Aberdeen Proving Ground, the Army's oldest active proving ground, was established on October 20, 1917, six months after the United States entered World War I, to provide the military a facility where design and testing of ordnance materiel could be carried out in close proximity to the nation's industrial and shipping centers. The post officially opened on December 14, 1917, and the first gun was fired on January 2, 1918.
Aberdeen Proving Ground occupies more than 72,500 acres in Harford County, Md. Its northernmost point is marked by the confluence of the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay. On the south it is bordered by the Gunpowder River.
Known as the "Home of Ordnance," APG has been training Army ordnance personnel since 1918. The Army's ordnance training was consolidated at the proving ground during World War II, and today the U.S. Army Ordnance Center and School provides mechanical maintenance training for more than 20,000 U.S. and foreign personnel each year.
Official Website: http://www.abg.army.mil
Information compiled from the Aberdeen Relocation Brochere, published under the auspices of the Army Relocation Program .
