Where Has the USBP Academy Been Located?
The following is a revised and formatted version of the information about the USBP Academy and its history. This information has been gathered from the USBP Academy and Border Patrol Museum, with revisions made by the USBP historian based on documents discovered in the National Archives.
United States Border Patrol Academy (USBP Academy) History
USBP Academy Locations and Classes
1. El Paso, TX
* Camp Chigas
- Unnumbered classes, 1936-40
- Class 1 (1940) – Class 44 (July 1951)
- Class 48 & 49 (1953), 53 (1954), 57 (1955)
* Radford School Class 54
* Logan Heights area of the Ft. Bliss
- Class 55, 58-77 (1954-61)
2. Mesilla, NM (1951-1952)
* Class 45 – Class 46
3. McAllen, TX (1952-54)
* Class 47, 50-52
4. Los Fresnos, TX (Port Isabel) (1962-67, 1968-77)
* Class 78-89
* Class 91-113
5. Calexico, CA and Chula Vista, CA (1967-68)
* Only Class 90
6. Glynco (1977-2004)
* Class 114-578
7. Ft. McClellan, Alabama (1988)
* Class 226, the Alabama 500
8. Charleston, SC (1996-2004)
* Class 315-582
9. Artesia, New Mexico (2004 -
* Class 583-
Historical Background
Early training was provided by individual Districts and stations. The first national training facility was at the El Paso Sub-district and Station HQ, Camp Chigas, in El Paso beginning in 1936 and continued through the 1940s and 50s.
A photograph (courtesy of the Border Patrol Museum) of a training class in session from December 3, 1934 - March 17, 1935, is used as the birthdate of the USBP Academy. However, that date is not the birthdate of a National Border Patrol Academy. Camp Chigas had been used by the El Paso District (Tucson, El Paso and Big Bend Sub-districts) to train district employees for years. The concept of creating a national academy had been discussed and researched in 1934. See these two memoranda dated December 22, 1934, written by Chief of the Border Patrol Willard F. Kelly, the first showing that training in El Paso was limited to District No. 17 (the El Paso District, which encompassed what are now the Tucson, El Paso, and Big Bend Sectors), and the second confirming that no uniform training program or national academy yet existed while proposing the creation of a centralized “academy” for new officers.
Records were not kept that identified the date that Camp Chigas began training all Border Patrol new hires and therefore became the Academy. Nevertheless, 1936 is the year that documents support that having occurred. See this 1936 Academy syllabus and this May 1936 Academy schedule.
During the 1950s training sessions were also held at McAllen, Texas, and Las Cruces, New Mexico. In the 1950s, the National Border Patrol Academy was located on Fort Bliss at El Paso, Texas, and in 1961 moved to Port Isabel, Texas, and in 1976 joined the National Police Training Facility at Glynco Georgia, with additional facilities at Chula Vista, California, Calexico, California, Charleston, South Carolina, Artesia, New Mexico, and others.
Numbered classes began with #1 in 1940, located at Camp Chigas.
Early training was provided by individual districts and sub-districts. The first national training facility, Camp Chigas, was established in El Paso in 1936, and continued through the 1940s and 50s. A photograph (courtesy of the Border Patrol Museum) of a training class in session from December 3, 1934 - March 17, 1935, is used as the birthdate of the USBP Academy. It is unknown if Camp Chigas had been used by the El Paso District (Tucson, El Paso, and Big Bend Sub-districts) to train district employees before that photo. However, the concept of creating a national academy had been discussed and researched in 1934. Records were not kept that identified the date Camp Chigas began training all Border Patrol new hires and therefore became the national Academy. Nevertheless, 1936 is the year that documents support that having occurred.
During the 1950s, training sessions were also held at McAllen, Texas, and Las Cruces, New Mexico. In the 1950s, the National Border Patrol Academy was located on Fort Bliss at El Paso, Texas, and in 1961 moved to Port Isabel, Texas. In 1976, the Academy joined the National Police Training Facility at Glynco Georgia, with additional facilities at Chula Vista, California, Calexico, California, Charleston, South Carolina, Artesia, New Mexico, and others.
Numbered classes began with #1 in 1940, located at Camp Chigas.
