Military

Bainbridge Island has a storied military history. The US Army Coast Artillery Corps built Fort Ward between 1900-1903. The Fort protected the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton until it was deactivated and put on caretaker status in the 1920s.

With tensions rising overseas in 1938, the US Navy reactivated the Fort as a radio school and top-secret listening post, known as “Station S,” which helped win the war in the Pacific. The base closed in 1958. The US Army also operated a missile site elsewhere on the Island in the 1950s.

Today, Bainbridge Island has no active bases, but it is home to a devoted veteran community and historic landmarks.