Fort Des Moines Provisional Army Officer Training School

Fort Des Moines is a 640-acre military complex with barracks, officers' quarters, training facilities, and administrative buildings arranged around a central parade ground. The grounds remain organized in their original layout, with structures from different periods representing the facility's evolving military purposes.

The facility opened in 1917 to train African American officers, marking a significant shift in military service opportunities of that era. After 1942, it transitioned to a new mission and became the primary center for training the Women's Army Corps.

The installation broke racial boundaries by training African American officers starting in 1917, and later opened its doors to women soldiers from 1942 onward. Visitors can sense how this place transformed military service by welcoming people who had previously been excluded from officer ranks.

The Fort Des Moines Museum and Education Center at 225 East Army Post Road displays military artifacts and documents spanning both World Wars. Plan to spend time exploring both outdoor grounds and indoor exhibits to get a fuller sense of the site's scale and history.

During World War I, this facility ran the only program in the country for training Black officers, making it a singular moment in American military history. This groundbreaking training created a pathway that had never existed before in the armed forces.

Location: Iowa

GPS coordinates: 41.52660,-93.61520

Latest update: December 8, 2025 20:02