Modern Military Began In Arizona, But Not Where You Think

Over the past century, they way we conduct warfare has drastically changed. At the turn of the 20th Century, we were relying on horses, mules, and unreliable weapons.

Flash-forward to present day, and the United States Military can press a button, and all of a sudden unmanned drones make their way halfway across the globe and assassinate a target all within a matter of minutes.

We don't get from Point A to Point B without Arizona's help.

The Pancho Villa Expedition

In the midst of the Mexican Revolution of the early 20th Century, Mexican revolutionary Francisco "Pancho" Villa attacked the city of Columbus, New Mexico. The United States, obviously, did not take that lying down, and began on one of the most well-remembered missions of the Mexican Border War.

The goal of this mission was to capture Villa, and make him stand trial. The expidetion began on March 14th, 1916, and lasted a little under a year. Unfortunately, while most of Villa's forces were disposed of, Villa himself evaded capture, and the US was forced to let go of their objective.

Something far greater was won instead.

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The Time the US Military Fought the University of Arizona

Camp Harry Jones and the Invention of Modern Military

One of the major players in this expedition was Camp Harry Jones, based in Douglas, AZ. They stuck as a buffer to combat any of Villa's forces that planned to enter the state. More importantly, however, was their use of mechanized vehicles.

Trucks, Cars, and planes were all used at Camp Harry Jones throughout the expedition, marking the first major military outing to focus on mechanized forces. Obviously, this was a success, as by the end of World War I in 1918, the US Military had almost completely switched over to mechanized gear.

So the next time you remember how powerful our military technology has gotten, make sure to thank Camp Harry Jones. (It's been inactive since 1933, don't actually go to thank them)

[Pancho Villa Expedition via Wikipedia][Camp Harry J Jones via Wikipedia]