Fort Bliss was originally established at its current location in 1893, and was used briefly by John J. Pershing to secure the US-Mexico border during the Mexican Revolution. During World War I, Fort Bliss was primarily used to train cavalry troops, but during World War II the advancement of artillery and aviation technology led Fort Bliss to be used to train anti-aircraft gunners, as well as research on the latest technology of the time - rockets.

During the Cold War, Fort Bliss and the adjacent White Sands Missile Range grew, as the need for missiles in order to counter the Soviet threat grew.

Currently Fort Bliss houses the 1st Armored Division, in addition to the Air Defense Artillery Units. Fort Bliss encompasses an area of 1,700 square miles, and is used as a training area by all branches of the military.

Fort Greely was established in 1942, and was used to ferry equipment (authorized by the Lend-Lease Act) from the United States to Russia, to assist them against Japan and Germany during World War II. After the war, it was decided to use the base as a cold-weather test area, in order to prepare both soldiers and equipment for possible conflict in sub-zero environments.

Today, the base still houses the Cold Regions Test Center, as well as the Alaska National Guard, the 49th Missile Defense Battalion (part of the US Army Missle Defense Command), and portions of the US Army Space and Missile Defense Command.