Fort Kobbe
Encyclopedia
Fort Kobbe was an Army fort created in 1932 that was adjacent to Howard Air Force Base
in Panama
. It was a relatively small post, and housed a battalion of paratroopers (2/187th Rakkasans and later 1/508th ABN), a firing battery of artillery (Battery B 22 Field Artillery) M-102 105mm; six gun battery with survey and search light section, a battalion of engineers (518th ENG BN), and a company of cavalry (helicopters).
It was located on the west side of the Panama Canal
. Most of the area around it was uninhabited (part of the Panama Canal Zone
watershed), though Panama City
could be reached by crossing the nearby Bridge of the Americas
.
Fort Kobbe was redesignated from Fort Bruja on 15 April 1932 to honor Major General William A. Kobbe. In 2000, it was decommissioned and control was turned over to the Republic of Panama.
Howard Air Force Base
Howard Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located in Panama. It was closed on 1 November 1999 as a result of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties which specified that United States military facilities in the former Panama Canal Zone be closed and the facilities be turned over to the...
in Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
. It was a relatively small post, and housed a battalion of paratroopers (2/187th Rakkasans and later 1/508th ABN), a firing battery of artillery (Battery B 22 Field Artillery) M-102 105mm; six gun battery with survey and search light section, a battalion of engineers (518th ENG BN), and a company of cavalry (helicopters).
It was located on the west side of the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
. Most of the area around it was uninhabited (part of the Panama Canal Zone
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
watershed), though Panama City
Panama City
Panama is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Panama. It has a population of 880,691, with a total metro population of 1,272,672, and it is located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, in the province of the same name. The city is the political and administrative center of the...
could be reached by crossing the nearby Bridge of the Americas
Bridge of the Americas
The Bridge of the Americas is a road bridge in Panama, which spans the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal. Completed in 1962, at a cost of US$20 million, it was the only non-swinging bridge connecting the north and south American land masses until the opening of the Centennial Bridge in 2004...
.
Fort Kobbe was redesignated from Fort Bruja on 15 April 1932 to honor Major General William A. Kobbe. In 2000, it was decommissioned and control was turned over to the Republic of Panama.
See also
- Howard Air Force BaseHoward Air Force BaseHoward Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located in Panama. It was closed on 1 November 1999 as a result of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties which specified that United States military facilities in the former Panama Canal Zone be closed and the facilities be turned over to the...