The training camp was first established by Prince Luitpold of Bavaria. It was to be the training area for the Reichswher or also know as the 100,000 man army. It became operational in 1911 with 37 square miles of training area. Bavaria was an autonomous monarchy during this period, however, during the first world war it was taken control of by the German High Command in Berlin. 1933 saw the emergence of Adolph Hitler as chancellor of Germany and by 1935 the Reichswher had been totally forgotten along with the treaty of Versaille. Hitler created the Wehrmacht and the area grew to 50 miles by evacuating the residents the SS or Leibstandarte(Hitlers Personal body guards, and General Rommel’s Africa troops, trained in this area, as did some Italian troops and Russian . After WW2 Grafenwoher was closed until 1947 when it became the training area for the 370th and 371st infantry Battalions of the First Infantry Division. It exploded to ninety-nine square miles and has been used extensively by the US Army since. It has been known as a sub station of Vilseck Germany.