Fort Belvoir << BEHL vawr >> , Virginia, is the site of numerous administrative, research, academic, and logistical agencies of the United States Department of Defense and U.S. Army . Fort Belvoir also houses National Guard and Army Reserve units. The fort covers about 8,700 acres (3,500 hectares) along the Potomac River and lies 18 miles (29 kilometers) south of Washington, D.C. The Army’s Engineer School began using the site for training exercises in 1915. Camp construction began in 1918. Fort Belvoir was named after the estate of Belvoir, the home of Colonel George William Fairfax, a friend and neighbor of George Washington . The fort once housed the United States Army Engineer Center and the Army Materiel Command.