From 1936 to June 15, 1940, the Immigration Service was part of the Department of Labor and the national training school held unnumbered classes at Camp Chigas. Under the Department of Justice, the Border Patrol classes began to be numbered consecutively. The training school was located in the south wing of sector headquarters at Camp Chigas in El Paso, TX, until 1951. In 1951 and 1952, the training school moved to the campus of the New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic in Arts Mesilla, NM.
In the fall of 1952, the 47th session was held in McAllen, TX. The 48th and 49th sessions were held in Camp Chigas, and the school was again moved to McAllen, TX for the 50th, 51st, and 52nd sessions. The 53rd session was held in Camp Chigas, and the 54th in the Radford School in El Paso, TX during the school's summer vacation. In July 1955, a site was obtained in the Logan Heights area of the Ft. Bliss Military Reservation at El Paso. The 55th-77th sessions were held there where the facilities far surpassed any previously provided. In July 1961, the academy was moved to Los Fresnos, TX in what is now the Port Isabel Service Processing Center detention facility (Letter by Robert E. Wooten). The academy at Los Fresnos was badly damaged by Hurricane Beulah in 1967. The academy had to be temporarily moved to Calexico, CA and Chula Vista, CA for the 90th session.
The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center opened a temporary training facility at the Ft. McClellan Army base in Alabama in 1988 to accommodate a Border Patrol hiring initiative. Only one class number was assigned to the large session 226, but they came to be known as the "Alabama 500".
In 1990, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center opened a training facility in Artesia, New Mexico. Border Patrol Academy sessions 254, 255, 276, 278, and 284 were held there. FLETC Artesia remained an advanced training facility for the Border Patrol.
In 1996, a satellite Border Patrol Academy was opened at what was once the Charleston Naval Base in Charleston, SC. Session 315 was the first basic academy session to utilize the Charleston facility. Sessions continued to be held at Charleston and Glynco until 2004.On October 20, 2004, the Border Patrol Basic Academy returned to Artesia, New Mexico, where it remains today. The first class to report to Artesia was session 583. The Border Patrol Academy continued to teach Spanish to all trainee agents until session 715, when trainees were able to test out of Spanish, shortening the academy to 55 days for those able to pass the Spanish Proficiency Test. Traditionally, agents begin their careers on the southern Border. In August of 2008, session 803 was the first class with trainees reporting to the Northern U.S. Border since 1950.
United States Border Patrol Academy (USBP Academy) History
USBP Academy Locations and Classes
1. El Paso, TX
* Camp Chigas
- Unnumbered classes, 1936-40
- Class 1 (1940) – Class 44 (July 1951)
- Class 48 & 49 (1953), 53 (1954), 57 (1955)
* Radford School Class 54
* Logan Heights area of the Ft. Bliss
- Class 55, 58-77 (1954-61)
2. Mesilla, NM (1951-1952)
* Class 45 – Class 46
3. McAllen, TX (1952-54)
* Class 47, 50-52
4. Los Fresnos, TX (Port Isabel) (1962-67, 1968-77)
* Class 78-89
* Class 91-113
5. Calexico, CA and Chula Vista, CA (1967-68)
* Only Class 90
6. Glynco (1977-2004)
* Class 114-578
7. Ft. McClellan, Alabama (1988)
* Class 226, the Alabama 500
8. Charleston, SC (1996-2004)
* Class 315-582
9. Artesia, New Mexico (2004 -
* Class 583-
Historical Background
Early training was provided by individual Districts and stations. The first national training facility was at the El Paso Sub-district and Station HQ, Camp Chigas, in El Paso beginning in 1936 and continued through the 1940s and 50s.
A photograph (courtesy of the Border Patrol Museum) of a training class in session from December 3, 1934 - March 17, 1935, is used as the birthdate of the USBP Academy. However, that date is not the birthdate of a National Border Patrol Academy. Camp Chigas had been used by the El Paso District (Tucson, El Paso and Big Bend Sub-districts) to train district employees for years. The concept of creating a national academy had been discussed and researched in 1934. See these two memoranda dated December 22, 1934, written by Chief of the Border Patrol Willard F. Kelly, the first showing that training in El Paso was limited to District No. 17 (the El Paso District, which encompassed what are now the Tucson, El Paso, and Big Bend Sectors), and the second confirming that no uniform training program or national academy yet existed while proposing the creation of a centralized “academy” for new officers.
