Glynco Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Georgia

This is a major campus for law enforcement training, operated by the federal government’s Department of Homeland Security. It started out as the Glynco Naval Air Station, one of eight blimp bases built hurriedly during WWII. Like most of the others, it had two 1,000-foot-long wooden hangars, one to house a squadron of blimps, and the other to house additional and transient blimps. Blimp operations continued there until 1959, and the hangars were torn down in 1971. But the layout of the blimp base set the pattern for the future development of the site, and a few circular blimp parking pads are sill visible on-site, though used for other things now. After the base closed in 1974, the Consolidated Federal Law Enforcement Center, then under the aegis of the Department of the Treasury, was renamed the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), and relocated here. They built a variety of vehicular training tracks, a 34-building "neighborhood" practical training area, which includes a library, mock court room, interviewing suites, and assorted laboratories. Other facilities include shooting ranges, an explosives range, and a fully functional simulated international border port of entry. There are also dormitories and a cafeteria capable of serving 4,000 meals. Glynco is one of four sites in the USA operated by the FLETC (the others are in Artesia, New Mexico; Charleston, South Carolina; and Cheltenham, Maryland). Glynco is the headquarters.