History of Camp Elliott

From 1917 through 1961, the area that became Camp Elliott was used by the Department of Defense for a variety of training, testing, and support activities, many of which involved ordnance and explosive items.

Debris from these activities (including unexploded ordnance) remaining in portions of Camp Elliott which are now the community of Tierrasanta and Mission Trails Regional Park is the subject of the ongoing investigation and remediation programs.

View Historical Pictures of Camp Elliott

The Camp Elliott Years

1917:	Camp Kearney (occupying a portion of the future Camp Elliott) becomes operational as a World War I machine gun and artillery training facility.
1920s - 1930s:	The camp saw little activity.
1934:	The Marine Corps leases 19,298 acres, known as Camp Holcomb, to be used for training areas for artillery, anti-aircraft, and machine gun firing.
1939 - 41:	Camp Elliott is established as a Marine Corps Training Center; development begins and additional land is acquired (to a final size of more than 30,000 acres).
WWII Era:	Camp Elliott serves as a major installation for tank and parachute training and for infantry, scout, mortar, and sniper schooling. Facilities include three permanent subsidiary camps, four bivouac areas, 41 combat or firing ranges, and over 75 miles of interior secondary roadways.
	Live-fire exercises are conducted by tank, anti-tank, and artillery detachments.
1944:	The Marine Corps relocates to Camp Pendleton. The Navy continues to operate portions of the Camp as the Navy Training and Distribution Center until 1953.
1950 - 52:	The Navy reactivates Camp Elliott as a Navy training center during the Korean Conflict.
1961:	Nearly half of the former Camp Elliott is declared surplus and sold. The balance of the property is transferred to the U.S. Air Force or is incorporated into Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.