, POV operation, and other issues. Fort Pickett’s official site contains broken links at press time with regard to its POV operation and parking policies.