JRTC / Ft. Polk

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      JRTC 1-509 OPFOR Replica
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      JRTC OPS GRP Task Force 4
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      509th Infantry Vinyl Decal
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      JRTC 1-509 OPFOR Replica Champion® Hoodie
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      1-509 PIR Fort Chaffee JRTC Dri-Fit Polo
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      JRTC OPS GRP Task Force 4 Hoodie
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      1-509 PIR Fort Polk JRTC Dri-Fit Polo
      from $42.95

      Fort Polk, Louisiana, and the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) have connected but different histories. The installation dates to the Army's World War II expansion; JRTC began decades later at other locations before moving to Louisiana.

      Camp Polk and the Louisiana Maneuvers

      Camp Polk was established in 1941 as the Army prepared and trained a growing force. The Louisiana Maneuvers tested large formations and helped develop leaders and organizations for the approaching war.

      The post subsequently went through changes in activity and mission. During the Vietnam era, its Tigerland training area became associated with preparing infantry Soldiers for service in Southeast Asia. That training mission predates JRTC and should not be described as part of the modern center's founding.

      JRTC's Origins and Move

      The Army established JRTC in 1987, with headquarters at Little Rock Air Force Base and field training at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas. The center moved to Fort Polk in 1993.

      Its purpose is to prepare units through demanding collective training. Rotations combine a thinking opposing force, a complex operational environment, observer-coach-trainers, and after-action reviews. The objective is to expose problems in planning, coordination, and execution before a unit encounters them in combat.

      Names and Continuing Mission

      The installation became Fort Johnson in June 2023, honoring Medal of Honor recipient Henry Johnson. In June 2025, it returned to the name Fort Polk, this time honoring GEN James H. Polk. The restored name has a different namesake from the original Camp Polk.

      AAC's JRTC/Fort Polk collection connects the experiences of rotational units, permanent-party personnel, and earlier generations of trainees. The installation's history, JRTC's institutional history, and the histories of its opposing-force units remain separate records.

      Historical Sources
      • JRTC Operations Group history. U.S. Army, Joint Readiness Training Center. The 1987 Arkansas organization, 1993 move, and collective-training mission.
      • Fort Polk history. U.S. Army Garrison Fort Polk. World War II and Vietnam training chapters and the 2023/2025 installation names.
      • About Fort Polk. U.S. Army Garrison Fort Polk. The installation's origins and later training development.

      AAC historical sources and editorial standards.

      Airborne Apparel Company is proud to offer designs celebrating the training heritage of JRTC and Fort Polk.