Camp Shelby accident: What you need to know about the camp where 22 paratroopers were hurt

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Atraining operation wentwrongat Camp Shelby Wednesday injuring 22 soldiers.

Seven soldiers were transported to a local hospital while the rest were treated on scene. None of the injuries were deemed life-threatening.

Despite the news breaking at the camp, many people may not know much about it.

What is it? Where is it located and why were training exercises being conducted there? Here are the answers to some of your questions.

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What is Camp Shelby?

According tomilitarybases.com, Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Centeris located along U.S. 49, just outside of Hattiesburg. It is the largest military training site owned by a state in the U.S. It's also the biggest reserve training facility in the country, hosting 100,000 personnel a year, according toMilitaryBases.US.

According toCamp Shelby's website, it is so large it encompasses more than 134,000 acres in Perry, Forrest and Greene counties.

Why were training exercises being conducted there Wednesday?

Camp Shelby'spurpose is training of military forces.

The U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and National Guard have all trained at Camp Shelby.

Today, the camp is the annual training spot for National Guard and Army Reserve units stationedin Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee, but other units train there as well.

Who was training there when the accident happened?

Around 650 soldierswith the 4th Brigade Combat Team 25th Infantry Division out of Anchorage, Alaska, were participating in the training exercise.

Have there been other accidents at Camp Shelby?

In June 2016, two soldiers were injured when the Humvee they were traveling in hit a median on U.S. 98 just west of the camp's East Gate and overturned. The driver and passenger were taken to Forrest General Hospital with moderate injuries.

National Guard Sgt. Scott Tynes could not nail down whether there had been other accidents at Camp Shelby.

"Camp Shelby has been open for more than 100 years," he said. "I'm sure there have been accidents of some type and severity at some point.

"But we take the training seriously and we try to provide as safe an environment as possible."

What is the history of Camp Shelby?

Since 1917, the camp has served as a training site for various military branches. It was first activated during WWI and was one of 16 "National Army" camps established by the War Department to train mobilized National Guard soldiers.

More than 4,500 civilian contractors built more than 1,200 buildings, including a large base hospital and rail depot to handle the training duties.Troop capacity at the time exceeded 40,000.

Wasn't Camp Shelby closed at one time?

At the end of WWI, Camp Shelby closed in October, 1919. All of its assets were sold as surplus by the end of 1920.

Soldiers injured: Multiple injuries reported in training accident at Camp Shelby in Mississippi

How did Camp Shelby participate in WWII?

With WWII on the horizon, the camp was reactivated in 1940. About 17,000 construction workers rebuilt more than 1,800 buildings, including an airfield, hospital, prisoner of war stockade and 250 miles of roads.It was the second largest training site in the U.S. with a troop capacity of 85,000.

When was Camp Shelby's mission as a training facility firmly established?

In 1956, the Continental Army Command designed the camp as a permanent training site under the direction of the Third Army Headquarters.

What later effects did it have?

The camp was utilized during the Korean and Vietnam wars and since thenplayed an important roleintraining troops for overseas service during the Global War on Terrorism. It was during this time that the camp was re-designated asthe Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center in 2006 to reflect its role in training personnel from all branches of the armed forces.

Follow Ellen Ciurczak on Twitter: @educellen

This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: Camp Shelby accident: What you need to know about the base