Records were not kept that identified the date that Camp Chigas began training all Border Patrol new hires and therefore became the Academy. Nevertheless, 1936 is the year that documents support that having occurred. See this 1936 Academy syllabus and this May 1936 Academy schedule.
During the 1950s training sessions were also held at McAllen, Texas, and Las Cruces, New Mexico. In the 1950s, the National Border Patrol Academy was located on Fort Bliss at El Paso, Texas, and in 1961 moved to Port Isabel, Texas, and in 1976 joined the National Police Training Facility at Glynco Georgia, with additional facilities at Chula Vista, California, Calexico, California, Charleston, South Carolina, Artesia, New Mexico, and others.
Numbered classes began with #1 in 1940, located at Camp Chigas.
Early training was provided by individual districts and sub-districts. The first national training facility, Camp Chigas, was established in El Paso in 1936, and continued through the 1940s and 50s. A photograph (courtesy of the Border Patrol Museum) of a training class in session from December 3, 1934 - March 17, 1935, is used as the birthdate of the USBP Academy. It is unknown if Camp Chigas had been used by the El Paso District (Tucson, El Paso, and Big Bend Sub-districts) to train district employees before that photo. However, the concept of creating a national academy had been discussed and researched in 1934. Records were not kept that identified the date Camp Chigas began training all Border Patrol new hires and therefore became the national Academy. Nevertheless, 1936 is the year that documents support that having occurred.
During the 1950s, training sessions were also held at McAllen, Texas, and Las Cruces, New Mexico. In the 1950s, the National Border Patrol Academy was located on Fort Bliss at El Paso, Texas, and in 1961 moved to Port Isabel, Texas. In 1976, the Academy joined the National Police Training Facility at Glynco Georgia, with additional facilities at Chula Vista, California, Calexico, California, Charleston, South Carolina, Artesia, New Mexico, and others.
Numbered classes began with #1 in 1940, located at Camp Chigas.
From 1936 to June 15, 1940, the Immigration Service was part of the Department of Labor and the national training school held unnumbered classes at Camp Chigas. Under the Department of Justice, the Border Patrol classes began to be numbered consecutively. The training school was located in the south wing of sector headquarters at Camp Chigas in El Paso, TX, until 1951. In 1951 and 1952, the training school moved to the campus of the New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic in Arts Mesilla, NM.
In the fall of 1952, the 47th session was held in McAllen, TX. The 48th and 49th sessions were held in Camp Chigas, and the school was again moved to McAllen, TX for the 50th, 51st, and 52nd sessions. The 53rd session was held in Camp Chigas, and the 54th in the Radford School in El Paso, TX during the school's summer vacation. In July 1955, a site was obtained in the Logan Heights area of the Ft. Bliss Military Reservation at El Paso. The 55th-77th sessions were held there where the facilities far surpassed any previously provided. In July 1961, the academy was moved to Los Fresnos, TX in what is now the Port Isabel Service Processing Center detention facility (Letter by Robert E. Wooten). The academy at Los Fresnos was badly damaged by Hurricane Beulah in 1967. The academy had to be temporarily moved to Calexico, CA and Chula Vista, CA for the 90th session.
The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center opened a temporary training facility at the Ft. McClellan Army base in Alabama in 1988 to accommodate a Border Patrol hiring initiative. Only one class number was assigned to the large session 226, but they came to be known as the "Alabama 500".
In 1990, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center opened a training facility in Artesia, New Mexico. Border Patrol Academy sessions 254, 255, 276, 278, and 284 were held there. FLETC Artesia remained an advanced training facility for the Border Patrol.
In 1996, a satellite Border Patrol Academy was opened at what was once the Charleston Naval Base in Charleston, SC. Session 315 was the first basic academy session to utilize the Charleston facility. Sessions continued to be held at Charleston and Glynco until 2004.On October 20, 2004, the Border Patrol Basic Academy returned to Artesia, New Mexico, where it remains today. The first class to report to Artesia was session 583. The Border Patrol Academy continued to teach Spanish to all trainee agents until session 715, when trainees were able to test out of Spanish, shortening the academy to 55 days for those able to pass the Spanish Proficiency Test. Traditionally, agents begin their careers on the southern Border. In August of 2008, session 803 was the first class with trainees reporting to the Northern U.S. Border since 1950.
